Annual

1978 Trivia, History, and Fun FactsIn 1978, a human being was conceived outside the human body for the first time and born healthy in an English hospital, permanently altering the boundary of what medicine could do. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John told everyone they had chills that were multiplying. 918 people died in the Jonestown

1977 History, Facts, and TriviaIn 1977, Star Wars arrived, and the world divided itself, permanently, into people who had seen it and people who were about to. Elvis Presley died in August. The Son of Sam was arrested. Roots aired on eight consecutive nights and drew the largest television audience in American history. Debby Boone

1976 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1976 Top Song: “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod StewartMust-See Movies: Rocky, King Kong, Silver Streak, The Bad News Bears, Logan’s Run, Network, All the President’s Men, and A Star Is BornNotable Books: The Hite Report by Shere Hite and Interview with the Vampire by Anne

1975 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1975 Top Song: Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain and TennilleThe Most Famous Person in America: Muhammad AliGallon of gas: 53 cents; movie ticket: $2.00; 1 oz. gold: $139.29The Funny Guy: Richard Pryor; The Funny Lady: Carol Burnett; The Funny Late Night Host: Johnny CarsonThe Conversation: Did

1974 Fun Facts, History, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1974 Top Song: The Way We Were by Barbra StreisandMust-See Movies: The Godfather Part II, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Chinatown, Benji, and EarthquakeNotable Books: The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz, Jaws by Peter Benchley, and Carrie by Stephen KingSuper Bowl ad (30 seconds): $103,000Chinese Zodiac: Year of

1973 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1973World-Changing Event: The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, ending direct U.S. military involvement in Vietnam — a war that had cost over 58,000 American lives, divided the country more sharply than any conflict since the Civil War, and produced the most sustained domestic protest

1972 History, Facts, and TriviaIn 1972, Richard Nixon went to China, signed an arms control treaty with the Soviets, won re-election in a landslide, and authorized a break-in at a Washington office complex that would eventually end his presidency. The Godfather arrived in theaters. Atari was founded with $250. HBO launched. ABBA came together in

1971 History, Facts, and TriviaIn 1971, cigarette advertising was banned from American television and radio, ending an era and beginning a public health reckoning that would take decades to complete. D.B. Cooper hijacked a plane, collected $200,000 in ransom, jumped out into a Pacific Northwest night, and was never conclusively identified. Jim Morrison died in

1967 History, Facts, and TriviaIn 1967, the Summer of Love drew somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 young people to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, the largest countercultural gathering the United States had seen. Aretha Franklin recorded Respect and defined what the word meant. Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant in Cape Town. Thurgood

 1966 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1966 Top Song: “I’m a Believer” by The MonkeesMost Famous American: Walt Disney — who died on December 15, 1966, at age 65Scott “Jumbo” paper towels (200 sheets): 30¢ | Playing cards (2 decks): 58¢ | Wham-O Superball: 66¢The Funny Lady: Phyllis DillerThe Funny Late Night Host: Johnny

1963 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1963World-Changing Event: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. He was 46 years old. The country had four days of uninterrupted television coverage and has never quite stopped talking about it.Other World-Changing Event: Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique and Martin Luther

1962 History, Facts, and TriviaIn 1962, the world came closer to nuclear war than it has before or since. For thirteen days in October, the United States and the Soviet Union faced each other over Soviet missiles in Cuba, and the outcome depended in part on decisions made by individual people in submarines and in

1961 Trivia, History, and Fun FactsIn 1961, Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth, and the Space Race had a clear leader. Alan Shepard followed fifteen minutes into space and the gap began to close. John F. Kennedy was inaugurated and, within three months, had authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion, which failed spectacularly. The Berlin Wall

1959 History, Fun Facts, and TriviaIn 1959, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states, and the United States became geographically what it is today. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper died in an Iowa field on February 3, though the phrase “the day the music died” would not be coined for

1956 Trivia, History and Fun FactsQuick Facts from 1956 Top Song: “Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog” by Elvis PresleyHappy Earworm: “The Happy Whistler” by Don RobertsonMost Famous American: William Holden — though Elvis was making a strong caseNotable Books: Peyton Place by Grace Metalious and Eloise by Kay ThompsonThe Funny TV Guy: Ernie KovacsThe

1955 Trivia, History, and Fun FactsQuick Facts from 1955 Other World-Changing Event: Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus on December 1, 1955, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. The civil rights movement had its catalyst.Must-See Movies: To Catch a Thief, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, Marty,

1954 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1954 Other World-Changing Event: RCA put the first color television sets on sale to the public. They cost $1,000. About 29 million American households had televisions, nearly all of which were still in black and white.Influential Songs: Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes, Shake, Rattle and Roll by Joe

1953 History, Facts, and TriviaQuick Facts from 1953World-Changing Event: James Watson and Francis Crick published the double helix structure of DNA on April 25, 1953, in Nature — one of the most significant scientific discoveries in human history, explaining for the first time the molecular mechanism of heredity and the basis of all living thingsOther