It’s a Blast from your Past in 1978:
Following on from the oil crisis Japanese car imports account for half the US import market. The first ever cellular mobile phone is introduced in Illinois and Space Invaders appears in arcades launching a craze for computer video games . Sweden is the first country in the world to recognize the effect of aerosol sprays on the Ozone Layer and bans the sale. The serial killer David Berkowitz, "Son of Sam," is convicted of murder after terrorising New York for 12 months. 1978 is a great year for movies with Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind all showing in movie theatres around the world.
Cost of living in 1978
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 7.62%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%
Average cost of new house $54,800.00
Average income per year $17,000.00
Average monthly rent $260.00
Cost of a gallon of gas 63 cents (Yikes!)
1# of bacon $1.20
Dozen eggs 48 Cents
Important Events of 1978
- Signing of Camp David Peace Treaty - Egypt makes peace with Israel
- Two million demonstrate against the Shah in Iran
- Worldwide unemployment rises after several decades of near full employment
- Gold reaches an all time high of $200.00 per ounce
- The US dollar plunges to record low against many European currencies
- Japanese car imports account for half the US import market, following the energy crisis and increase in fuel prices that drives demand for economy cars
- Sweden becomes the first nation to ban aerosol sprays that are thought to damage earth's protective ozone layer.
- Serial killer Ted Bundy is captured in Pensacola, Florida
- Serial killer David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam," is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison
- Serial killer John Wayne Gacy finally confesses to his lawyers that he raped and killed 33 boys/men after months of denial to authorities. The confession surprised the entire city of Chicago, as Gacy was a family man that was adored by people all over town (…a banner year for serial killers – not good)
- President Jimmy Carter declares a federal emergency at Love Canal
David Berkowitz Jim Jones Jimmy Carter
- The first Susan B. Anthony Dollar is minted
- The US stops production of the Neutron Bomb (kills people but leaves buildings and infrastructure standing)
- The cult leader Jim Jones instructed 400 members of his church, "People's Temple", to commit suicide
- Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds gets his 3,000th major league hit
- A powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Thessaloniki, Greece
- John Paul I becomes Pope from August 26, 1978 and dies just 33 days later on September 28, 1978
- Cardinal Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II
- Worlds population is estimated at 4.4 billion
- Karl Wallenda, founder of the Flying Wallendas, dies after falling off a tight-rope
- Argentina wins 1978 World Cup in Argentina
Technology of 1978
SPACE INVADERS!!!!!!!!!!!
- Illinois Bell Company introduces first ever cellular mobile phone system
- Space Invaders launches craze for computer video games
- 98% of all American homes have a television
- First Test Tube Baby is born in England - a girl named Louise Brown, from in vitro fertilization
In the 1970’s did you drive a Gremlin? :
Popular Culture 1978
Popular Films – Top Five Box Office Grossing Films
- Grease (#1)
- Superman (#2)
- National Lampoon’s Animal House (#3) Toga, Toga!!
- Every Which Way but Loose (#4)
- Jaws 2 (#5)
Other popular films…
- Saturday Night Fever
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Heaven Can Wait
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
- Revenge of the Pink Panther
- The Deer Hunter
Popular Musicians of 1978
- Bee Gees
- Paul McCartney and Wings
- Gladys Night and the Pips
- Rolling Stones
- Commodores with Lionel Richie
- Led Zeppelin
- The Eagles
- Earth, Wind & Fire
- Don McClean
Top Five Hits of 1978 (pitiful)
- Shadow Dancing, Andy Gibb (#1)
- Night Fever, Bee Gees (#2)
- You Light up my Life, Debby Boone (#3)
- Stayin’ Alive, Bee Gees (#4)
- Kiss You all Over, Exile (#5)
Popular TV Programs of 1978
- Happy Days
- Little House on the Prairie
- The Rockford Files
- Good Morning America
- Saturday Night Live
- Wheel of Fortune
- Charlie's Angels
- Quincy, M.E.
- The Muppet Show
- Chips
- The Love Boat
- Three's Company
New food introductions in 1978
- McCormick’s Light Gravy
- Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream
- Reggie Bar
- Reese’s Pieces
- Whatchamacallit
- Arby’s Beef and Cheddar Sandwich
We liked to chew Bubble Yum Bubble Gum and drink 7-UP (the UNCOLA). Tang was the beverage of choice of our Astronauts!
Best Selling Books of 1978
Fiction: Chesapeake – James A. Michener
Non-fiction: If Life is a Bowl of Cherries–What am I Doing in the Pits? Erma Brombeck
What did we like to wear in the 1970’s?
We were known as the “Anything Goes” Hippie and “High-End Designer” Hippie… Individualism and self-expression was important for people during the 1970s, no matter how much or how little money a person made. The largest difference between the types of individualism and self-expression in this era was most likely due to both class and taste.
For instance, there were two different groups of hippies that emerged during this decade. As a result, these could be labeled very generally as the “Anything Goes” hippie fashion group and the “Designer Hippie” fashion group. The “Anything Goes” group were the ones that would be more likely to wear clashing clothes, tie-dyed t-shirts, bell-bottoms, or ripped jeans and smock tops. They may also wear outlandish and flamboyant pantsuits made from polyester, rayon, or similar material. Some of these groups of people may even have worn plastic finished pants or jumpsuits. The “Designer Hippie” may have worn some of the same styles as the first group (the “Anything Goes” group). However, they also usually would co-ordinate their outfits in a way that would be considered more tasteful in the high-fashion world.
We were also known for our Punk Fashion…Punk/rock and gothic fashion emerged during the 1970s as well, and on into the early 1980s. For instance, some “punkers” wore leather jackets, leopard-skin outfits, and unlaced work boots. They typically also wore loose shirts and oversized suit jackets over a casual collared button-down shirt or blouse.
Other types of punks fashion included safety pins fastened to old and/or ripped and torn secondhand clothing. They often wore clothes made from leather or plastic (anarchy punks) as well. Another type of people who were referred to as gothic or new-wave punks wore their face painted white, black eye shadow and wore dark lipstick and dark clothing. However, sometimes they wore red lipstick.
It’s probably best to forget about the Leisure Suit…
A leisure suit is a fashion of the 1970’s consisting of a shirtlike jacket and matching pants usually made of stretchable double knit polyester. It is often considered emblematic of the era's alleged bad taste in men's clothing.
The fashion has some precedent in styles of the 70s and earlier, but only became popular when — with the creation and popularization of synthetic materials — unprecedented cheapness met with a culture that had come to hate formality. The leisure suit gained popularity with its promise to bring a stylish suit that could be used in formal business, but was comfortable and trendy enough for every day wear. The leisure suit height of Popularity was in 1976, but fell from fashion around 1979 – THANK GOD!
Scents of the 70’s: Love’s Baby Soft, Charlie, Avon’s Sweet Honesty… and for the “hippie” in us – pettuli and musk oil. We covered our lips in Carmex.
Don’t foget about the hairdo:
If you are looking for glamour in 1970s hairstyles then check out images of Farrah Fawcett Majors who looked mostly like this, especially during her Charlie's Angels era. Such a hairdo would have demanded a hairdresser running around after her on a film set to constantly maintain those flicks with curling tongs. Heated rollers could be used to similar effect, but tongs could achieve more directional hair flick ups.
But we also looked like this…
Other stuff we liked in the 1970’s:
Magic 8 Balls, Mood Rings, Pet Rocks, Pong…
and STREAKING!!!!!!!!!
Streaking is the act of taking off one's clothes and running naked through a public place…like through the cafeteria, at a football game or pep rally.
Smiley Faces, Tie-dye, Drive-in theatres, Clackers & Disco Balls…
Did it take you back?
Come to the 30th reunion, Al Colucci demands it! | 
