January 1976 - NBC, Bionic Woman, Agatha Christie

Getting Funky in January 1976!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in January 1976 was 'Convoy' by C.W. McCall.

1976 Federal Government
President: Gerald Ford (R-Michigan)
Vice President: Nelson Rockefeller (R-New York)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Carl Albert (D-Oklahoma)
Senate Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-Montana)

January 1 - NBC officially replaces its snake and peacock logos with a "modern N," composed of blue and red trapezoids—and nearly identical to the logo for Nebraska Educational Telecommunications' TV network, prompting NET to sue NBC for trademark infringement.

January 1 - UCLA beats Ohio State 23-10 in the Rose Bowl.

January 5 – Beatles associate Mal Evans is fatally shot by police amid a disturbance at his Los Angeles home.

January 11 – Flyers-Red Army game: The Philadelphia Flyers play the Soviet Red Army team.  The Red Army left the ice for a portion of the game and the Flyers won 4–1.

January 11–12 Eleanor and Franklin, a two-part miniseries starring Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann, airs on ABC.

January 12 - Agatha Christie dies.  The author of 74 novels, in her early days she enjoyed surfing with husband Archie!

January 14 - The Bionic Woman premieres on ABC.

January 15 – Would-be Gerald Ford presidential assassin Sara Jane Moore is sentenced to life in prison.

January 17 - The Blues Brothers make their debut on NBC's Saturday Night Live, singing Slim Harpo's song 'I'm a King Bee' in their Killer Bees costumes. Their first appearance as The Blues Brothers proper occurred in 1978.

January 18 – Super Bowl X: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 21–17 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.  Highlights:  SUPER BOWL X

January 19 – Jimmy Carter wins the Iowa Democratic Caucus.

January 27 – The United States vetoes a United Nations resolution that calls for an independent Palestinian state.

January 27 - Laverne and Shirley premieres on ABC.

January 28 - The Dumplings premieres on NBC.

Playboy playmate of the month, Daina House, and Playgirl man for January, Jim Cavaretta:

1976 Chevrolet Vega:

Moon phase calendar for January 1976:

Dynamite magazine cover for January:

Tiger Beat cover for January:

Donny and Marie Osmond dolls from Mattel (released 1976):

The Nielsen top ten network television programs for the week ending Jan 11:

1: All In The Family; 2: Maude; 3: Phyllis; 4: Rhoda; 5: Mary Tyler Moore; 6; M-A-S-H; 7: One Day At A Time; 8: Kojak; 9: Welcome Back, Kotter; 10: CBS Reports Inquiry The American Assassins (Part 4, on the shooting of Robert F. Kennedy and George C. Wallace)

Albums released in January 1976 (Album / Artist)

The Longhorn Jamboree Presents: Willie Nelson & His Friends / Willie Nelson

Look into the Future / Journey

Let the Music Play / Barry White

Desire / Bob Dylan

Frampton Comes Alive! / Peter Frampton

Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 2 / Elvis Presley

Songs for the New Depression / Bette Midler

M.U. – The Best of Jethro Tull / Jethro Tull

Wanted! The Outlaws / Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson,

Jessi Colter & Tompall Glaser

Coney Island Baby / Lou Reed

Station to Station / David Bowie

Futuristic Dragon / T.Rex

Batman comic for January:

Agatha Christie's 'Curtain' was at the top of the New York Times fiction best seller list.

Peanuts comic strip from January 1976:

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

October 1978 - Pier 39, Pope John Paul II

Hey, Hot Child, It's October 1978!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1978 was 'Hot Child in the City' by Nick Gilder.

October 1 Centennial mini-series debuts on NBC.

October 2 - 'Mommie Dearest' is published.  Written by her adopted daughter, Christina Crawford, this scandalous bestseller is about the life of Joan Crawford.

October 4 – Pier 39 opens on Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, as a tourist attraction.

October 5 - The Boys from Brazil and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? movies premiere.

October 6 - The Big Fix and Midnight Express movies premiere.

October 8 – Bertha Cody, Native American archaeologist, dies. (born 1907)

October 12 – Nancy Spungen, groupie and girlfriend of Sid Vicious, dies. (born 1958)

October 14 – President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law which allows homebrewing of beer in the United States.

October 17 – The New York Yankees clinch their 22nd World Series championship, defeating the Dodgers 7–2 in Los Angeles and winning the Series 4 games to 2.

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October 19 – Gig Young, actor, dies. (born 1913)

October 20 - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes movie premieres.  The giant tomatoes were actually made out of foam!

October 22 - Pope John Paul II is sworn in as pope.  The new pope surprised his aides on his first day when he entered a crowd of reporters and answered questions.

October 24 - The Wiz movie premieres.

October 25 - Halloween movie premieres.

October 27 – President Jimmy Carter signs the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act, adjusting the government's economic goals to include full employment, growth in production, price stability, and balance of trade and budget.

October 31 - Norma Brown wins $28,800 playing the Money Cards on Card Sharks, the first and only time a contestant has won the maximum amount.

1978 Ford LTD Landau:

A new product introduced in 1978 was Midori Liqueur.

Ms. Marvel comic for October:

Toy organ (released in 1978):

Playboy playmate of the month, Marcy Hanson, and Playgirl man for October, Lenny Thompson:

Albums released in October (album / artist):
Comes a Time / Neil Young
Hot Streets / Chicago
M.I.U. Album / The Beach Boys
Dire Straits / Dire Straits
Dog and Butterfly / Heart
Killing Machine / Judas Priest
Chaka / Chaka Khan
52nd Street / Billy Joel
Christmas Portrait / The Carpenters Christmas
If You Want Blood You've Got It / AC/DC
Toto / Toto
A Single Man / Elton John
Pleasure Train / Teri Desario
Hemispheres / Rush
Thoroughfare Gap / Stephen Stills

Nielsen top shows for the week ending October 22: World Series Game 6; Little House on the Prairie; Charlie's Angels; CBS Sunday Movie "Like Mom, Like Me"; All in the Family; Mork and Mindy; Alice; Three's Company; 60 Minutes; Laverne and Shirley.

Life magazine for October:

National Geographic magazine for October:

Newsweek for October 30th:

Jim Davis Garfield comic strip from October 1978:

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

June 1979 - SALT II, Muppet Movie

So Hot in June 1979!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in June 1979 was 'Hot Stuff' by Donna Summer.

June 1 – The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.

June 1 – Jack Mulhall, actor, dies. (b. 1887)

June 1 - Phantasm movie premieres.

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June 2 - Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to visit a communist country, his native Poland.  The visit becomes known as '9 days that changed the world'.

June 3 - The 33rd Tony Awards is held.  The Best Play award went to The Elephant Man.  The Best Musical award went to Sweeney Todd:  The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

June 6 – Jack Haley, actor, dies. (b. 1898)

June 11 - John Wayne, actor and film director, dies of stomach cancer. (b. 1907)

June 15 - Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, The In-Laws, Prophecy, Rocky II and The Water Babies movies premiere.

June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) II agreement in Vienna.

June 20 – A Nicaraguan National Guard soldier kills ABC TV news correspondent Bill Stewart and his interpreter Juan Espinosa. Other members of the news crew capture the killing on tape.

June 22 - Escape from Alcatraz, The Main Event, The Muppet Movie and Nightwing movies premiere.

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June 25 – Dave Fleischer, animator, dies. (b. 1894)

June 27 - The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again movie premieres.

June 29 - Bloodline, Meatballs, Moonraker and Up from the Depths movies premiere.

In June 1979, a man using the pseudonym Robert C. Christian approached the Elberton Granite Finishing Company on behalf of a mysterious organization and commissioned the controversial Georgia Guidestones.  The guidestones are intended to function as a compass, calendar, and clock and include 10 civilization re-establishment guidelines in case of a catastrophic event.

Battlestar Galactica comic for June:

Matchbox Build a Truck toy (released in 1979):

1979 Volkswagen Beetle:

Playboy playmate of the month, Louann Fernald, and Playgirl man for June, Ken DeRose:

Albums released in June 1979 (album / artist):
Back to the Egg / Wings
I Am / Earth, Wind and Fire
Labour of Lust / Nick Lowe
Repeat When Necessary / Dave Edmunds
Get the Knack / The Knack
Candy-O / The Cars
Mingus / Joni Mitchell
Communiqué / Dire Straits
Silent Letter / America
Unknown Pleasures / Joy Division
Mick Taylor / Mick Taylor
No Exit / The Angels

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Nielsen top shows for the week ending June 17th: 1 Three's Company ABC; 2 WKRP In Cincinnati CBS; 3 M*A*S*H CBS; 4 Lou Grant CBS; 5 Taxi ABC; 6 Barnaby Jones CBS; 7 Laverne and Shirley ABC; 8 Mork and Mindy ABC; 9 Charlie's Angels ABC; 10 Angie ABC; 11 All in the Family CBS; 12 One Day at a Time CBS; 13 Movie “Harry and Tonto” ABC; 14 Barney Miller ABC; 15 Carter Country ABC.

Better Homes and Gardens for June:

Cosmopolitan magazine for June:

Interview magazine for June:

Garfield comic for June 1979:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in June 1979, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

February 1979 - Hood Canal Bridge, Afghanistan

So Sexy in February 1979!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in February 1979 was 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?' by Rod Stewart.

Cost of Living in 1979
Average household income $19,553.86
Minimum wage (per hour) $2.90
Median cost of a new home $61,500
Postage stamp $0.15
Gas (1 gallon) $0.86
Gold (1 oz.) $459.00 (huge increase from 1978 because of high inflation due to oil prices and global political instability)
Movie ticket $2.52

February 1 - Makin' It tv series debuts on ABC.

February 2 – Sid Vicious, musician, dies. (b. 1957)

February 2 - The First Great Train Robbery movie premieres.

February 3 - The New Fred and Barney Show debuts on NBC.

Febraury 4 - Co-Ed Fever tv series debuts on CBS.  An attempt to imitate National Lampoon's Animal House, it's cancelled after this one episode is aired. 

February 7 - Supertrain tv series debuts on NBC.

February 8 - Angie tv series debuts on ABC.

February 9 - Agatha, Murder by Decree, The North Avenue Irregulars and The Warriors movies premiere.

February 11 - Forty-three million viewers watch Elvis, an ABC movie starring Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley.

February 13 – An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1/2-mile-long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.

February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.

February 15 - The 21st Annual Grammy Awards are held.  Record of the Year was Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel.  Album of the Year was Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.  Song of the Year was Billy Joel's Just the Way You Are.  Best New Artist was A Taste of Honey.

February 17 – William Gargan, actor, dies. (b. 1905)

February 18 - The Daytona 500 is broadcast live in its entirety for the very first time by CBS.  On the final lap, race leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison collided with each other on the backstretch. Both drivers' races ended in the grass infield. The wreck allowed Richard Petty, then over one-half lap behind both, to claim his sixth Daytona 500 win.

February 18 - A snowstorm hits the Sahara!  

February 20 - This Old House tv series debuts on PBS.

February 23 - Fast Break movie premieres.

February 26 – A total solar eclipse occurred in North America.

February 26 - Billy and Flatbush tv series debut on CBS.

February 27 – The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana is canceled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.

February 27 - Cliffhangers tv series debuts on NBC.

Butch and Sundance wagon toy (released in 1979):

1979 Mercury Cougar XR 7:

Spiderman comic for February:

Playboy playmate of the month, Lee Ann Michele, and Playgirl man for February, David Grant:

Albums released in February 1979 (album / artist):
Inflammable Material / Stiff Little Fingers
Spirits Having Flown / Bee Gees
Frenzy / Split Enz
George Harrison / George Harrison
Live (X Cert) / The Stranglers
Scared to Dance / The Skids
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle / Sex Pistols
Rickie Lee Jones / Rickie Lee Jones

Nielsen top 15 for the week ending February 18th:  1 Mork and Mindy ABC; 2 Three's Company (Tuesday) ABC; 3 Laverne and Shirley ABC; 4 Angie ABC; 5 Happy Days ABC; 6 “Gone With Wind” CBS; 7 Three's Company (Thursday) ABC; 8 Taxi (Tues.) ABC; 9 “Roots II” (Ep. I) ABC; 

10 60 Minutes CBS; 11 Eight Is Enough ABC; 12 Backstairs‐White House NBC; 13 Starsky and Hutch ABC; 14 Different Strokes NBC; 15 Charlie's Angels ABC.

Heavy Metal magazine for February:

Life magazine for February:

Vogue for February:

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

Garfield comic strip from February 1979:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in February 1979, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com