Every '70s kid owned at least a few of these hugely popular Kenner action figures. But occasionally you'd meet somebody who took the toys to another level of obsessiveness—maybe they had the limited edition early release Boba Fett, available only by mailing in proof-of-purchase cutouts to the company, or the R5-D4, a minor robot in the Star Wars universe that only die-hards remember, and you were like, "Whoa… I will never be that cool.
We're honestly perplexed why tube socks—particularly tube socks with colorful stripes on top that stretched all the way up to your knees—were considered attractive. You didn't even have to pop a wheelie when you owned a chopper bike.
All you had to do was sit there, tapping your fingers on the handlebars like you were revving a throttle, and you looked like Evel Knievel getting ready to jump over a canyon. This elastic hero was like a stress ball for prepubescents. Just how much torture could Armstrong endure at your hands? Plenty of kids were willing to find out, pulling his limbs like they were trying to get a confession. The secret to Stretch's durability—the goo inside his body that made him so elastic—was nothing but plain ol' corn syrup.
Parents thought it was perfectly safe to let kids make their own artsy crafts by putting plastic in the oven. Yes, that actually happened. This wildly popular foam ball was sold to kids or rather, their parents as the "world's first official indoor ball," which made it sound completely accident-proof. And for the record, you could totally damage a lamp with one of these things.
It was the New Yorker of the teen world , the only place to get the most up-to-the-date gossip on heartthrobs like David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, and Leif Garrett.
As it turns out, there weren't that many newsworthy stories to report on teen idols—there are only so many ways to write about how Scott Baio kisses, or whether Donny Osmond is dreamy or super dreamy— but this magazine had the type of subscription numbers publications these days can only dream about. It was a rock with googly-eyes. That's it. But during the '70s, advertising executive Gary Dahl sold several million of these things—which, it should be noted, are available all over the planet for free, if you just look at the ground for a few seconds.
Yes, it was truly the Tide Pod Challenge of its time, only with fewer hospital visits. The thing about superhero costumes is that most of them really do look like long underwear. What is Superman wearing exactly? That simple fact gave rise to one of the most questionable fashion trends of the 20th century: Underwear that looks like superhero costumes. Honestly, they should probably make a comeback.
Created by an Italian bootmaker obsessed with the moon landing, these boots, which were clearly designed to make us all feel like NASA astronauts , were the most iconic footwear trend of the '70s. Moon boots were so popular that in , the Louvre Museum even included them in their collection of the 20th century's most significant design symbols.
These inch Steve Austin dolls had some of the most innovative features in modern toy technology. See the unusual home once owned by Ringo ». She married Donald Trump in Four were fatally shot. On September 18, Jimi Hendrix is found dead after an overdose. Less than a month later on October 4, Janis Joplin would also be found dead following an overdose.
Rent a place where Jimi stayed ». Dick Van Dyke's tribute to Mary Richards ». Less than a year after President Nixon proposes it in his State of the Union address, the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency opens its doors on December 2.
The greenest Presidents in history ». On December 15, Venera 7 is the first space probe to land on Venus and transmit data back to Earth. See NASA's surprising find ». New York magazine prints the first Ms. Co-founded by Gloria Steinem, Ms. The next day, Yves Saint Laurent who frequently referenced Chanel in his collections shocks the fashion industry with a collection that borrowed heavily from s influences.
Detractors at the time called the collection "ugly" and thought it was too soon of a reminder of World War II. The untold story of Chanel ». On March 29, Charles Manson and four followers are sentenced to death. On May 1, Amtrak begins service.
Here, a train pulls into Chicago Union Station in The perfect seat to pick on a train ». Marines guard civilians during evacuations at Tan Son Nhut airbase. The country became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, In the summer of , Steven Spielberg had people flocking to the theaters instead of the beaches. The success of " Jaws " -- his first hit movie -- set up summer as the season for Hollywood's biggest and highest-grossing movies.
American tennis player Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win Wimbledon when he defeated Jimmy Connors in July Saturday night television changed forever on October 11, , when the sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" made its debut. Warner Bros. English singer Elton John, one of the biggest artists of the '70s, performed two sold-out shows at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium in October , performing for more than three hours each night.
John, known for his flamboyant outfits and oversized sunglasses, was decked out for the occasion in a sequined Dodgers baseball uniform. It broke the sound barrier and cut flight times in half.
On January 21, , the first commercial Concorde flight took place from London to Paris, cruising at speeds of 1, mph. The Concordes' flights would be short lived, however, as fewer than 20 ever saw commercial use.
The last commercial Concorde flight took place on October 24, Fireworks at the Statue of Liberty light up the New York Harbor on July 4, , as the country celebrates the bicentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Patriotic events took place around the country that year. On September 22, , a blonde bombshell dropped into America's homes with the debut of the television show "Charlie's Angels. To this day the show remains a lasting image of the 70s despite getting mixed reviews from critics. In October , Barbara Walters, seen at left with actress Barbra Streisand, became the first woman to co-anchor a major network evening newscast. Disco ruled the charts in the late '70s but found some unlikely superstars in the form of the Village People.
Their name was inspired by New York's Greenwich Village, which had a large gay population at the time, and the group became known for their onstage costumes and suggestive lyrics. In , their songs "Macho Man" and "Y. Jimmy Carter embraces his wife, Rosalynn, in November after he was elected as the 39th President of the United States.
Carter, a Democrat and former governor of Georgia, defeated incumbent Gerald Ford. Since leaving the office in , he has remained active in fighting for human rights and ending disease around the world with his nonprofit organization, the Carter Center. Cicely Tyson, left, and Maya Angelou star in the television miniseries "Roots. Based off Alex Haley's novel, "Roots" told the story of an African boy sold into slavery in America and the following generations of his family.
The show was viewed by more than half of the U. May 25, , was a historic day for sci-fi fans and moviegoers everywhere. The "Star Wars" franchise is still one of most lucrative and popular film series around today.
Serial Killer David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam, was arrested on August 10, , after a series of shootings and murders that police believe began in the summer of Berkowitz was convicted of killing six people and wounding seven during his crime spree, which garnered large amounts of press coverage. He was known for targeting young women and sending cryptic, antagonizing letters to the New York police.
In , Apple Computers introduced the Apple II, which became one the first successful home computers. Along with Bill Gates' Microsoft, which was founded in , Apple helped ignite the digital age we live in today.
In the middle of the summer of , New York City experienced a power outage that caused much of the city to go dark. The blackout lasted two days, from July As the city was in the midst of a financial crisis and the terror of the Son of Sam loomed over residents, many took to the streets and began looting. Police reported that looting in some areas of the city continued well into the daylight hours, and thousands of people were arrested.
He was still touring and recording throughout the s, but his unexpected death sealed his legacy as one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century. Ronald C. The Atari was released in September , bringing the world of video games into households everywhere. Packaged with two joystick controllers and one cartridge game, the Atari sold , units in By , 1 million units were sold.
What some believed at the time to be a fad has now turned into a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Jackson had a. Catapulted by a soundtrack containing five No. The soundtrack stayed on top of the album charts for six months, and Travolta earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Paramount Pictures. Louise Brown became the world's first test-tube baby on July 25, Robert Edwards, left, and Patrick Steptoe, right, pioneered the process of in vitro fertilization, which injects a single sperm into a mature egg and then transfers the egg into the uterus of the woman.
In , Edwards won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the development of in vitro fertilization, which has helped families conceive more than 5 million babies around the world. After 12 days of secret meetings, the two sides agreed upon a step toward peace. President Jimmy Carter, center, personally led the lengthy negotiations and discussions between the two parties. He made his first public appearance on October 16, , at St.
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