How Much Do You Know About the Year 1973?

The Oldsmobile Toronado was the first publicly available car with airbags. This wasn’t the only car with airbags in 1973, though. Chevrolet Impalas had airbags, too, but they weren’t sold to the general public — they were only for government use. It would take another two decades for airbags to become mandatory in cars.

Cup O’Noodles, produced by the Japanese company Nissin Foods, first entered the U.S. market in November 1973. The company’s original instant ramen product, Cup Noodles, debuted two years earlier in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, where it was such a success that the brand moved to international production (under a slightly different name).

In 1973, Shrinky Dinks were invented by Betty Morris, using thin sheets of polystyrene that shrink and harden when heated in the oven. The invention was a fun art toy for children, who colored designs on the plastic and watched them shrink into hard plastic that they could turn into toys or jewelry.

On April 3, 1973, Motorola engineer Martin Cooper made history when he made the first mobile phone call. Cooper reportedly called Joe Engel, the head of AT&T-owned Bell Labs, to tell him of his breakthrough. However, for most consumers, cellphones wouldn’t be available for another decade.

The Bahamas is located in the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies, just south of Florida. The island was under British rule for 325 years before it became a sovereign nation on July 10, 1973.

The Bosphorus Bridge finished construction on October 30, 1973. The 1,560-meter-long bridge connects the western and eastern sides of Istanbul, located on the continents of Europe and Asia, respectively. Today, the bridge is a major tourist attraction due to its unique geographical location between two continents.

“Schoolhouse Rock” aired during the Saturday morning cartoon lineup, covering topics such as science, economics, history, and math. The cartoon also had snappy songs, such as “I’m Just a Bill,” which taught kids about the legal process of turning a bill into a law, and “Conjunction Junction,” a jingle about grammar rules.

On January 27, 1973, the United States, South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and North Vietnam met in France to sign the Paris Peace Accords, formally called “An Agreement Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam.” This included a cease-fire and the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Vietnam.

NASA’s Skylab was launched into space on May 14, 1973, on the last Saturn V rocket. As its name suggests, Skylab boasted scientific laboratories where research was conducted, from solar physics and astronomy to studying the physiological responses of astronauts in space for an extended amount of time.

The Concorde was the first supersonic passenger airliner. With a maximum cruising speed of 1,354 miles per hour, the Concorde could fly from New York to London in three hours. Despite its fast travel time, the aircraft wasn’t very popular. Its loud noise and high operating cost proved too much for airlines, and operations ended in 2003.

The Sydney Opera House is one of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks. It opened on October 20, 1973, after 14 years of construction. The venue sits on Bennelong Point, overlooking the Sydney Harbour. In 2007, it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, and today, Sydney Opera House welcomes more than 10 million annual visitors.

The 45th Academy Awards featured two front-runners, each with 10 nominations: “The Godfather” and “Cabaret.” “The Godfather” came out on top and won Best Picture and Best Actor (for Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone). However, “Cabaret” didn’t go home empty-handed — Liza Minnelli took home the award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Sally Bowles.

The Sears Tower, located in downtown Chicago, was originally built as the headquarters of Sears, Roebuck and Company. The building stands at 1,450 feet with 110 floors and was the world’s tallest building at the time of its completion. In 2009, it was renamed the Willis Tower, and today, visitors flock to the tower’s Skydeck for a bird’s-eye view of the city.

On October 10, 1973, Spiro Agnew, who served under Richard Nixon, became the second Vice President ever to resign, after the Justice Department uncovered evidence of corruption, including accepting bribes. Agnew’s political corruption charges were eventually dropped in exchange for him pleading no contest to a federal income tax evasion charge.

New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen gave a nod to his home state when he named his first studio album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.,” after a beachside town in the state. The album was released on January 5, 1973, and includes enduring songs such as “Blinded by the Light” and “Growin’ Up.”