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First Jumbo Jet Flight
The first jumbo jet was called the Boeing 747, and it could carry 490 people. On January 21, a Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight. This jet revolutionized air travel because it allowed more and more people to travel around the world. -
First Earth Day
The idea for Earth Day was inspired by an oil spill in 1969, and its purpose was to create a holiday to make people more aware of environmental issues. On April 22, 20 million Americans celebrated the day by going outside and protesting against environmental damage. The tradition of Earth Day still continues today. -
First Monday Night Football Game
Monday Night Football was created when the American Football League and the National Football League merged, and ABC televised a game every Monday night. In the very first game, the New York Jets played against the Cleveland Browns. Monday Night football became very successful and popular, and it still is today. -
Watergate Break-In and Scandal
Five burglars broke into the Watergate office building where the Democratic National Committee headquarters was located and were caught repairing wiretapping equipment to listen in on Democratic Party meetings. The FBI investigated and found out that President Richard Nixon knew about the break in and attempted to cover it up. This scandal became national news, and President Nixon resigned from office before he was impeached. -
US Troops Leave Vietnam
After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, the last of the US troops are pulled from Vietnam. Americans had been stationed in Vietnam for over 10 years. Hanoi also released 67 American prisoners of war. The Vietnam War was finally over, and the Americans had suffered heavy losses. -
Communist Forces Capture Saigon
On April 30, the Vietnam War officially came to an end as North Vietnam invaded Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam. Saigon became known as Ho Chin Minh City, and it became controlled by Communists. -
First VHS VCR is Produced and Sold
Video cassette recorders (VCRs) were developed to play video home system (VHS) tapes for people to watch movies. The first VHS-compatible VCR was created and sold in the Fall of 1977. It had a two hour recording time. For the years to come, VCRs would continue to grow in popularity as people began to watch movies at home. -
Star Wars Comes to Movie Theaters
In the movie Star Wars, created by George Lucas, a boy trains to be a Jedi to fight his father and save the galaxy. Star Wars was one of the most popular movies in the 1970s. The film and the merchandise raised a lot of money, and Star Wars had millions of fans. Star Wars was and still is popular today. -
MRI Technology Creates a Picture of a Man's Chest Cavity
Magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) technology is a way to take pictures of the insides of live people to check for cancer. In 1977, Dr. Raymond Damadian takes and publishes a photo of an MRI of a man’s chest cavity. The process took four hours and 45 minutes. Today, more advanced versions of MRIs are still used to check people’s bodies for cancer and other health problems. -
Saturday Night Fever Premieres
After the movie Saturday Night Fever came out, disco music became wildly popular because people considered it to be trendy, sophisticated, and glamorous. People listened to disco music and went dancing at dance clubs. The music also inspired disco fashion and dance moves. The disco movement and style redefined music culture during the 1970s. -
US and China Establish Diplomatic Relations
In 1979, the US and China re-established formal diplomatic relations after the US broke its formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. At this time, China was developing its “reform and opening” policies as it began to trade more with the Western countries. Even though the US and China were beginning to be on better terms, there were still a lot of issues left to be resolved. -
SALT II Treaty Signed
On June 18, President Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II Agreement, which limited the development and use of nuclear weapons. The SALT II Agreement was necessary because the SALT I Agreement hadn’t solved all of the problems between the US and the USSR. -
Sesame Street Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary
Sesame Street is an educational TV show for children. It became very popular during the 1970s. In 1979, the show had been running for ten years, and over 9 million American children watched it.
