Portal:1970s

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P:1970s

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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A U.S. government PSA from the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration with a photo image of two marijuana cigarettes and a "Just Say No" slogan

The war on drugs is a global anti-narcotics campaign led by the United States federal government, including drug prohibition, foreign assistance, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the US. The initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the participating governments, through United Nations treaties, have made illegal.

The term "war on drugs" was popularized by the media after a press conference, given on June 17, 1971, during which President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse "public enemy number one". He stated, "In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive. ... This will be a worldwide offensive. ... It will be government-wide ... and it will be nationwide." Earlier that day, Nixon had presented a special message to the US Congress on "Drug Abuse Prevention and Control", which included text about devoting more federal resources to the "prevention of new addicts, and the rehabilitation of those who are addicted"; that aspect did not receive the same media attention as the term "war on drugs". (Full article...)

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... that the art of Irma Blank, of "drawing languages without words" and including sounds, was recognised in the 1970s but fell into obscurity until a rediscovery in the 2010s?
... that Midwest Scientific was the only maker of microcomputers in Kansas City in the late 1970s?
... that vehicles in Star Trucker still look like American semi-trucks from the 1970s, despite having technology such as warp drivers and maglocks?
... that the oldest surviving synagogue building in Wisconsin was almost razed in the 1970s?
... that the Yerevan Children's Art Museum deliberately kept no records from the 1970s to the 1990s?
... that Cathie Dunsford was unable to find many books about lesbianism in the 1970s, but by the 1980s had herself become a writer and anthologist of lesbian literature?

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Lee in 1967

Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from Lee's experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense—as well as eclectic, Zen Buddhist and Taoist philosophies—as a new school of martial arts thought. With a film career spanning Hong Kong and the United States, Lee is regarded as the first global Chinese film star and one of the most influential martial artists in the history of cinema. Known for his roles in five feature-length martial arts films, Lee is credited with helping to popularize martial arts films in the 1970s and promoting Hong Kong action cinema.

Born in San Francisco and raised in British Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father. His early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man), tai chi, boxing (winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament), and frequent street fighting (neighborhood and rooftop fights). In 1959, Lee moved to Seattle, where he enrolled at the University of Washington in 1961. It was during this time in the United States that he began considering making money by teaching martial arts, even though he aspired to have a career in acting. He opened his first martial arts school, operated out of his home in Seattle. After later adding a second school in Oakland, California, he once drew significant attention at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships of California by making demonstrations and speaking. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to teach, where his students included Chuck Norris, Sharon Tate, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (Full article...)

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

Image 1In 1971 hotpants and bell-bottomed trousers were popular fashion trends (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 2Mao Zedong wearing gray Zhongshan suit, 1972. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 3Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi wearing Peacock Revolution-inspired velvet Nehru jacket and geometric print scarf, 1973. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 4Apollo 17 Astronaut Gene Cernan becomes the last man on the Moon, December 13, 1972 (from 1970s)
Image 5Ramones's lead guitarist Johnny Ramone performing in Toronto, 1977 (from 1970s in music)
Image 6John Denver, 1975 (from 1970s in music)
Image 7AC/DC, August 1979 (from 1970s in music)
Image 8Girl in 1973 with a "flicked" hairstyle. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 9Debby Boone song "You Light Up My Life" had the most weeks at number one (from 1970s in music)
Image 10Queen, 1975 (from 1970s in music)
Image 11Pakistan 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 12Intellivision (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 13American casual attire, 1974. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 14Isabel 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 15British singer Rod Stewart, 1976. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 16British rock band Killing Floor, 1971. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 17Swedish model Ulla Jones dressed in a lurex halter top and matching flared trousers (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 18Led Zeppelin, 1977 (from 1970s in music)
Image 19Henry Mancini (from 1970s in music)
Image 20Steve McQueen with sideburns, 1972. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 21Idi Amin (from 1970s)
Image 22The Bee Gees, in 1968 (from 1970s in music)
Image 23American 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 24Nixon and Zhou toast, 1972 (from 1970s)
Image 25Los Angeles high school students, 1973. The tousled, blond surfer hair was popular for young men in southern California. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 26Diane von Fürstenberg's wrap dress, designed in the 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 27British girls in 1975 in flared jeans (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 28British 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 29Kansas (from 1970s in music)
Image 30An 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 31The early 1970s' fashions were a continuation of the hippie look from the late 1960s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 32Typical mid to late 1970s Ted gear, as worn by Shakin' Stevens. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 33Alan Bennett in 1973, wearing a wide necktie (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 34English girl in the mid-1970s wearing a wide-sleeved shirt, belted at the waist. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 35The Swedish band ABBA was one of the most commercially successful European bands of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 36Elton John was one of the most commercially successful solo pop acts of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 37African American couple, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, July 1975 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 38A couple at prom in late 1970s: Powder Tuxedo and sleeved dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 39Paul Anka in 1961 (from 1970s in music)
Image 40Rigo Tovar (from 1970s in music)
Image 41The world map of military alliances in 1970s: Western allies (blue), Non-aligned countries (green) and Soviet allies (red) (from 1970s)
Image 42Galaxian (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 43Salah Zulfikar and Zubaida Tharwat in The Other Man (1973) (from 1970s)
Image 44King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (from 1970s)
Image 45Three Los Angeles Chicanos in 1974. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 46Concorde landing at Farnborough in September 1974 (from 1970s)
Image 47The British band The Bee Gees were one of the biggest musical acts of the 1970s leading the disco phenomenon (from 1970s in music)
Image 48Polistil VG2 Pong clone (1978), made in Italy (from 1970s in video games)
Image 49Woman in miniskirt, 1970 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 50VT100 (1978) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 51Footballer George Best wore long hair in 1976. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 52A Women's Liberation march in Washington, D.C., 1970 (from 1970s)
Image 53El Tri Band founder Alex Lora, on stage with the band in 2006 (from 1970s in music)
Image 54Microvision (1979) is the first handheld game console that used interchangeable cartridges. (from 1970s)
Image 55Jose Jose (from 1970s in music)
Image 56Swedish model Efva Attling in a "midi" dress, Kings Road, London, 1971. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 57The Vietnam War (1955–1975) (from 1970s)
Image 58A young woman wearing a wrap dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 59Fashion models in Leipzig, GDR, 1972. One of the girls is modelling a "maxi" dress. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 60Aldo Moro (from 1970s)
Image 61Home Pong console (museum recreation) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 62The CN Tower was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure. (from 1970s)
Image 63Debbie Harry of Blondie in 1977. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 64By 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 65Actress Camille Keaton in 1972. Throughout most of the decade, women preferred light, natural-looking make-up for the daytime. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 661976 flyer advertising the racing game Fonz (from 1970s in video games)
Image 67Example of glam rock costume worn by Roy Wood and Wizzard, early 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 68Color TV-Game (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 69Bob Marley, 1980 (from 1970s in music)
Image 70Pink 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 71Atari 2600 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 72The 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 73Aerosmith had seven studio albums chart on the Billboard 200 in the 1970s. Their success in the decade, particularly of their albums Toys in the Attic (1975) and Rocks (1976), helped inspire future rock artists such as Slash and Kurt Cobain (from 1970s in music)
Image 74The Eagles (from 1970s in music)
Image 75Margaret 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 76Punk pioneer Lene Lovich in 1979, with her trademark long plaited hair. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 77TRS-80 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 78Singer Rod Stewart performing in 1976. He was one of the major British soft rock artists of the 1970s (from 1970s in music)
Image 79Honda Civic sold well throughout the decade. (from 1970s)
Image 80Susana Giménez wearing hotpants, 1977 (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 811974 Ford Mustang interior (from 1970s)
Image 82Dave Schultz won Stanley Cup two times (from 1970s)
Image 83Asteroids (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 84Park Chung Hee (from 1970s)
Image 85Singer Cher in 1971. In the 1970s, women's hair was usually worn long with a centre parting (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 86Silk scarves were popular fashion accessories for women in the 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 87Linda Ronstadt in 1976 (from 1970s in music)
Image 88Loretta Lynn (from 1970s in music)
Image 89Line at a gas station in Maryland, June 15, 1979. (from 1970s)
Image 90Bruce Lee fostered the popularity of martial arts cinema (from 1970s)
Image 91Death Race (1976) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 92Commodore PET (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 93Two 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 94Clockwise 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 95Mid-70s Western-inspired outifts worn by country music group Asleep at the Wheel. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 96Willie Nelson became one of the most popular country music artists during the 1970s. (from 1970s in music)
Image 97Nixon displays the V-for-victory sign as he departs the White House after resigning (from 1970s)
Image 981979 Iranian Revolution (from 1970s)
Image 99Singer Billy Preston in 1974 wearing an Afro hairstyle. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 100Egyptian military vehicles crossing the Suez Canal on October 7, 1973, during the Yom Kippur War. (from 1970s)
Image 101Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat shake hands, Camp David, 1978 (from 1970s)
Image 102Haile Selassie was overthrown from power in Ethiopia, ending one of the longest-lasting monarchies in world history. (from 1970s)
Image 103Apple II (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 104Two punks from the late 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 105Magnavox Odyssey (1972) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 106Atari 2600 (1977) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 107British 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 108Anti-war protest against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1971. (from 1970s)
Image 109Frisbee player Ken Westerfield wearing draw string bell bottoms in the late 1970s (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 1101970 Dodge Challenger Trans Am, an example of a muscle car in the earlier part of the decade. (from 1970s)
Image 111Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson from Sanford and Son (from 1970s)
Image 112America's first space station Skylab in orbit February 8, 1974 (from 1970s)
Image 113Charlie Rich (from 1970s in music)
Image 1141973 Volvo P1800 sportwagon. (from 1970s)
Image 115David Bowie in the early 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 116Flared 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 117Pink Floyd, 1973 (from 1970s in music)
Image 118Voyager 1 passing by Jupiter's Great Red Spot February 25, 1979 (from 1970s)
Image 119Singer Barry Manilow wears his hair longish in the soft, layered style favoured by men in the 1970s. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 120Siouxsie Sioux of the English punk group Siouxsie and the Banshees. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 121A West German school girl with Schultüte in 1970, with a 'hippyish' outfit on. (from 1970s in fashion)
Image 122Microvision (1979) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 123Viking 1, the first of two spacecraft sent to Mars, takes this picture of the landing site in Chryse Planitia (1978) (from 1970s)
Image 124 Fairchild Channel F (1976) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 125United States President Jimmy Carter and Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II treaty, June 18, 1979, in Vienna, Austria (from 1970s)
Image 126Hank Williams (from 1970s in music)
Image 127Pong arcade machine (1972) (from 1970s in video games)
Image 128Pong (1972) (from 1970s)

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