The 1970s: American Pop Culture History

In the 1970s, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and political and economic liberty of women, continued to grow.

The hippie culture, which started in the latter half of the 1960s, waned by the early 1970s and faded towards the middle part of the decade, which involved opposition to the Vietnam War, opposition to nuclear weapons, the advocacy of world peace, and hostility to the authority of government and big business.

The environmentalist movement began to increase dramatically in this period.

But enough of that — what about the cars? And the awesome music? And the fashion?!

Learn more about the 1970s by selecting a category below.

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In-Depth 1970s Profiles

1970s Fashion: Styles, Trends, Pictures & History »

1970s fashion was expressive and fun. People wore jump suits, turtlenecks, hot pants and everything in between. Year-by-year timeline with over 100 pics.

1970s Cars: History, Pictures & Facts »

Cars in the early 1970s like the Challenger, Cuda and Corvette were great. But muscle cars were overtaken by Gremlins trying to ditch the smog.

Movies in the 1970s »

Movies in the 1970s really pushed the envelope. Any and all subject matters were covered. In addition to the increase in aesthetic quality, the 70s also showcased many great rising actors and actresses.

1970s TV Shows: What Did People Watch? »

Television in the 1970s pushed what was considered acceptable to new limits. Many of the shows that came out challenged bigotry by making fun of it.

1970s Toys: What Toys Were Popular in the 1970s? »

What toys did kids play with in the '70s? Research 1970s toys with our timeline and 200+ pictures of the most popular toys in the seventies.

1970s Music: History, Pictures & Artists »

There was more variety in music in the 1970s than ever before. Fans had dozens of genres to choose from and many of them rose to popularity in the decade.

1970s Sports: History, MVPs & Champions »

Sports in the 1970s were rife with tragedy & triumph. Tragedy was marked most notably by the '72 Summer Olympics. But there was triumph aplenty.

Unique 1970s Pictures

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1970s News Headlines

In 1972, 11 Israeli Olympians killed in a terrorist attack.

Richard Nixon becomes the only President of the United States to ever resign from his position.

Despite several apparent violations, the Soviet Union beat the United States to win the gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics, ending the Americans’ 63-game winning streak.

1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat is considered by many to be the greatest race horse of all time.

In April 1973, FedEx opened its doors.

In 1974, Hank Arron hit his 715th career home run, surpassing Babe Ruth on the all-time list.

The first air bag was fitted to some GM cars in 1974.

Miller Lite starts using the tagline “Tastes Great, Less Filling.”?

The 1977 movie, Star Wars, features a wookie, a Jedi and Harrison Ford.

The hit song “Staying Alive” was written and performed by The Bee Gees.

In 1978, the first healthy “test-tube baby,” was born. Her name was Louise Brown.

In 1979, Sally Field denies Jane Fonda back-to-back Oscars with her starring role in the movie Norma Rae.

1970s Statistics & Facts in the U.S.

Vital

U.S. Population: 204,879,000
– Urban/rural: 149/54
– Farm: 4.8%
Life Expectancy: Male (67.1), Female (74.8)
Births per 1,000: 18.4
Marriages per 1,000: 10.6
Divorces per 1,000: 3.5
Deaths per 1,000: 9.5
Deaths per 100,000:
– Heart: 521
– Cancer: 163
– Tuberculosis: 3
– Car accidents: 26.9

Economic

Unemployed: 4,088,000
GNP: $977.1 billion
Federal budget: $197.2 billion
National debt: $382 billion
Union membership: 20.7 million
Strikes: 5,716
Prime rate: 7.7%
Car sales: 6,546,800
Average salary: $7,564
% of pop. below poverty level: 12.6%

Social

Homicides per 100,000: 8.3
Suicides per 100,000: 11.6
Labor force male/female ratio: 27/16
Social welfare: $145.9 billion
Public education: $40.7 billion
College Degrees
– Bachelors: Male (484,000), Female (343,000)
– Doctorates: Male (22,890), Female (3.976)
Attendance
– Movies (weekly): 18 million
– Baseball (annually): 28.9 million

Consumer

Consumer Price Index (if 1967 = 100): 116.3
Eggs: 61 cents per dozen
Milk: 33 cents per quart
Bread: 24 cents per loaf
Butter: 87 cents per pound
Bacon: 95 cents per pound
Round steak: $1.30 per pound
Oranges: 86 cents per dozen
Coffee: 91 cents per pound

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