Timeline

“Major trends in the 70s included a growing disillusionment of government, advances in civil rights, increased influence of the women’s movement, a heightened concern for the environment, and increased space exploration. Many of the “radical” ideas of the 60’s gained wider acceptance in the new decade, and were mainstreamed into American life and culture. Amid war, social realignment and presidential impeachment proceedings, American culture flourished. Indeed, the events of the times were reflected in and became the inspiration for much of the music, literature, entertainment, and even fashion of the decade. ”

Copyright © 1999 [Kingwood College Library]
Design by: Peggy Whitley Written by: Charles Gillis

Below is a sample of these events:

Timeline: 1970-1979

1970

American Soldiers Accused of Murdering Entire Town of Vietnamese Civilians

Aswan High Dam Completed

Beatles Break Up

Computer Floppy Disks Introduced

Palestinian Group Hijacks Five Planes

Kent State Shootings

1971

London Bridge Brought to the U.S.

United Kingdom Changes to Decimal System for Currency

VCRs Introduced

1972

M*A*S*H T.V. Show Premiers

Mark Spitz Wins Seven Gold Medals

Pocket Calculators Introduced

Terrorists Attack at the Olympic Games in Munich

Watergate Scandal Begins
1973

Abortion Legalized in U.S.

Paul Getty Kidnapped

Sears Tower Built

U.S. Pulls Out of Vietnam

U.S. Vice President Resigns

1974

Halie Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, Deposed

Mikhail Baryshnikov Defects

Patty Hearst Kidnapped

Terracotta Army Discovered in China

U.S. President Nixon Resigns

1975

Arthur Ashe First Black Man to Win Wimbledon

Civil War in Lebanon

Microsoft Founded

Pol Pot Becomes the Communist Dictator of Cambodia

1976

Nadia Comaneci Given Seven Perfect Tens

North and South Vietnam Join to Form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Tangshan Earthquake Kills Over 240,000

1977

Elvis Found Dead

Miniseries Roots Airs

South African Anti-Apartheid Leader Steve Biko Tortured to Death

Star Wars Movie Released

1978

First Test-Tube Baby Born

John Paul II Becomes Pope

Jonestown Massacre

1979

Ayatollah Khomeini Returns as Leader of Iran

Iran Takes American Hostages in Tehran

Margaret Thatcher First Woman Prime Minister of Great Britain

Mother Theresa Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Nuclear Accident at Three Mile Island

Sony Introduces the Walkman