No Jive, it's July 1976!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in July 1976 was 'Afternoon Delight' by Starland Vocal Band. This was their only big hit. They were signed to John Denver's label, Windsong Records.

The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, draw an estimated one billion viewers worldwide.

July 1 - The pay TV network Showtime makes its debut, appearing only on a Dublin, California cable system. The network would expand nationally in 1978.

July 3 – Gregg v. Georgia: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that the death penalty is not inherently cruel or unusual and is a constitutionally acceptable form of punishment.

July 4 - United States Bicentennial: From coast to coast, the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

July 6 – The first class of women is inducted at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

July 12 - Family Feud game show, with host Richard Dawson, premieres on ABC.

July 15 - Jimmy Carter is nominated for U.S. President at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.

July 15 - Twenty-six Chowchilla schoolchildren and their bus driver are abducted and buried in a box truck within a quarry in Livermore, California. The captives dig themselves free after 16 hours. The quarry-owner's son and two accomplices are arrested for the crime.

July 18 - Nadia Comaneci makes history by becoming the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 for her routine on the uneven bars at the Montreal Olympics. Here's a link to a nice highlights video on YouTube:
Nadia Comaneci - First Perfect 10

July 20 - The Viking 1 lander successfully lands on Mars, taking the first close-up color photos of the planet's surface.

July 26 – In Los Angeles, Ronald Reagan announces his choice of liberal U.S. Senator Richard Schweiker as his vice presidential running mate.

July 28 - Futureworld, a sequel to the Westworld movie, premieres.

July 29 – In New York City, the "Son of Sam" pulls a gun from a paper bag, killing 1 and seriously wounding another, in the first of a series of attacks that terrorize the city for the next year.

July 30 - Squirm movie premieres. Filmed in Georgia. Kim Basinger and Sylvester Stallone tried for parts...but were turned down!

July 31 - NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo, taken by Viking 1.

July 31 - The Big Thompson River in northern Colorado floods, destroying more than 400 cars and houses.

The British royal family visit Canada for the Olympics:

Getty/Anwar Hussein Image

Albums released in July (Album / Artist):

15 Big Ones / The Beach Boys

The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein / Parliament

I've Got You / Gloria Gaynor

The Originals / Kiss

Olias of Sunhillow / Jon Anderson

The 10 top network programs for the week ending July 11, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., were: 1 Miss Universe; 2 Starsky and Hutch; 3 M-A-S-H; 4 One Day At A Time; 5 Switch; 6 Happy Days; 7 Laverne and Shirley; 8 (tie) Bob Newhart and Barnaby Jones; 10 All In The Family.