Portal:1970s

The 1970s Portal

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The 1970s (pronounced "nineteen-seventies"; commonly shortened to the "Seventies" or the "'70s") was a decade that began on January 1, 1970, and ended on December 31, 1979.

In the 21st century, historians have increasingly portrayed the 1970s as a "pivot of change" in world history, focusing especially on the economic upheavals^[1] that followed the end of the postwar economic boom.^[2] On a global scale, it was characterized by frequent coups, domestic conflicts and civil wars, and various political upheavals and armed conflicts which arose from or were related to decolonization, and the global struggle between NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Many regions had periods of high-intensity conflict, notably Southeast Asia, the Mideast, and Africa.

In the Western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and economic liberty of women, continued to grow. In the United Kingdom, the 1979 election resulted in the victory of its Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, the first female British Prime Minister. Industrialized countries experienced an economic recession due to an oil crisis caused by oil embargoes by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries. The crisis saw the first instance of stagflation which began a political and economic trend of the replacement of Keynesian economic theory with neoliberal economic theory, with the first neoliberal government coming to power with the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. The 1970s was also an era of great technological and scientific advances; since the appearance of the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004 in 1971, the decade was characterised by a profound transformation of computing units – by then rudimentary, spacious machines – into the realm of portability and home accessibility.

On the other hand, there were also great advances in fields such as physics, which saw the consolidation of quantum field theory at the end of the decade, mainly thanks to the confirmation of the existence of quarks and the detection of the first gauge bosons in addition to the photon, the Z boson and the gluon, part of what was christened in 1975 as the Standard Model.

In Asia, the People's Republic of China's international relations changed significantly following its recognition by the United Nations, the death of Mao Zedong and the beginning of market liberalization by Mao's successors. Despite facing an oil crisis due to the OPEC embargo, the economy of Japan witnessed a large boom in this period, overtaking the economy of West Germany to become the second-largest in the world.^[3] The United States withdrew its military forces from the Vietnam War. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, which led to the Soviet–Afghan War.

The 1970s saw an initial increase in violence in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria declared war on Israel, but in the late 1970s, the situation in the Middle East was fundamentally altered when Egypt signed the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty. Political tensions in Iran exploded with the Iranian Revolution in 1979, which overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty and established an Islamic republic under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini.

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The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1977. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout London and the Commonwealth throughout 1977, culminating in June with the official "Jubilee Days", held to coincide with the Queen's Official Birthday. The anniversary date itself was commemorated in church services across the land on 6 February 1977, and continued to be for the rest of that month. In March, preparations started for large parties in every major of the city, as well as for smaller ones for countless individual streets throughout the country. (Full article...)

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... that Spaceship House was originally built as a 1970s-era bachelor pad?
... that vehicles in Star Trucker still look like American semi-trucks from the 1970s, despite having technology such as warp drivers and maglocks?
... that Michael Lippman had his breakthrough in the music business in the 1970s by working as an attorney and manager for David Bowie?
... that Rodger Bumpass, before becoming the voice of Squidward, was an announcer, film processor, and cameraman at an Arkansas TV station in the 1970s?
... that in the 1970s, Walter Steding became known for his electric violin, which he played while wearing flashing goggles "synced" to his brainwaves?
... that Diego García Miravete and his college football team's games were closely monitored by the Mexican government in the early 1970s?

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Joel in 2023

William Martin Joel (/dʒoʊl/; born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Piano Man", after his 1973 signature song of the same name, Joel has had a successful career as a solo artist since the 1970s. From 1971 to 1993, he released 12 entirely self-written studio albums spanning the genres of pop and rock, and in 2001 released a one-off studio album of classical compositions. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Joel is one of the world's best-selling music artists and is the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States. His 1985 compilation album, Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II, is one of the best-selling albums in the U.S.

Joel was born in the Bronx in New York City and grew up in the Levittown portion of Hicksville on Long Island, where he began taking piano lessons at his mother's insistence. After dropping out of high school to pursue a music career, Joel took part in two short-lived bands, the Hassles and Attila, before signing a record deal with Family Productions and embarking on a solo career with his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971). In 1972, Joel caught the attention of Columbia Records after a live radio performance of "Captain Jack" became popular in Philadelphia, prompting him to sign a new record deal with the company, through which he released his second album, Piano Man (1973). After Streetlife Serenade (1974) and Turnstiles (1976), Joel achieved his critical and commercial breakthrough with The Stranger (1977). It became Columbia's best-selling release, selling over 10 million copies and spawning the hit singles "Just the Way You Are", "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)", "Only the Good Die Young", and "She's Always a Woman", as well as the concert staples "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Vienna". (Full article...)

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The following are images from various 1970s-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Mao Zedong wearing gray Zhongshan suit, 1972. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 2The Bee Gees, in 1968 (from 1970s in music)
Image 3Bob Marley, 1980 (from 1970s in music)
Image 4Two women in 1979 wear the trendy tube tops, while the woman on the far left is wearing a rayon strapless dress (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 5United States President Jimmy Carter and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II treaty, June 18, 1979, in Vienna, Austria (from 1970s)
Image 6Line at a gas station in Maryland, June 15, 1979. (from 1970s)
Image 71976 flyer advertising the racing game Fonz (from 1970s in video games)
Image 8Mario Kempes scores the first goal in the 1978 World Cup Final for Argentina (from 1970s)
Image 9Flared jeans and trousers were popular with both sexes as can be seen at this East German disco party in 1977. In the socialist part of Germany (until 1990), the government regarded western influences on cultural life of their population very critical, but factually tolerated them in many fields. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 10Atari 2600 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 11Debby Boone song "You Light Up My Life" had the most weeks at number one in the US Billboard chart (from 1970s in music)
Image 12The Swedish band ABBA was one of the most commercially successful European bands of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 13Steve McQueen with sideburns, 1972. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 14Idi Amin (from 1970s)
Image 15Singer Barry Manilow wears his hair longish in the soft, layered style favoured by men in the 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 16Clockwise from top-left:
- U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office following the Watergate scandal in 1974;
- The United States was still involved in the Vietnam War in the early decade. The New York Times leaked information regarding the nation's involvement in the war. Political pressure led to America's withdrawal from the war in 1973, and the Fall of Saigon in 1975 leading to evacuations of South Vietnamese that same year;
- The 1973 oil crisis causes a financial crisis throughout the developed world;
- Both the leaders of Israel and Egypt shake hands after the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978;
- In 1971, the Pakistan Armed Forces commits the 1971 Bangladesh genocide to curb independence movements in East Pakistan, killing 300,000 to 3,000,000 people; this consequently leads to the Bangladesh Liberation War;
- The 1970 Bhola cyclone kills an estimated 500,000 people in the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan in November 1970, and became the deadliest natural disaster in 40 years;
- The Iranian Revolution of 1979 ousts Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who is later replaced by an Islamic theocracy led by Ayatollah Khomeini;
- The popularity of the disco music genre and subculture peaks during the mid-to-late 1970s.
(from 1970s)
Image 17Swedish model Ulla Jones dressed in a lurex halter top and matching flared trousers (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 18British rock band Queen (pictured here in 1977) was considered to be one of the most influential bands of the '70s (as well as the '80s), along with American rock band Eagles and others (from 1970s)
Image 191973 Volvo P1800 sportwagon. (from 1970s)
Image 20Apollo 17 Astronaut Gene Cernan becomes the last man on the Moon, December 13, 1972 (from 1970s)
Image 21Salah Zulfikar and Zubaida Tharwat in The Other Man (1973) (from 1970s)
Image 22Jose Jose (from 1970s in music)
Image 23Three Los Angeles Chicanos in 1974. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 24America's first space station Skylab in orbit February 8, 1974 (from 1970s)
Image 25Intellivision (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 26In 1971 hotpants, long sideburns and bell-bottomed trousers were popular fashion trends (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 27Egyptian military vehicles crossing the Suez Canal on October 7, 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. (from 1970s)
Image 28Aldo Moro (from 1970s)
Image 29A West German schoolgirl with Schultüte in 1970, with a 'hippyish' outfit on. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 30A couple at a prom in late 1970s: powder tuxedo and sleeved dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 31Color TV-Game (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 32By the early 1970s, miniskirts had reached an all-time popularity. This young English woman is wearing a fringed suede miniskirt, 1971. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 33Footballer George Best wore long hair in 1976. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 34British singer Rod Stewart, 1976. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 35Pink Floyd, 1973 (from 1970s in music)
Image 36Public at the farewell concert of Sui Generis (1975) (from 1970s)
Image 37Apple II (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 38Margaret Thatcher shortly before becoming the United Kingdom's first woman Prime Minister in 1979. Thatcher's political and economic agenda began the first government committed to neoliberalism. (from 1970s)
Image 39AC/DC, August 1979 (from 1970s in music)
Image 40Isabel Perón becomes the first woman President of Argentina in 1974 and the first woman non-monarch head of state in the Western hemisphere. (from 1970s)
Image 41Girl in 1973 with a "flicked" hairstyle. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 42David Bowie in the early 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 43Singer Cher in 1971. In the 1970s, women's hair was usually worn long with a centre parting (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 44Charlie Rich (from 1970s in music)
Image 45Honda Civic sold well throughout the decade. (from 1970s)
Image 46TRS-80 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 47Galaxian (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 48Elton John was one of the most commercially successful solo pop acts of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 49Alan Bennett in 1973, wearing a wide necktie (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 50Los Angeles high school students, 1973. The tousled, blond surfer hair was popular for young men in southern California. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 51The British band The Bee Gees were one of the biggest musical acts of the 1970s leading the disco phenomenon (from 1970s in music)
Image 52Pong arcade machine (1972) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 53Polistil VG2 Pong clone (1978), made in Italy (from 1970s in video games)
Image 54Haile Selassie was overthrown from power in Ethiopia, ending one of the longest-lasting monarchies in world history. (from 1970s)
Image 55Nixon displays the V-for-victory sign as he departs the White House after resigning (from 1970s)
Image 56A young woman wearing a wrap dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 57Rigo Tovar (from 1970s in music)
Image 58Swedish model Efva Attling in a "midi" dress, Kings Road, London, 1971. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 59Singer Billy Preston in 1974 wearing an Afro hairstyle. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 60Ramones's lead guitarist Johnny Ramone performing in Toronto, 1977 (from 1970s in music)
Image 61Hank Williams (from 1970s in music)
Image 62Siouxsie Sioux of the English punk group Siouxsie and the Banshees. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 63Woman in miniskirt, 1970 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 64Henry Mancini (from 1970s in music)
Image 65Kansas (from 1970s in music)
Image 66Two punks from the late 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 67British girls in 1975 in flared jeans (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 68Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat shake hands, Camp David, 1978 (from 1970s)
Image 69American casual attire, 1974. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 70Susana Giménez wearing hotpants, 1977 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 71The CN Tower was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure. (from 1970s)
Image 72Nixon and Zhou toast, 1972 (from 1970s)
Image 73Home Pong console (museum recreation) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 74Death Race (1976) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 75Example of glam rock costume worn by Roy Wood and Wizzard, early 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 76Diane von Fürstenberg's wrap dress, designed in the 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 77Microvision (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 78The Vietnam War (1955–1975) (from 1970s)
Image 79Pakistan Army General A. A. K. Niazi signing surrender agreement before Sh. Jagjit Singh Aurora of Indian Army after getting defeated in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War against East Pakistan, which eventually liberated as Bangladesh later. (from 1970s)
Image 80Loretta Lynn (from 1970s in music)
Image 81Silk scarves were popular fashion accessories for women in the 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 82Atari 2600 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 83Voyager 1 passing by Jupiter's Great Red Spot February 25, 1979 (from 1970s)
Image 84Fashion models in Leipzig, GDR, 1972. One of the women is modelling a "maxi" dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 85Debbie Harry of Blondie in 1977. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 86Pedro Eugenio Aramburu (from 1970s)
Image 87Mid-70s Western-inspired outifts worn by country music group Asleep at the Wheel. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 881974 Ford Mustang interior (from 1970s)
Image 89Punk pioneer Lene Lovich in 1979, with her trademark long plaited hair. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 90VT100 (1978) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 91Jorge Luis Borges with admirers in 1976. (from 1970s)
Image 92 Fairchild Channel F (1976) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 93Queen, 1975 (from 1970s in music)
Image 94Led Zeppelin, 1977 (from 1970s in music)
Image 95Park Chung Hee (from 1970s)
Image 96Commodore PET (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 97The early 1970s' fashions were a continuation of the hippie look from the late 1960s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 98A Women's Liberation march in Washington, D.C., 1970 (from 1970s)
Image 99Concorde landing at Farnborough in September 1974 (from 1970s)
Image 100American First Lady Pat Nixon wears a shirt with the wide collar that was popular until the final years of the decade. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 101El Tri Band founder Alex Lora, on stage with the band in 2006 (from 1970s in music)
Image 102Typical mid to late 1970s Ted gear, as worn by Shakin' Stevens. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 103Viking 1, the first of two spacecraft sent to Mars, takes this picture of the landing site in Chryse Planitia (1978) (from 1970s)
Image 104Willie Nelson became one of the most popular country music artists during the 1970s. (from 1970s in music)
Image 105Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson from Sanford and Son (from 1970s)
Image 106Linda Ronstadt in 1976 (from 1970s in music)
Image 107Paul Anka in 1961 (from 1970s in music)
Image 108British rock band Killing Floor, 1971. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 109Actress Camille Keaton in 1972. Throughout most of the decade, women preferred light, natural-looking make-up for the daytime. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 110The first Military Junta after the 1976 Coup d'État in Argentina, integrated by Jorge Videla, Emilio Massera and Orlando Agosti (from 1970s)
Image 111Microvision (1979) is the first handheld game console that used interchangeable cartridges. (from 1970s)
Image 112The 1970 Bhola cyclone, considered the 20th century's worst cyclone disaster, kills an estimated 500,000 people in the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan during November 1970. (from 1970s)
Image 113The Eagles (from 1970s in music)
Image 1141970 Dodge Challenger Trans Am, an example of a muscle car in the earlier part of the decade. (from 1970s)
Image 115An artist impression of an American Apollo spacecraft and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docking, a propaganda portrait for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project mission (from 1970s)
Image 116Singer Rod Stewart performing in 1976. He was one of the major British soft rock artists of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 117Anti-war protest against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1971. (from 1970s)
Image 118Pong (1972) (from 1970s)
Image 119Actress Raquel Welch in 1979, wearing the shoulder pads and "retro"-look tilted hat favored by designers at the time (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 120Asteroids (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 121Frisbee player Ken Westerfield wearing drawstring bell bottoms in the late 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 122British rock band Led Zeppelin was one of the most popular and influential bands of the 1970s. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound has led them to be cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. (from 1970s)
Image 123John Denver, 1975 (from 1970s in music)
Image 124Dave Schultz won Stanley Cup two times (from 1970s)
Image 1251979 Iranian Revolution (from 1970s)
Image 126The world map of military alliances in 1970s: Western allies (blue), Non-aligned countries (green) and Soviet allies (red) (from 1970s)
Image 127English girl in the mid-1970s wearing a wide-sleeved shirt, belted at the waist. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 128Pink Floyd performing The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, the highest-selling album of the decade and one of the highest-selling of all time. (from 1970s)
Image 129Magnavox Odyssey (1972) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 130Bruce Lee fostered the popularity of martial arts cinema (from 1970s)
Image 131African American couple, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, July 1975 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 132King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (from 1970s)

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