1973 History, Trivia and Fun Facts
Quick Facts from 1973:
- Science in Space: Anita and Arabella, two female cross spiders, went into orbit in 1973 for the Skylab 3 space station as part of an experiment to see if spiders could spin webs in near-weightlessness. They can.
- The Top Song was Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack
- Influential Songs include: Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan, Cover of “Rolling Stone” by Dr Hook & The Medicine Show and Sing by The Carpenters
- The Movies to Watch include The Sting, Charlotte’s Web, Paper Moon, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Godspell, Enter the Dragon, The Exorcist, High Plains Drifter, Jesus Christ Superstar, Soylent Green, The Way We Were, The Sting and American Graffiti
- The Most Famous Person in America was probably Elvis Presley
- Notable books include: Fear of Flying by Erica Jong and The Princess Bride by William Goldman
- $200,000 ($1,100,000 in today’s dollars) was stolen from Led Zeppelin’s tour’s safety-deposit box between the band’s second and third concerts in New York. The crime remains unsolved.
- Garlic knots were invented in 1973 in Ozone Park, Queens. Several pizzerias began making them within days of each other.
- Jimmy Carter reported a UFO sighting, calling it the “darndest thing I’ve ever seen.”
- Price of metal ice cube tray in 1973: 91 cents
Raleigh Triumph bicycle: $97.95 - The Funny Guys were: Robert Klein and Albert Brooks
The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny Carson
The Funny Duo were: Cheech and Chong
The Funny Lady was: Carol Burnett - The Music Question: Who was Carly Simon singing about in You’re So Vain?
- The Crazy Conspiracy: Did physically fit 32 year-old action star Bruce Lee really die of natural causes?
Top Ten Baby Names of 1973:
Jennifer, Amy, Michelle, Kimberly, Lisa, Michael, Chris, Topher, Jason, James, David
The Hotties, Sex Symbols and Fashion Icons:
Adrienne Barbeau, Dyan Cannon, Veronica Carlson, Pam Grier, Dayle Haddon, Peggy Lipton, Maureen McCormick, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt, Diana Ross, Maria Schneider, Barbra Streisand, Jane Seymour
Hollywood Hunks, Leading Men and Sex Symbols:
Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Richard Roundtree, Marlon Brando
“The Quotes:”
“My brain? But that’s my second favorite organ!”
– Woody Allen, in ‘Sleeper’
“Have it your way”
– Burger King
“People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”
– President Richard Nixon
“It’s people! Soylent Green is made of people!”
– Charlton Heston, in ‘Soylent Green’
“The uncola”
– 7 Up
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year:
John Sirica
Miss America:
Terry Meeuwsen (De Pere, WI)
Miss USA:
Amanda Jones (Illinois)
The Scandal:
Sacheen Littlefeather accepted the Best Actor Award for Marlon Brando in The Godfather. He didn’t accept the award in person because of the United State’s treatment of Native American Indians. She was actually an actress who later appeared in Playboy magazine.
Airplane Celebrity Death:
Jim Croce
Cult Movie Star Death:
Bruce Lee (brain edema, allergy or mysterious kung fu maneuver)
US Politics:
January 20, 1973 (Saturday) Second inauguration of Richard Nixon
Pop Culture News:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was invented.
Air Bags were first used by the public in the Oldsmobile Toronado.
Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1973: $88,000
The Habit:
Pong (arcade)
1st appearances & 1973’s Most Popular Christmas gifts, toys and presents:
Anti-Monopoly, Raleigh Chopper Bikes, Toy guns, Shrinky Dinks, Pente, Dungeons and Dragons
Best Film Oscar Winner:
The Godfather (presented in 1973)
Popular and Notable Books From 1973:
The Billion Dollar Sure Thing by Paul E. Erdman
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Burr by Gore Vidal
Evening in Byzantium by Irwin Shaw
Fear of Flying by Erica Jong
The Friends by Rosa Guy
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart
The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
The Matlock Paper by Robert Ludlum
The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth
Once Is Not Enough by Jacqueline Susann
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Sula by Toni Morrison
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
1973 Most Popular TV shows:
1. All in the Family (CBS)
2. The Waltons (CBS)
3. Sanford and Son (NBC)
4. M*A*S*H (CBS)
5. Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
6. Maude (CBS)
7. Kojak (CBS)
8. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (CBS)
9. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS)
10. Cannon (CBS)
1973 Billboard Number One Songs
December 16, 1972 – January 5, 1973:
Me and Mrs. Jones – Billy Paul
January 6 – January 26:
You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
January 27 – February 2:
Superstition – Stevie Wonder
February 3 – February 23:
Crocodile Rock – Elton John
February 24 – March 23:
Killing Me Softly With His Song – Roberta Flack
March 24 – April 6:
Love Train – O’Jays
April 7 – April 20:
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia – Vicki Lawrence
April 21 – May 18:
Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree – Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando
May 19 – May 25:
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Stevie Wonder
May 26 – June 1:
Frankenstein – The Edgar Winter Group
June 2 – June 29:
My Love – Paul McCartney & Wings
June 30 – July 6:
Give Me Love – (Give Me Peace On Earth) – George Harrison
July 7 – July 20:
Will It Go Round In Circles – Billy Preston
July 21 – August 3:
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce
August 4 – August 17:
The Morning After – Maureen McGovern
August 18- August 25:
Touch Me in the Morning – Diana Ross
August 25 – September 8:
Brother Louie – Stories
September 8 – September 14:
Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
September 15 – September 28:
Delta Dawn – Helen Reddy
September 29 – October 5:
We’re An American Band – Grand Funk
October 6 – October 19:
Half-Breed – Cher
October 20 – October 26:
Angie – The Rolling Stones
October 27 – November 9:
Midnight Train To Georgia – Gladys Knight & The Pips
November 10 – November 23:
Keep On Truckin’ – (Part 1) Eddie Kendricks
November 24 – November 30:
Photograph – Ringo Starr
December 1 – December 14:
Top Of The World – The Carpenters
December 15 – December 28:
The Most Beautiful Girl – Charlie Rich
December 29, 1972 – January 11, 1974:
Time In A Bottle – Jim Croce
Sports:
World Series Champions: Oakland Athletics
Superbowl VII Champions: Miami Dolphins
NBA Champions: New York Knicks
Stanley Cup Champs: Montreal Canadiens
U.S. Open Golf Johnny Miller
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) John Newcombe/Margaret Smith Court
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Jan Kodes/Billie Jean King
NCAA Football Champions: Alabama & Notre Dame
NCAA Basketball Champions: UCLA
Kentucky Derby: Secretariat (Triple Crown Winner: Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes)
