1976 Fun Facts, Trivia and History

Quick Facts from 1976

World Changing Event: Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer in Jobs’ parent’s garage in Cupertino, California.
The Top Song was Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) by Rod Stewart.
Influential Songs include Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Do You Feel Like We Do by Peter Frampton, and Summer by War.
The Movies to Watch include Rocky, King Kong, The Silver Streak, The Bad News Bears, Logan’s Run, Network, All the President’s Men, and A Star is Born.
The Most Famous Person in America was probably Sylvester Stallone.
Notable books include The Hite Report by Shere Hite and Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice.
The prominence of casinos on Native American reservations can be traced back to a 1976 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which found that state laws (including anti-gambling laws) cannot be applied to reservations without specific approval from Congress.
Beech-nut chewing gum: 10 cents/5 sticks
Minimum Wage in 1976: $2.30 per hour
Ear piercing: $6.00/pair
The Bald Guy: Telly Savalas
The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
The Funny Lady was Carol Burnett
The Crazy Conspiracy: Canadian Rock band Klaatu was The Beatles.
The Conversation: Did SETI get a radio signal from aliens in the Sagittarius region of space? #Wow #6EQUJ5

Top Ten Baby Names of 1976

Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Heather, Angela, Michael, Jason, Chris, Topher, David, James

The Hotties, Sex Symbols and Fashion Icons

Adrienne Barbeau, Valerie Bertinelli, Lynda Carter, Charo, Britt Ekland, Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, Beverly Johnson, Jessica Lange, Dolly Parton, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Jacquelyn Smith, Suzanne Somers, Donna Summer, Yvette and Yvonne Sylvander, Lindsay Wagner, Mary Woronov

Sex Symbols, Hollywood Hunks and Leading Men

Robert Redford, John Travolta, Burt Reynolds

“The Quotes”

“Adrian!”
– Sylvester Stallone, in ‘Rocky’

“One of these days, I’m gonna get myself organized.”
“You talkin’ to me?”
-Robert De Niro, as Travis Bickle, in ‘Taxi Driver’

“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
– Peter Finch, in ‘Network’

“Is it safe?”
– Laurence Olivier, in ‘Marathon Man’

“Meow, meow, meow, meow…”
– Song from Meow Mix commercial

Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

Jimmy Carter

Miss America

Tawny Godin (Saratoga Springs, NY)

Miss USA

Barbara Peterson (Minnesota)

The Scandals

Movie Star Violent Death: Sal Mineo (stabbed)

Elizabeth Ray claimed that her only duty for her $ 14,000-a-year job was to have sex with Congressman Wayne Hays.

1976 Pop Culture Facts & History

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak formed Apple Computer.
The first computer, reports say, sold for $666.66.

The ink-jet printer was invented.

Writer Tom Wolfe declared the ’70s the “Me Decade.”

VHS releases won the war with Betamax tapes, although most agree it was an inferior product.

Sweden’s most profitable corporation was the pop group ABBA.

Cost of a Super Bowl ad in 1976: $110,000

The Habit

Listening to Peter Frampton’s Framptom Comes Alive album

1st Appearances & 1976’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents

Stretch Armstrong, Raw Power (bicycle sound effect)

Best Film Oscar Winner

One Flew Over the CooCoo’s Nest (presented in 1976)

Broadway Show

Oh! Calcutta! (Review) Opened on September 24, 1976 and closed on August 6, 1989 (revival)

Popular and Best-selling Books From 1976

1876 by Gore Vidal
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
A Stranger in the Mirror by Sidney Sheldon
Bloodstar by Robert E. Howard and Richard Corbin
Chandler: Red Tide by Jim Steranko
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
Curtain by Agatha Christie
The Deep by Peter Benchley
Dolores by Jacqueline Susann
The Hite Report by Shere Hite
Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
The Lonely Lady by Harold Robbins
The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein
Roots – Alex Haley
Slapstick or Lonesome No More! by Kurt Vonnegut
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
Speedboat by Renata Adler
Storm Warning by Jack Higgins
Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart
Trinity by Leon Uris
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver

1976 Most Popular TV Shows

1. Happy Days (ABC)
2. Laverne & Shirley (ABC)
3. M*A*S*H (CBS)
4. Charlie’s Angels (ABC)
5. The Big Event (NBC)
6. The Six Million Dollar Man (ABC)
7. Baretta (ABC)
8. One Day at a Time (CBS)
9. Three’s Company (ABC)
10. All in the Family (CBS)

1976 Billboard Number One Songs

December 27, 1975 – January 2, 1976:
Let’s Do It Again – The Staple Singers

January 3 – January 9:
Saturday Night – Bay City Rollers

January 10 – January 16:
Convoy – C.W. McCall

January 17 – January 23:
I Write The Songs – Barry Manilow

January 24 – January 30:
Theme from Mahogany (“Do You Know Where You’re Going To) – Diana Ross

January 31 – February 6:
Love Rollercoaster – Ohio Players

February 7 – February 27:
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon

February 28 – March 5:
Theme From S.W.A.T. – Rhythm Heritage

March 6 – March 12:
Love Machine (Part 1) – The Miracles

March 13 – April 2:
December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) – The Four Seasons

April 3 – April 30:
Disco Lady – Johnnie Taylor

May 1 – May 7:
Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers

May 8 – May 14:
Welcome Back – John Sebastian

May 15 – May 21:
Boogie Fever – The Sylvers

May 22 – May 28:
Silly Love Songs – Wings

May 29 – July 9:
Love Hangover – Diana Ross

July 10 – July 23:
Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band

July 24 – August 6:
Kiss And Say Goodbye – Manhattans

August 7 – September 3:
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – Elton John & Kiki Dee

September 4 – September 10:
You Should Be Dancing – The Bee Gees

September 11 – September 17:
(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty – KC & The Sunshine Band

September 18 – October 8:
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry

October 9 – October 15:
A Fifth Of Beethoven – Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band

October 16 – October 22:
Disco Duck (Part 1) – Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots

October 23 – – November 5:
If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

November 6 – November 12:
Rock’n Me – Steve Miller

November 13 – January 7, 1977:
Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) – Rod Stewart

Sports

World Series Champions: Cincinnati Reds
Super Bowl X Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
Stanley Cup Champs: Montreal Canadiens
U.S. Open Golf Jerry Pate
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Jimmy Connors/Christine Marie Evert
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Bjorn Borg/Chris Evert
NCAA Football Champions: Pittsburgh
NCAA Basketball Champions: Indiana
Kentucky Derby: Bold Forbes