Step Back Into….1976

America Celebrates its Bicentennial on July 4

Rocky Hits the Theatres

By Paula Green

The United States' 200th anniversary was marked by nationwide parades, fireworks, and widespread public celebrations. Notably, 1976 was also a leap year. During this period, the leadership of Presidents Ford and Carter influenced American society. Ford focused on restoring public trust in government and rebuilding confidence in the political system. Carter emphasized human rights and diplomacy, establishing a precedent for ethical leadership in subsequent administrations.

Average: The average income was $12,686, while the median home price was $48,000. The average cost of a new car was approximately $5,450. Gasoline was $0.59 a gallon. A loaf of bread was $0.50. A gallon of milk was $1.65, and eggs sold for $0.84 a dozen. Ground beef was $1.20 per pound. Coffee was $1.75 a pound. The price of a movie ticket was $2.13. The first-class stamp was $0.13. 

Firsts: Apple Computer Company was incorporated on April 1 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The VHS tape format was introduced. The first female cadets were admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1976, along with the Naval Academy and Air Force Academy, a historic first for all three service branches. NASA unveils its first space shuttle, Enterprise, on September 17. Viking landers touched down on Mars.

US Events: On March 20, Patty Hearst is found guilty of the armed robbery of a San Francisco bank in 1974. A mysterious disease strikes the American Legion convention in Philadelphia on August 4, eventually claiming 29 lives. NBC broadcasts Gone with the Wind and scores record-breaking ratings.

The Farrah Fawcett poster was a big fad.

World News: Richard Leakey discovers a 1.5-million-year-old Homo erectus skull in Kenya. Fidel Castro became the President of Cuba. Vietnam is unified, Saigon is renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi becomes the capital. In June, the first cases of Ebola virus disease in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (then referred to as Zaire) were reported. In China, Chairman Mao Tse-tung died.

Entertainment: Top films: Rocky, King Kong, Logan’s Run, Across the Great Divide, A Star is Born, All the President’s Men, Bound for Glory, Carrie, Marathon Man, Network, The Bad News Bears, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Silver Streak, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Taxi Driver.

Television: The Muppet Show premiered on September 5. Popular shows: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, M*A*S*H, Charlie’s Angels, The Six Million Dollar Man, Baretta, One Day at a Time, Three’s Company, All in the Family, Welcome Back Kotter, The Bionic Woman, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Barney Miller, 60 Minutes, and Hawaii 5-0.

Music: “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” “Dream Weaver,” “Love Machine,” “Let Your Love Flow,” “Play That Funky Music,” “Saturday Night,” “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight,” “All By Myself,” “Welcome Back,” and “Silly Love Song.” The hit album was “Frampton Comes Alive.”

Publishing: Best-sellers: Trinity, Dolores, The Deep, 1876, The Woman Warrior, The Final Days, Roots, Passages, Born Again, A River Runs Through It, Ordinary People, Autumn of the Patriarch, Storm Warning, and Blind Ambition: The White House Years. 

Sports: NFL–The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl X. NBA – The Boston Celtics were named NBA Champions. MLB–The Cincinnati Reds captured the World Series. NHL–The Montreal Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup. In college football, the Pitt Panthers went 12-0 and won the national championship behind Heisman winner Tony Dorsett.

Politics: President: Gerald R. Ford, Vice President: Nelson A. Rockefeller. On November 2, Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter was elected the 39^th President of the United States narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford.

Quotes: 

"Above all stands the magnificent Declaration, still the fixed star of freedom for the United States of America." ~ President Gerald Ford - Bicentennial Ceremony at the National Archives on July 2, 1976.

"I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" ~ Howard Beale (Peter Finch) in Network. 

"We are, of course, a nation of differences. Those differences don't make us weak. They’re the source of our strength," ~Jimmy Carter, October 21, 1976 (Alfred E. Smith Dinner)

Sources: www.infoplease.com/year/1976, www.1970sflashback.com/1976/economy.asp, www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1976forum.quartertothree.com, mamateaches.com/fun-facts-about-1976, t/afis-100-years-100-quotes/19520