May 1977 - Star Wars, AJ Foyt

Yes Sir, it's May 1977!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in May 1977 was 'Sir Duke' by Stevie Wonder.

May 6 - The White Buffalo movie premieres.  This film, featuring Wild Bill Hickok, stars Charles Bronson and correctly shows the way the historical Wild Bill carried his revolvers, butt-forward in a belt or sash without any holsters.

May 7 - Quark tv series premieres on NBC.

May 9 – James Jones, author, dies. (b. 1921)

May 10 – Joan Crawford, actress, dies. (b. 1904)

May 13 - The Car movie premieres.

May 16 – A 20-passenger S-61L topples sideways at takeoff from the roof of the Pan Am Building in Midtown Manhattan. Four passengers are killed by the turning rotors and a woman at street level is fatally struck by a fallen blade.

May 19 - The original Orient Express's last direct passenger trip from Paris to Istanbul concludes.

 May 25 – Star Wars movie premieres.

May 26 – George Willig climbs the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

May 27 - Desperate Living movie by John Waters premieres.

May 28 – The Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky is engulfed in fire, killing 165 inside.

May 29 – Indianapolis 500: A. J. Foyt becomes the first driver to win a record four times.

Playboy playmate of the month, Sheila Mullen, and Playgirl man for May, Steven Landen:

Big Loader construction toy (released 1977):

 Daredevil comic for May:

1977 Pontiac Firebird:

Nielsen top 20 shows for the week ending May 22:  Boxing (Muhammad Ali vs. Alfredo Evangelista) ABC; M.A.S.H. CBS; Lucan and Good Against Evil (ABC's Sunday movie double feature); Charlie's Angels ABC; Laverne and Shirley ABC; One Day at a Time CBS; Happy Days ABC; Barney Miller ABC; Cold Turkey.(CBS's Monday movie); Ben Hur (CBS's Sunday movie); What's Happening ABC; 60 Minutes CBS; Carol Burnett CBS; Harvey Korman Show ABC; Princess Grace NBC; Welcome Back, Kotter ABC; All in the Family CBS; The Deadly Triangle NBC; Streets of San Francisco ABC and Delta County USA (ABC's Friday movie). 

Albums released in May (album / artist):

The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl / The Beatles

Live: P-Funk Earth Tour / Parliament

Holly Days / Denny Laine

I Remember Yesterday / Donna Summer

One of the Boys / Roger Daltrey

Little Queen / Heart

In the City / The Jam

Spot the Pigeon / Genesis

Free Fall / Dixie Dregs

I'm in You / Peter Frampton

Crazy magazine for May:

Outdoor Life magazine for May:

Woman's Day magazine for May:

'Falconer' by John Cheever moves to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list.

Peanuts comic strip from May 1977:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in May 1977, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

April 1977 - Annie Hall, Dover Demon

Enjoy April 1977, You Dancing Queen!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in April 1977 was 'Dancing Queen' by Abba.

April 2 - The Eagle Has Landed movie premieres.

April 4 – Grundy, Virginia experienced a major flood that caused around $15 million in damages to 228 residential and commercial structures.

April 6 - Audrey Rose movie premieres, starring Anthony Hopkins.

April 8 - Demon Seed movie premieres.

April 18 - Alex Haley is awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Award in Letters for the novel Roots:  The Saga of an American Family.

April 20 - Annie Hall movie premieres, starring Woody Allen.

April 21 – Residents of Dover, Massachusetts report sightings of the "Dover Demon".  There were 3 separate sightings, all by teenagers.  Police wrote it off as a hoax.

April 21 – Gummo Marx, vaudeville performer and last surviving Marx brother, dies. (b. 1893)

April 21 - Annie debuts on Broadway.

1977 Ford Pinto:

Star Mission pinball toy (released 1977):

Super Friends comic from April:

Playboy playmate of the month, Lisa Sohm, and Playgirl man for April, Geoffrey Kane:

Nielsen top 10 shows for the week ending April 10th:  1 Something for Joey (CBS Wednesday movie); 2 Jesus of Nazareth (conclusion); 3 Laverne and Shirley; 4 Happy Days; 5 Three's Company; 6 Bugs Bunny; 7 (tie) Little House on the Prairie and Easter Beagle; 9 Barney Miller; 10 People's Command Performance.

Albums released in April (album / artist):

Phyllis Hyman / Phyllis Hyman
Ask Rufus / Rufus
The Clash / The Clash
Sin After Sin / Judas Priest
Love You / The Beach Boys
Clear Air Turbulence / Ian Gillan Band
Lace and Whiskey / Alice Cooper
Caught Live + 5 / The Moody Blues

'Oliver's Story' by Erich Segal moves to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list.

Christopher Street magazine for April:

Jet magazine for April:

MAD Magazine for April:

Peanuts comic strip from April 1977:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in April 1977, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

March 1977 - Airport 77, Eight is Enough, Pavarotti

Feeling Evergreen in March 1977!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in March 1977 was 'Evergreen' by Barbra Streisand.  Paul Williams wrote the lyrics.  Among many other songs, he also wrote the lyrics to the Love Boat theme...a show on which he was also a guest star!

March 3 - Mr. Billion movie premieres.

March 7 - Second Chance, the forerunner to Press Your Luck, premieres on ABC.

March 9 – Approximately a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims take over 3 buildings in Washington, D.C., killing 1 person and taking more than 130 hostages. The hostage situation ends 2 days later.

March 9 - Islands in the Stream movie premieres.

March 11 - Sesame Street broadcasts its 1,000th episode.

March 11 - Black Sunday and Airport '77 movies premiere.

March 14 – Fannie Lou Hamer, American civil rights activist, dies. (b. 1917)

March 15 - Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti are seen in "La bohème" on PBS and heard in stereo on local (mostly NPR) stations in the first live "simulcast" from the Met.

March 15 - Eight Is Enough and Three's Company premiere on ABC.

March 20 - Loves Me, Loves Me Not tv series premieres on CBS.

March 25 - Eraserhead movie premieres.

March 27 - In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ABC affiliate WITI and CBS affiliate WISN-TV swap affiliations, reversing a swap that took place in 1961.

March 27 - In the Virginia Slims Championships final, Chris Evert defeats Sue Barker.  This is her sixth singles title of the year and the 73rd of her career. 

March 28 – At the 49th Academy Awards, Rocky wins for Best Picture. Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, and Beatrice Straight all win for their performances in Network for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.  Jason Robards wins Best Supporting Actor for All the President's Men.  Beatrice's performance is the shortest to ever win an acting Oscar, at 5 minutes and 2 seconds.

March 29 – Charles Nicoletti, American gangster, dies. (b. 1916)

March 30 - Esther Rolle departs the CBS sitcom Good Times.  Rolle does not return until the sixth and final season in September 1978.

1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo:

Milky toy (released in 1977):

Sears Spring/Summer 1977 catalog:

Welcome Back, Kotter comic for March:

Playboy playmate of the month, Nicki Thomas, and Playgirl man for March, Greg Cuskelly:

Nielsen top 20 shows for the week ending March 20th:  M.A.S.H. CBS; Happy Days ABC; The Waltons CBS; Wizard of Oz CBS; One Day at a Time CBS; Mary Tyler Moore CBS; Murder at the World Series ( ABC Sunday movie); Hawaii Five-0 CBS; Rafferty and the Highway Hustlers (NBC Monday movie); Baretta ABC; Charlie's Angels ABC; Bing Crosby Special CBS; Peanuts special CBS; Foreman-Young boxing ABC; Little House on the Prairie NBC; Eight is Enough ABC; Welcome Back, Kotter ABC; Kojak CBS; Miracle Months CBS and Rockford Files NBC.  

Albums released in March (album / artist):
High Class in Borrowed Shoes / Max Webster
Foreigner / Foreigner
Go for Your Guns / The Isley Brothers
Dandy in the Underworld / T.Rex
Islands / The Band
Live at the London Palladium / Marvin Gaye
Works Volume 1 / Emerson, Lake and Palmer
The Idiot / Iggy Pop
Whatever Happened to Slade / Slade
Commodores / Commodores

Fun YouTube video featuring commercials from 1977:
1977 Commercials

Dynamite magazine for March:

Starlog magazine for March:

Teen Beat magazine for March:

Peanuts comic strip from March 1977:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in March 1977, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

February 1977 - American Bandstand, Enterprise Shuttle

Don't Be Torn, Just Enjoy February 1977! 

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in February 1977 was 'Torn Between Two Lovers' by Mary MacGregor.  MacGregor later admitted that she hated this song because she had little sympathy for the narrator, a woman who confesses to her husband that she is having an affair, but pleads with him to stay with her and accept the situation.

Cost of Living in 1977
Average yearly household income $16,100
Minimum wage (per hour) $2.30
Average cost of a new home $54,350
Postage stamp $0.13
Gas (1 gallon) $0.62
Gold (1 oz.) $161.10
Movie ticket $2.23

February 2 - Tales of the Unexpected tv series premieres on NBC.

February 4 - Eleven CTA commuters are killed when an elevated train derails from the Loop in central Chicago.

February 4 – Brett Halliday (Davis Dresser), mystery writer, dies. (b. 1904)

February 4 - American Bandstand celebrates its 25th anniversary on ABC with a special hosted by Dick Clark.

February 6 - The 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne.  Celebration of this event culminates in Jubilee Day on June 7th. 

February 9 - Fun with Dick and Jane and Twilight's Last Gleaming movies premiere.

February 12 – Henry Jordan, American football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, dies. (b. 1935)

February 18 – The space shuttle Enterprise test vehicle goes on its maiden "flight" while sitting on top of a Boeing 747, at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

February 18 - Hunter tv series premieres on CBS.

February 19 - At the 19th Annual Grammy Awards, Helen Hayes becomes the second person, and first woman, to become an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner).  Record of the Year was This Masquerade by George Benson.  Album of the Year was Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder.  Song of the Year was I Write the Songs by Barry Manilow.  Best New Artist was Starland Vocal Band.

February 21 – John Hubley, American animator, dies. (b. 1914)

February 25 - Slap Shot and Tentacles movies premiere.

1977 Porsche 911:

Playboy playmate of the month, Star Stowe, and Playgirl man for February, Richard Lee Baney.  Richard was a Major League Baseball player for the Seattle Pilots, then the Cincinnati Reds.

Charlie's Angels Beauty Hair Care Set (released 1977):

Incredible Hulk comic for February:

Nielsen's top 10 network television programs for the week ending Feb. 13: 1 How The West Was Won Part 2; 2 Happy Days; 3 Laverne and Shirley; 4 Charlie's Angels; 5 (tie) M-A- S-H and Six Million Dollar Man; 7 People's Choice Awards; 8 The Last Dinosaur (ABC Friday Movie); 9 One Day at a Time; 10 Welcome Back, Kotter.

Albums released in February (album / artist):
In Your Mind / Bryan Ferry
Rumours / Fleetwood Mac
Love at the Greek / Neil Diamond
Stay in Love / Minnie Riperton
White Snake / David Coverdale
New Harvest – First Gathering / Dolly Parton
Songs from the Wood / Jethro Tull
Sleepwalker / The Kinks
Harbor / America
Glorious / Gloria Gaynor
(I'm) Stranded / The Saints
Peter Gabriel / Peter Gabriel

After Dark magazine for February:

 Rolling Stone for February:

Vogue magazine for February:

Peanuts comic strip from February 1977:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in February 1977, check out this really good site: ultimate70s.com