The Seventies

First Earth Day

Apr 22, 1970

Each year, Earth Day -- April 22 -- marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. The height of hippie and flower-child culture in the United States, War raged in Vietnam, and students nationwide increasingly opposed it. At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press.

Floppy Disks Introduced

Jun 15, 1970

In the mid 1970’s floppy disks were introduced. A floppy disk is "a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles." They are read and written by a floppy disk drive. By 2010, computer motherboards were rarely manufactured with floppy drive support; 3 1⁄2" floppies could be used as an external USB drive, but 5 1⁄4", 8", and non-standard drives could only be handled by

Bar codes introduced in the UK on retail products

Jul 23, 1970

Bar codes were first used commercially in 1966, but to make them acceptable as a whole there would have to be some sort of standard. By 1970, Logicon Inc. had developed the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code. The first company to create barcode equipment for retail trade use was the American company Monarch Marking, and for industrial use, the British company Plessey Telecommunications.

1970 citations

Dec 31, 1970

• Computer Floppy Disks Introduced/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk
• First Earth Day/ http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement
• Bar codes introduced in the UK on retail productshttp://www.barcodesymbols.com/history.htm

VCR Introduced

Apr 14, 1971

The videocassette recorder aka the VCR is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time. Most domestic VCRs are equipped with a television broadcast receiver for TV reception, and a programmable clock for unattended recording of a certain television channel at a particular time. These features began as

Disney World Open

Oct 1, 1971

The Walt Disney World Resort is the world's most-visited entertainment resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, approximately 21 miles southwest of Orlando, Florida. The resort covers an area of 30,080-acre and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels (excluding eight more that are on-site, but not owned by the Walt Disney Company), including a campground, two spas and physical fitness centers, and five golf courses. The Park opened October 1, 1971.

Microprocessors

Nov 15, 1971

In 1969, Nippon Calculating Machine Corporation requested that Intel design 12 custom chips for its new Busicom 141-PF printing calculator. Instead of creating a dozen custom chips specifically for the calculator, Intel's engineers proposed a new design: a family of just four chips, including one that could be programmed for use in a variety of products. The set of four chips was called the MCS-4. It included a central processing unit (CPU) chip the 4004, and a read only memory chip.

1971 citations

Dec 31, 1971

• VCRs Introduced http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videocassette_recorder
• Disney World Openshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World_Resort
• Microprocessors created http://www.intel.com/about/companyinfo/museum/exhibits/4004/index.htm

First Pocket Calculator

Feb 1, 1972

The HP-35 was Hewlett-Packard's first pocket calculator and the world's first scientific pocket calculator. Like some of HP's desktop calculators it used reverse Polish notation. Introduced at US$395,[2] the HP-35 was available from 1972 to 1975.

Pong is released

Nov 29, 1972

Pong was one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics.Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity. The aim is to defeat the opponent in a simulated table tennis game by earning a higher score. The game was originally manufactured by Atari Incorporated (who released it in 1972. Allan Alcorn created Pong as a training exercise. Compared to todays graphics pong is quite primitive.

Last man on the moon

Dec 11, 1972

Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the American Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the most recent manned Moon landing and the most recent manned flight beyond low Earth orbit. The Ship landed on the moon on December 11 and Cernan, Evans, and Schmitt returned to Earth on December 19.

1972 citations

Dec 31, 1972

• First successful video game (Pong) launched
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong
• Pocket Calculators Introduced
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-35
• Last man in the moon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17

UPC Barcodes come to US

Apr 3, 1973

UPC stands for Universal Product Code and is widely used in North America, and in countries including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand for tracking trade items in stores. Its most common form, the UPC-A, consists of 12 numerical digits, which are uniquely assigned to each trade item. UPC is the only barcode allowed for scanning trade items at the point of sale. Each UPC-A barcode consists of a scannable strip of black bars and white spaces, above a sequence of 12 numerical digits.

Sears tower is built

May 3, 1973

The Sears Tower is a 108-story skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. In 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York, and it held this rank for nearly 25 years. The Sears Tower is the tallest building in the United States and the seventh-tallest freestanding structure in the world. Sears, Roebuck & Co. were the largest retailers at the timeSears executives decided to consolidate the thousands of employees in Chicago into one Building.

Endangered Species Act

Dec 28, 1973

The Endangered Species Act is one of the United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation." The Act is administered by two federal agencies, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

1973 citations

Dec 31, 1973

• UPC Code
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Product_Code • Endangered Species Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act
• Sears Tower Built
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower

National speed limit 55

Jan 2, 1974

The National Maximum Speed Law in the United States was a provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 miles per hour. It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis. While officials hoped gasoline use would fall actual savings were slim. The law was widely disregarded by motorists, and most states opposed the law.

U.S. President Nixon Resigns

Aug 8, 1974

President Richard Nixon announced that he was resigning as president of the United States during an evening television broadcast. Under pressure for his involvement in the Watergate Scandal, Nixon became the first U.S. president in history to resign from office. The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.

Girls allowed to play in Little League Baseball

Nov 7, 1974

In 1974, Little League Softball for girls was created, and the baseball rules and regulations were made non-gender specific. In 1974, nearly 30,000 girls signed up for the softball program. One in 57 Little Leaguers that year was a girl. Today about one in seven Little Leaguers is a girl. Little League estimates the number of girls currently participating in Little League Baseball programs to be about 100,000.

1974 citations

Dec 31, 1974

• Girls allowed to play in Little League Baseball

http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/06_2003/03_30thgirls.htm
• U.S. President Nixon Resigns

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon
• Speed limit 55 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maximum_Speed_Law

Microsoft Founded

Apr 4, 1975

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation in Redmond, Washington that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions. Established on April 4, 1975 to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. The company has diversified in recent years into the video game industry with the Xbox and its successor, the Xbox 360 as well as into the consumer electronics and digital services.

Computerized Supermarket checkouts begin to appear

Apr 12, 1975

The checkout is where a transaction occurs. The parts of this supermarket checkout system are the checkout terminal, the network and the database server. The database server is used to make the data in databases available to other computers on the network. This made checking out of the super market as easy as swiping a code over some glass.

President Ford assassination attempts

Sep 5, 1975

On the northern grounds of the California State Capitol, Lynette Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, drew a Colt 45 caliber pistol on Ford when he reached to shake her hand in a crowd. There were four cartridges in the pistol's magazine but the firing chamber was empty. She was soon restrained by Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf. Fromme was sentenced to life in prison, but was released from custody on August 14, 2009, nearly 3 years after Ford's death.[

1975 citations

Dec 31, 1975

• Microsoft Founded
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft
• Computerized Supermarket checkouts begin to appear :http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_supermarket_checkout_system#ixzz1rnJY79SG
• President Ford assassination attempts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts#Gerald_Ford

Red Dye #2 banned

Feb 2, 1976

In 1976 Red Dye #2 was banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as it is a suspected carcinogen (A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer.) Also known as Amaranth red dye #2 can be applied to natural and synthetic fibers, leather, and paper.

Betamax VCR’s released

Feb 19, 1976

In 1976 Sony came out with the first long play Betamax VCR, the SL-8200. This VCR had two recording speeds: normal, and the newer half speed. The SL-8200 was to compete against the VHS VCRs that had 2 or 4 hours of recording time. Like the rival videotape format VHSBetamax had no guard band and used azimuth recording to reduce crosstalk.

Apple Computer launched

Apr 1, 1976

Apple is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Apple was established on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. The Apple I was sold as a motherboard with CPU, RAM, and basic textual-video chips. That less than what is today considered a complete personal computer.The Apple I went on sale in July of 1976 and was market-priced at $666.66.

1976 citations

Dec 31, 1976

• Apple Computer launched http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
• Red Dye #2 is banned http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth_(dye)
• Betamax VCR’s released http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax

Neutron bomb funding began

Jan 18, 1977

The Neutron bomb was an atomic weapon designed to spread radiation to kill people and leave buildings intact. In 1977 The Washington Post bought the plans to the bomb.

Star Wars Movie Released

May 25, 1977

Star Wars is one of the most popular, profitable, entertaining, and successful science fiction/action - adventure/fantasy films of all time. The film, shot mostly on location in Tunisia, Guatemala and Death Valley (California), advanced special-effects technology to a degree unseen before, with computerized and digitally-timed special effects.

Elvis Found Dead

Aug 16, 1977

Elvis Presley died on 16 August 1977 at his home Graceland in Memphis. His body was found by his girlfriend Ginger Alden in his upstairs bathroom. Elvis was pronounced "dead on arrival" after an 30 minute attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He was pronounced clinically dead on the steps of the Baptist Hospital, Memphis.

1977 citations

Dec 31, 1977

• Elvis Found Dead http://www.elvispresleynews.com/ElvisDeath.html
• Neutron bomb funding began
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutron_bombCached - Similar
• Star Wars Movie Released
http://www.filmsite.org/starw.html

Nuclear Accident at Three Mile Island

Mar 28, 1978

The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown which occurred at the Three Mile Island power plant in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The accident was the worst in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history. It released of small amounts of radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment.

Atlantic City permits gambling

May 26, 1978

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and an internationally renowned resort city for gambling, conventions and leisure. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first legal casino in the eastern United States when it opened on May 26, 1978.

First Test-Tube Baby Born

Jul 25, 1978

Dr. Patrick Steptoe, a gynecologist at Oldham General Hospital, and Dr. Robert Edwards, a physiologist at Cambridge University, had been actively working on finding an alternative solution for conception for women with blocked Fallopian tubes. The y Found how to fertilize the egg but had problems putting it back in the uterus. On November 10, 1977 Lesley Brown underwent the very experimental in glass fertilization procedure. This time, the doctors implanted the fertilized egg back to the uterus.

1978 citations

Dec 31, 1978

• First Test-Tube Baby Born http://history1900s.about.com/od/1970s/qt/testtube.htm
• Atlantic City permits gambling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_city
• Jonestown Massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown

Sony Introduces the Walkman

Jul 1, 1979

The Walkman was marketed in 1979 as the Walkman and in other countries the soundabout. The Walkman is "A portable personal stereo audio cassette player, called Stereobelt."

ESPN starts broadcasting

Sep 7, 1979

ESPN aka Entertainment and Sports Programming Network "is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming." Founded by Bill Rasmussen, his son Scott Rasmussen and Aetna insurance agent Ed Eagan, it launched on September 7, 1979.

Jonestown Massacre

Nov 18, 1979

Jonestown became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died there. To the extent the actions in Jonestown were viewed as a mass murder, it was the largest such event in modern history and resulted in the largest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until 9/11.

1979 citations

Dec 31, 1979

• Nuclear Accident at Three Mile Island http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident
• Sony Introduces the Walkman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman
• ESPN starts broadcasting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN