Answer: The Right Stuff
Tom Wolfe published "The Right Stuff" in 1979; it depicts space programs and exploration. Wolfe, born in Virginia, has written nonfiction, novels, art critiques, and essays. He has earned a wide variety of awards, including National Book Award for Nonfiction, the John Dos Passos Award, and the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
From Quiz: What Did You Do In the 1970s?
Answer: Loft
The Loft was the first disco club opened. Disco was a fusion of African-American and Latin rhythms and was thought to be a reactionary movement to the dominance of rock and roll.
From Quiz: A Night at the Disco
Answer: Flash
Originally made as part of the iconic "Watch With Mother" series, "Fingerbobs" was created by Joanna Cole who also wrote the "Magic Schoolbus" stories. It first aired in 1972, and just thirteen episodes were made.
From Quiz: When I Was Very Young...
Answer: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" aired from 1967 until 1969, featuring brothers Thomas and Richard Smothers.
"The Ed Sullivan Show" aired from 1948 to 1971; "The Sonny & Sher Comedy Hour" ran from 1971 until 1976; and "The Carol Burnett Show" lasted from 1967 to 1978.
While variety shows had existed prior to the advent of television, they truly hit their stride with the mass exposure that only television could provide.
From Quiz: The 'Me' Decade (1970s)
Answer: Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"
"Rumours" is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. In 2004, "Rumours" was remastered and reissued with the addition of an extra track and a bonus CD of outtakes from the recording sessions.
From Quiz: 1978 - The Winners
Answer: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" - The Fifth Dimension
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" are two songs combined from the Broadway musical "Hair".
From Quiz: The '70s was a Groovy Time
Answer: Earth Day
Initiated by Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day led to a huge increase in recycling, environmental consciousness and ecological conservation. On the first Earth Day, dozens of gas-guzzling cars were burned ceremoniously.
Released by the Guess Who on the same-titled album in January of 1970, "American Woman" was released as a single in March, and eventually rose to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 List.
From Quiz: Where Did My Bellbottoms Go?
Answer: Robert De Niro's character from "Taxi Driver" who said "You talkin' to me?"
"Taxi Driver" (1976) was directed by Martin Scorsese and also starred Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle and Cybill Shepherd.
From Quiz: 1970s All American Entertainment
Answer: " Hotel California" , The Eagles
The Eagles backed out of a performance on the Grammy's that year at the last minute. They claimed they were hard at work on their next album, 1979's "The Long Run", in Malibu.
From Quiz: 1977 - The Winners in Movies, Music, Sports etc.
Answer: Happy Days
"Happy Days" premiered in 1974, and was directed by Garry Marshall. The sitcom was about growing up in the 1950s. It had a greaser named Arthur Fonzarelli, who was so cool that one snap of his fingers and girls magically appeared. This guy was so tough that everyone was afraid of him. Yet, the Fonz had a very kind heart, which he didn't like to show all the time. "Happy Days" starred Ron Howard, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Pat Morita, Al Molinaro, Don Most, Scott Baio, Lynda Goodfriend, Cathy Silvers, and Henry Winkler. The show ended in 1984.
From Quiz: 1970 Something
Answer: Miffy
Miffy was created in 1955 by Dutch author Dick Bruna, but was especially popular through the 60s and 70s. Bruna wrote over 100 books, which have been translated into dozens of languages. Miffy has made a bit of a comeback in recent years, with many new Miffy products available.
From Quiz: Child of the 70s
Answer: The Thorn Birds
"The Thorn Birds," the Australian-set romance of the handsome priest and his young mentor hit the best-seller lists almost immediately. McCullough was born and raised in Australia, though she lived in the U.K. and was a research associate at Yale's Department of Neurology while she also wrote. Her success allowed her to retire and move permanently with her husband to the beautiful Norfolk Island, a lush Australian territory with a mild climate.
From Quiz: What Did You Do In the 1970s?
Answer: Saturday Night Fever
"Saturday Night Fever" starring John Travolta was a movie that epitomized the disco era. Tony Manero, a factory worker by day, became a disco giant at night. White suits, gold chains and a macho strut made the man.
From Quiz: A Night at the Disco
Answer: Raleigh
Sadly my parents never caved in to my plaintive requests and I was forced to beg my little friends for a sneaky turn on their Choppers when mum and dad weren't looking!
The Raleigh Chopper has become a true cultural icon over the years and was relaunched in 2004, with some small design changes to allow for modern safety requirements. The original design was prone to various mishaps in the hands of young riders, most of which could be blamed on the design.
From Quiz: When I Was Very Young...
Answer: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
The "Thrilla in Manila" was the third and final match between Ali (The Greatest) and Frazier (Smokin' Joe). It took place on October 1st, 1975 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City (part of the Manila metropolitan area), Philippines.
Ferdinand Marcos arranged for the fight to happen in Manila to try to draw attention away from the social turmoil that had been happening in the country and fight organizer Don King liked the idea.
From Quiz: The 'Me' Decade (1970s)
Answer: The New York Yankees
The 1978 New York Yankees season was the 76th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 100-63 and won the World Series two years in a row.
From Quiz: 1978 - The Winners
Answer: The Godfather
Marlon Brando also won for "The Godfather" as Best Actor but refused to accept the award.
From Quiz: The '70s was a Groovy Time
Answer: Sammy Davis, Jr.
Based on a British sitcom titled "Till Death Do Us Part", "All in the Family" broke numerous barriers in American television and broached such previously taboo subjects as racism, abortion, and homosexuality among others. The year after Sammy Davis, Jr., playing himself, kissed Archie, the Jeffersons were introduced on the show.
In 1972, Edith's cousin Maude (played by Bea Arthur) starred in a spin off titled "Maude".
From Quiz: Where Did My Bellbottoms Go?
Answer: "McCloud"
Dennis Weaver starred as "McCloud" after a stint on "Gunsmoke." The "Mystery Movie" launched other shows as the fourth segment in the rotation, including as "Heck Ramsey", "Amy Prentice" and "Lanigan's Rabbi." None caught fire until 1976's "Quincy, M.E." with Jack Klugman which was spun-off into its own program in 1977.
From Quiz: 1970s All American Entertainment
Answer: The New York Yankees
The New York Yankees won the 1977 World Series in 6 games. In that last winning game Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs.
From Quiz: 1977 - The Winners in Movies, Music, Sports etc.
Answer: Elephant Ears
Bell Bottom pants were shaped sort of like a bell. Elephant Ears were far larger than bells, and were called Elephant Ears because of the largeness and because they flapped when you walked, like an elephant's ears.
From Quiz: 1970 Something
Answer: Chris Tarrant
The brilliant idea of getting kids to phone in and offer to swap their old Sindy horse for a shiny new bike, kept the show on BBC1 for years. There was more to the show than just swapping though - John Craven read the news, Noel Edmonds interviewed pop stars, and Keith Chegwin stood in the rain surrounded by screaming kids. Chris Tarrant presented rival show "TISWAS".
From Quiz: Child of the 70s
Answer: Jaws
"Jaws" hit theaters in 1975 and was a critical and commercial success. Audiences seemed to love the thrilling storyline of a killer great white, and critics praised Spielberg's craft and vision. It won three Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound.
From Quiz: What Did You Do In the 1970s?
Answer: disco ball
The disco ball was a rotating ball covered with multiple mirrors that reflected a light shone on it and onto the crowd. It was mesmerizing to note the patterns the lights made over your partner.
From Quiz: A Night at the Disco
Answer: Sex Pistols
The BBC and 'the Establishment' were outraged at the song, and deemed it offensive and disrespectful. It was banned and denied airtime on all the BBC stations. It was popular with teenagers however, and made it to number two in the UK Singles Charts in spite of, if not because of the ban. The media furore served to gain the Pistols extra publicity, and boost their record sales.
From Quiz: When I Was Very Young...
Answer: Pink Panther
The animated Pink Panther first appeared in the opening title sequence in the original 1963 film, as well as in the closing credits. In fact, the cartoon panther appeared in all of the films in the series with the exception of "A Shot in the Dark" and "Inspector Clouseau."
Perhaps even more iconic than the Pink Panther himself is the music that accompanied the films and cartoons: "The Pink Panther Theme" written by Henry Mancini.
From Quiz: The 'Me' Decade (1970s)
Answer: "The Deer Hunter"
The "Deer Hunter" had nine nominations and won five awards. Christopher Walken, as Cpl. Nikanor "Nick" Chebotarevich, won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
From Quiz: 1978 - The Winners
Answer: Ray Stevens
"The Streak" was number 1 for three weeks in 1974 on the Billboard charts.
From Quiz: The '70s was a Groovy Time
Answer: platform shoes
With soles measuring up to seven inches high, and extreme models holding water and goldfish, 'Consumer Reports' rated platform shoes as health hazards.
And, "School's Out" was by Alice Cooper (nee Vincent Furnier) in 1972.
From Quiz: Where Did My Bellbottoms Go?
Answer: "Chinatown"
"Chinatown" won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1974 for writer Robert Towne.
From Quiz: 1970s All American Entertainment
Answer: "Annie Hall"
Diane Keaton, who played Annie Hall, won the Oscar for best actress for this movie.
From Quiz: 1977 - The Winners in Movies, Music, Sports etc.
Answer: Saturday Night Fever
"Saturday Night Fever" was released in 1977, and directed by John Badham. It was about a young man, Tony Manero, who wanted to be someone special. To that end, he worked hard to become king of the disco floor. The movie starred Lisa Peluso, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow, and John Travolta.
From Quiz: 1970 Something
Answer: Simon
Simon was fab! The regular version was about the size of a vinyl record, but there was also a smaller pocket version. It was released at Christmas 1978 and was an instant hit. Go to Amazon to buy your very own replacement for your old Simon!
From Quiz: Child of the 70s
Answer: Rocky
"Rocky" was a huge hit when it appeared in theaters in 1976; the rise of the underdog was a beloved story arc for audiences, and the soundtrack was exhilarating. It was nominated for many awards, and won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.
From Quiz: What Did You Do In the 1970s?
Answer: DJ
The Disc Jockey or DJ put together the musical sets, stringing songs together so that the beats would match exactly when they segued together. One of the methods of starting a new song was to hold a record still on the turntable until it was ready to spin. Electronic mixers eventually became available making the art of the DJ more elegant.
From Quiz: A Night at the Disco
Answer: Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey predated its earliest competition by two years. It was created by Ralph Baer, who stated that he first came up with the idea of an interactive television in 1951. By 1966 he was able to develop a simple two-player video game called "Chase" where two dots chased each other around the screen. Demonstrating that game to the Research and Development section of the company for which he was working (Sanders Associates) was all it took to get funding for further development. The rest is history.
From Quiz: The 'Me' Decade (1970s)
Answer: "Taxi"
Altogether "Taxi" won eighteen Emmy Awards in its five year run. The show focuses on the employees of the Sunshine Cab Company. The setting is the company's garage in Manhattan.
From Quiz: 1978 - The Winners
Answer: Snake River Canyon
While attempting to jump Snake River Canyon, the parachute deployed and it caused enough drag that the wind caught the chute, which sent him back to the same side that he launched from. He landed only a few feet from the water. If he had landed in the water, he would have drowned due to a malfunction in the harness that had him still strapped in the vehicle. He survived with minor injuries.
From Quiz: The '70s was a Groovy Time
Answer: Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds had several box-office successes in the 1970s, including "Deliverance", "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing", "The Longest Yard" and "Smokey and The Bandit".
Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" is the band's most commercially successful album, and the best selling album worldwide.
From Quiz: Where Did My Bellbottoms Go?
Answer: Jim Croce
Jim Croce died in a plane crash just as his career was hitting full stride in 1973. Ricky Nelson also died in a plane crash, in 1985. Harry Chapin was killed in a 1983 car accident. Minnie Riperton, mother of "Saturday Night Live" comedienne Maya Rudolph, succumbed to breast cancer in 1979.
From Quiz: 1970s All American Entertainment
