February 1976 - Taxi Driver, Sesame Street, Sal Mineo

Boogie Down in February 1976!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in February 1976 was '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover' by Paul Simon.

Cost of Living in 1976
Average yearly household income $14,922
Minimum wage (per hour) $2.30
Average cost of a new home $48,100
Postage stamp $0.13
Gas (1 gallon) $0.59
Gold (1 oz.) $124.80
Movie ticket $2.13

February 1 - The miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man debuts on ABC, becoming a critical and ratings success over its 12-episode run.

February 2 - Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, and Art Carney reunite in an ABC special, The Honeymooners – The Second Honeymoon.

February 4 - Next Stop, Greenwich Village movie released.

February 5 – Nearly 2,000 students become involved in a racially charged riot at Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida; 30 students are injured in the 4-hour fray.

February 8 - Taxi Driver movie released.

February 10 - The controversial "Episode 847" of Sesame Street featuring Margret Hamilton reprising her role as The Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is broadcast. The episode would only air once due to a barrage of complaints leveled at the Children's Television Workshop from parents who felt that Hamilton's performance was too traumatizing for their children.

February 11 – Clifford Alexander, Jr. is confirmed as the first African-American Secretary of the United States Army.

February 11 - Lee J. Cobb, actor, dies. (born 1911)

February 12 - Sal Mineo, film actor in Rebel Without a Cause, dies. (born 1939)

February 13 - Sara premieres on CBS.

February 13 - Jack and the Beanstalk movie released.

February 19 - CBS affiliate KXLY-TV in Spokane, Washington is given a "notice of termination" by the network, stripping KXLY-TV of its affiliation effective August 19. CBS cites business reasons (KXLY-TV had been airing several network programs out of pattern in recent years) as the reason they stripped KXLY-TV. In the end, CBS decides to affiliate with ABC affiliate KREM-TV, while KXLY-TV joins ABC. The move takes effect August 8 at the request of KREM-TV, who wanted to air ABC Sports' entire coverage of the 1976 Summer Olympics.

February 22 – Florence Ballard, singer (The Supremes) dies. (born 1943)

February 25 - Soviets admit transmitting microwaves at the American Embassy in Moscow to disrupt U.S. eavesdropping equipment.

February 27 - Griffin and Phoenix TV movie was shown on ABC, starring Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh.  It was such a success that it also had a limited theatrical release.  Sadly, in 2010, Jill died from the same cancer her character has in this movie. 

February 28 - The 18th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held.  Record of the Year was Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille.  Album of the Year was Still Crazy After All These Years by Paul Simon.  Song of the Year was Send In the Clowns by Judy Collins.  Best New Artist was Natalie Cole.

February 29 - The movie The Sound of Music is televised for the first time, on ABC.

Cosmopolitan issue for February:

Sports Illustrated for February 16th:

Playgirl Man for February, Gary Earle, and Playboy playmate of the month, Laura Lyons:

1976 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray:

Happy Days trading cards (released in 1976):

Albums released in February (album / artist):

The Third Reich 'n Roll / The Residents

Gimme Back My Bullets / Lynyrd Skynyrd

A Trick of the Tail / Genesis

Jesse Come Home / James Gang

Diana Ross / Diana Ross

Smokey's Family Robinson / Smokey Robinson

Shamal / Gong

Dreamboat Annie / Heart

Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) / Eagles

Come On Over / Olivia Newton-John

Action Comic for February:

Nielsen top ten for the week ending February 29: 1 The Sound of Music 2 All In The Family 3 Laverne and Shirley 4 Happy Days 5 Maude 6 Rich Man, Poor Man 7 Rhoda 8: (tie) Mary Tyler Moore and Phyllis 10 Jeffersons 

Peanuts comic strip from February 1976:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in February 1976, check out this really good site: ultimate70s.com

September 1977 - Voyager, Panama Canal, Ted Turner

Don't Stop Thinking About...September 1977!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in September 1977 was 'Don't Stop' by Fleetwood Mac.

September 1 – Ethel Waters, singer and actress, dies. (b. 1896)

September 4 – The Golden Dragon Massacre, a gang related shooting killing 5, took place in San Francisco, California at the Gold Dragon Restaurant.  The five perpetrators, members of the Joe Boys, a Chinese youth gang, were attempting to kill leaders of the Wah Ching, a rival Chinatown gang. The attack also left 11 injured, none of whom were gang members. Seven perpetrators were later convicted and sentenced in connection with the murders. 

September 5 – Voyager program: Voyager 1 is launched after a brief delay.

September 5 - The Fitzpatricks debuts on CBS.

September 7 – Treaties between Panama and the United States on the status of the Panama Canal are signed. The U.S. agrees to transfer control of the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century.

September 8 – Zero Mostel, actor, dies. (b. 1915)

September 10 - Several TV series debut:
 - Baggy Pants and the Nitwits on NBC
 - CB Bears, I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, The New Archie and Sabrina Hour, The Red Hand Gang, Search and Rescue, Space Sentinels, Thunder and Scooby's All-Star Laff-A-Lympics on ABC
 - The Skatebirds and Space Academy on CBS

September 11 - The Haunting of Julia movie premieres.

September 11 - The 29th Primetime Emmy Awards were held.  Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS) won best comedy series.  Upstairs, Downstairs (PBS) won best drama series.  Carroll O'Connor (All in the Family) won best comedy actor, Bea Arthur (Maude) won best comedy actress, James Garner (Rockford Files) won best drama actor and Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman) won best drama actress.

September 12 - The Betty White Show, Young Dan'l Boone and Lucan tv shows debut on ABC.

September 13 - Soap, The Richard Pryor Show and Mulligan's Stew tv shows debut on NBC.

September 14 - Inside the NFL debuts on HBO.

September 15 - Carter Country debuts on ABC.  CHiPs debuts on NBC.

September 16 – Maria Callas, Greek soprano, dies. (b. 1923)

September 16 - Sanford Arms and Logan's Run debut on CBS.

September 17 - Operation Petticoat debuts on ABC.

September 18 – Courageous, skippered by Ted Turner, sweeps Australia in the 24th America's Cup.

September 19 - Under pressure from the Carter administration, President Anastasio Somoza Debayle lifts the state of siege in Nicaragua.

September 19 - The San Pedro Beach Bums debuts on ABC.  The Amazing Spider-Man debuts on CBS.

September 20 - Lou Grant debuts on CBS.

September 21 – A nuclear non-proliferation pact is signed by 15 countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union.

September 21 - The Oregon Trail debuts on NBC.

September 22 - Man from Atlantis debuts on NBC.

September 24 - The Love Boat debuts on ABC.

September 26 – Ernie Lombardi American baseball player and member of the MLB Hall of Fame, dies. (b. 1908)

September 30 - A Little Night Music movie premieres.

Great YouTube video of intros to the new shows of fall 1977:
New Shows of Fall 1977

Batman Mego playset (released 1977):

1977 Chrysler Cordoba Coupe:

Fantastic Four comic for September:

Montgomery Ward Fall and Winter 1977 catalog:

Chairman, manager and hostesses for the Tennessee State Fair, September 1:

Playboy playmate of the month (and later playmate of the year), Debra Jo Fondren and Playgirl man for September, John Alexander:

The Nielsen top 20 shows for the week ending September 18th: 1 Charlie's Angels; 2 Happy Days; 3 Three’s Company; 4 Soap; 5 Welcome Back, Kotter; 6 Young Joe The Forgotten Kennedy (ABC movie); 7 Betty White Show; 8 Best of All in the Family; 9 Barney Miller; 10 Eight is Enough; 11 Carter Country; 12 Maude; 13 60 Minutes; 14 Sex and the Married Woman (NBC Tuesday movie); 15 Rooster Cogburn (NBC Saturday movie); 16 Billy, Portrait of a Street Kid (NBC Monday movie); 17 Judge Roy Bean (CBS Sunday movie); 18 The Redd Foxx Show; 19 Little House on the Prairie; 20 Rafferty.  

Albums released in September (album / artist):

A Farewell to Kings / Rush

Bad Reputation / Thin Lizzy

Dance Band on the Titanic / Harry Chapin

Chicago XI / Chicago

Foreign Affairs / Tom Waits

Baby It's Me / Diana Ross

Rough Mix / Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane

Talking Heads: 77 / Talking Heads

Aja / Steely Dan

Little Criminals / Randy Newman

Love You Live / The Rolling Stones

The Stranger / Billy Joel

Ringo the 4th / Ringo Starr

Susan Perkins from Ohio is crowned Miss America:

Esquire magazine for September:

National Geographic magazine for September:

Sports Illustrated for September:

Peanuts comic strip from September 1977:

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

November 1978 - Jonestown, Star Wars Holiday Special

MacArthur Park Is Melting...It Must be November 1978!

 A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in November 1978 was 'MacArthur Park' by Donna Summer.

November 2 - David Cassidy: Man Undercover tv series debuts on NBC.

November 3 - Diff'rent Strokes tv series debuts on NBC.

November 7 – California voters defeat the Briggs Initiative that would have prohibited gay school teachers.

November 8 – Norman Rockwell, painter and illustrator, dies. (born 1894)

November 8 - Magic movie premieres.

November 10 - Paradise Alley movie premieres.

November 10 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park is established.

November 15 – Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist, dies. (born 1901)

November 17 - The Star Wars Holiday Special airs for the first...and last time on CBS.

November 18 – Mass murder/suicide of 909 Americans in Jonestown, Guyana under the direction of Jim Jones.

November 19 – The first Take Back the Night march to protest violence against women occurs in San Francisco.

November 22 - Same Time, Next Year movie premieres.

November 27 – In San Francisco, California, Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White.

November 27 - The White Shadow tv series debuts on CBS.

Barbie Fashion Change-abouts (released 1978):

1978 Chrysler New Yorker:

Trapper Keeper was a new product introduced in 1978.

Yogi Bear comic for November:

Playboy playmate of the month, Monique St. Pierre, and Playgirl man for November, Howie Gordon:

Albums released in November 1978 (album / artist):
Midnight Oil / Midnight Oil
Outlandos d'Amour / The Police
You Don't Bring Me Flowers / Neil Diamond
Babylon by Bus / Bob Marley and The Wailers Live
Give 'Em Enough Rope / The Clash
Jazz / Queen
Lionheart / Kate Bush
The Scream / Siouxsie and the Banshees
Shakedown Street / Grateful Dead
Blondes Have More Fun / Rod Stewart
Love Tracks / Gloria Gaynor

Nielsen top shows for week ending November 19th:  1 Laverne and Shirley ABC; 2 Three's Company ABC; 3 Pearl part 1 ABC; 4 Alice CBS; 5 Pearl part 3 ABC; 6 Happy Days ABC; 7 Charlie's Angels ABC; 8 Mork and Mindy ABC; 9 Pearl part 2 ABC; 10 What's Happening! ABC; 11 MASH CBS; 12 (tie) 60 Minutes CBS and Wonderful World of Disney NBC; 14 All in the Family CBS; 15 Taxi ABC.

Herman Wouk's 'War and Remembrance' is at the top of the New York Times Fiction Best Seller list.

  

Cracked magazine for November:

Sports Illustrated for November 27th:

Time magazine for November 6th:

Garfield comic strip from November 1978:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in November 1978, check out this really good site: ultimate70s.com