Try This Groovy Quiz About the 1970s

Bobby Fischer became the youngest-ever U.S. chess champion when he was just 14, and earned the title of grandmaster the next year. In 1972, the "Match of the Century" took place between Fischer and the reigning world champion at the time, Soviet player Boris Spassky. Fischer won the match with enough flair that it justified all the media attention, making him the first U.S.-born world champion.

At its completion, the Sears Tower stood at 1,454 feet tall with 110 stories and accommodated 15,000 of Sears’ Chicago workers. It held the record for the tallest building until 1996 when the Petronas twin towers in Kuala Lumpur passed it by a mere 29 feet. In 2009, the tower was renamed the Willis Tower after Sears sold it to Willis Group Holdings.

In 1970, Toni Morrison published her debut novel “The Bluest Eye,” a tragic portrayal of the social and psychological impacts of racism and poverty in the United States. Though it initially received a lukewarm reception, the book is now considered a classic, and marked the beginning of Morrison’s hugely influential literary career. She went on to win the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993 for her novel “Beloved.”

"Survey says… Richard Dawson!" It was "Hogan's Heroes" actor Richard Dawson who first put the popular game show on the map. Dawson hosted "Family Feud" during its original run on ABC from 1976 to 1985, a role that earned him a Daytime Emmy Award.

In the mid-20th century, New York City banned what may seem a harmless pastime: pinball. In the 1940s, the arcade game was considered the scourge of society, contributing to juvenile delinquency, crime, and a loss of morals. One key factor was the introduction of flippers to the pinball machine, which some argued made it a gambling device. Finally, in the 1970s, New York overturned the ban, deciding it was a game of skill rather than of luck.

Babe Ruth made history during his reign as the "Sultan of Swat." The Great Bambino hit a whopping 714 home runs in his career, the running record until slugger Hank Aaron surpassed it in 1974. It's no secret that Ruth was keen on breaking records. In 1920 alone, the iconic Babe hit a record-breaking 54 home runs. To put that into perspective, the second-place home-run hitter of that year hit 19.

In 1947, as British colonialism came to an end on the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan consisted of two parts, and separating them was the vast sprawl of India. Over the next few decades, tensions rose between the two distinct regions of Pakistan. Pakistan adopted Urdu as its official language, while most people in East Pakistan spoke Bengali and were resistant to the changes. The independent nation of Bangladesh was eventually created in 1971.

The Miami Dolphins are, to this day, the only NFL team to complete a football season undefeated. In 1973, three years after they joined the NFL, they won every one of their games, including the Super Bowl. Other teams have come close to the Dolphins’ record, but of those teams, each has at least one tied game on their record.

Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to the People’s Republic of China marked the first time a sitting U.S. President visited the country while in office. The trip was the first political contact between the U.S. and China in 22 years, and set the stage for the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations seven years later.

While the Apple I did exist in 1977, it’s not the machine that started the personal computer trend. The Apple I came in a kit that you had to assemble, but the Apple II offered more convenience for users. The product was the first multipurpose home computer, offering functionality outside of business use. Its versatility for hobby users launched Apple to the top of the electronics world.

The Equal Rights Amendment, which guarantees equal legal rights regardless of gender, was first introduced in 1923, though it didn’t pass Congress until 1972. However, the controversy surrounding it stopped many states from ratifying the amendment. It remains unratified today, nearly a century after it was introduced.

Apollo 13, which launched on April 11, 1970, was supposed to be the United States' seventh mission into space, but the ship's oxygen tank failed after just two days. "Houston, we've had a problem," astronaut Jim Lovell famously said. The astronauts were forced to turn around back to Earth. After a scary four-day journey, the crew successfully landed in the South Pacific Ocean.

When Beverly Johnson made the cover of "Vogue," she had to contend with stylists who didn’t know what to do with her hair and prevalent, industry-wide racism. Nevertheless, in 1974, at age 21, she made history as the first Black woman to grace the cover. Since then, Johnson has appeared in several films, written two books, and was named one of 2008’s most influential people by "The New York Times."

In 1975, Bill Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen created Microsoft. Their original goal was to create software for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. The company’s first home was Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the maker of the Altair 8800 was headquartered, but the company would grow to its tech-giant status in Washington state.

Like many inventions, the comb-over was born out of necessity. When Frank Smith and his son Donald were trying to find solutions for Frank's baldness, they realized that by growing his hair long on one side, he could push it over the top, giving the effect of a fuller head of hair. The patent, complete with instructional diagrams on how to achieve the look, was filed soon after, with the intent to develop a spray that would keep the loose-flowing “side locks” in place.

The Walt Disney World Resort opened its doors on October 1, 1971, soon becoming Florida’s top attraction. The "happiest place on earth" eventually surpassed California's Disneyland, which had opened 15 years earlier, in attendance and revenue. While Walt Disney created the idea and launched the project, he died before its completion.

In 1979, an accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania resulted in a partial meltdown of the power plant. The meltdown released radioactive materials at several locations in the facility. Fortunately, despite the dangerous situation, nobody was killed or injured in the Three Mile Island accident.

On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon made history by becoming the first (and, to date, only) U.S. President to resign from the role, the result of his involvement in the infamous Watergate scandal. His replacement wasn't his original second-in-command; Spiro Agnew, Nixon's first Vice President, had resigned from his post in 1973, due to unrelated circumstances. Agnew's successor was House Minority Leader Gerald Ford — who then went on to be Nixon's successor as well. To date, Ford is the only person to become POTUS without winning the general election for President or Vice President.

On October 11, 1975, the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” (originally called “NBC’s Saturday Night”) aired on NBC. In its debut season, “SNL,” created by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol, introduced the world to such comedic legends as Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and John Belushi. Nearly 50 years later, the show is still a mainstay of late-night TV.

The racehorse Secretariat became a national sensation in 1973 when he dominated all three races in the Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Secretariat not only won these races, but set records in all three that remain unbroken to this day. That year, the champion thoroughbred appeared on the covers of “TIME,” “Newsweek,” and “Sports Illustrated.”

A “blockbuster” is considered a movie that grosses over $100 million. Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” was the first to generate $100 million in box office ticket sales when it was released in 1975. The shark thriller went on to earn $235 million in the United States and Canada alone.

NASA announced the Enterprise in 1976, after its $10 billion, decade-long project completion. It became the first free-flying space shuttle when NASA launched it into orbit the next year. Fans of “Star Trek” were delighted with the name, a nod to the show’s iconic spacecraft.

Stephen King’s 1977 novel “The Shining” is one of his most popular and well-known works. It tells the story of the Torrance family, who experience supernatural horrors while the family patriarch, Jack, is serving as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The novel was a bestseller, and in 1980 it was adapted into the classic film starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Stanley Kubrick.

By 1970, each member of the Beatles was pursuing his own project. While their popularity had not waned, Paul McCartney announced the unofficial breakup in an interview, citing personal, business, and musical differences. They released their final album as a band, “Abbey Road,” in May 1970, about a month after McCartney’s April 10 interview.

In 1979, Sony released the Walkman, one of the world’s first portable music players. The Walkman has changed over time to keep up with audio technology, evolving from a cassette player into a portable CD player, MP3 player, and even a streaming device. It ranks among Sony’s most successful products: Since 1979, more than 400 million Walkmen have been sold.

The first "Star Wars" movie, later retitled "Episode IV: A New Hope," launched one of the most popular science fiction franchises ever created. The 1977 film marked what Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia) called “a new order of geeks,” earning over $800 million at the box office. Since the franchise's launch, there have been nine "Star Wars" movies in the "Skywalker Saga" and numerous spin-offs in film, television, books, and more.

Margaret Thatcher served 11 years as Britain’s Prime Minister, making her one of the longest-serving heads of government. She earned the nickname “The Iron Lady” for her stern and straightforward demeanor — a name she gladly accepted. Thatcher was elected for a second and third term, though she was forced to resign in 1990.

The Battle of the Sexes was an exhibition tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It was the most-watched tennis match in history, and King’s victory helped establish her reputation as a voice for gender equality. She spent the rest of her career as an outspoken advocate for the equal treatment of women and LGBTQ+ competitors in professional sports.

“The Godfather,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was released in 1972 and became a classic of the gangster genre. The film, which was adapted from the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, is the first installment in a trilogy that tells the story of the Corleone crime family. It was a huge success, receiving 11 Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture.

Jimmy Carter was born in 1924 and grew up on his parents’ peanut farm in Plains, Georgia. Carter took over the farm in 1953 and continued to run it until he was elected President of the United States in 1976. During his time in the White House, Carter relinquished control of the family farm to avoid any potential financial conflicts of interest.