1974:

• States were required “to limit highway speeds to a maximum of 55 miles an hour as a condition for continuing to receive Federal highway trust funds.”
• Richard Nixon resigned as president of the United States, and Vice President Gerald Ford became the 38th U.S. president.
• Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped.
• Unemployment peaked at 7.2%,
• Inflation remained steady at 11.04%
• Median household income was $11,100
• Americans paid an average of $4,441 for a new car.
• Gallon of whole milk cost $1.39
• Bacon was 99 cents for a one-pound package
• Eggs were 58 cents a dozen
• People magazine began publishing
• Happy Days started an 11-year run on ABC.
• Barbra Streisand's The Way We Were became Billboard's No. 1
• The Sting won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
• Miami Dolphins were the Super Bowl champs
• Oakland Athletics won the World Series
• Philadelphia Flyers clinched the Stanley Cup.
• Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
• NFL players went on strike for 41 days over player salaries and the "Rozelle Rule.”
• The World Trade Center—the tallest building in the world at 110 stories—opened for business in New York City
• Alamo Rent a Car, Arista Records, Foot Locker, Kendall-Jackson Wine, and Tuesday Morning were all founded

1973:

• The U.S. economy was plagued with high inflation, an oil crisis, rising unemployment, and the worst recession since the 1930s.
• Inflation tripled from 3.4% to 9.6%
• Martin Cooper invented the first handheld mobile phone,
• Nathaniel Wyeth received a patent for shatter-resistant beverage bottles
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was invented by a team led by John Mallard.
• The 110-story Sears Tower opened in Chicago
• The Oldsmobile Toronado was the first car with a passenger airbag.
• Sales of vodka surpassed whiskey sales in the U.S. for the first time.
• Walkie Talkies were popular Christmas gifts
• Stove Top Stuffing first appeared on grocery store shelves
• The average tuition at a four-year public college was $358.
• Michael and Jennifer were favorite baby names
•  Hamburger Helper and pasta primavera were all the rage
• The Exorcist was the most popular film
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the best-selling fiction book
• All in the Family (CBS) was the top TV show.
• The Sting won an Oscar for Best Picture
• M*A*S*H* (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series
• Bette Midler won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
• Bonanza, Laugh-In, and Mission Impossible all ended their TV runs
• The Miami Dolphins were the Super Bowl champs
•  Oakland Athletics won the World Series
• Montreal Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup
• Unemployment was 5.6%
• The average family income was $12,900
•  A new house cost around $32,500
• A gallon of gas averaged 39 cents
• The minimum wage was $1.60 per hour
• An ounce of gold cost $106.48.
• Eggs were 69 cents a dozen
• Oreos were 59 cents for a 19-ounce package
•  Peanut butter was 99 cents for a 2½-pound jar.

1972:

• Politics: Bloody Sunday: On January 30, British troops shot unarmed protesters in Northern Ireland, killing 13 civilians. Rock band U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday memorialized the event.
• The Top Song was The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack
• The Big Movies included The Godfather, The Poseidon Adventure and Whats Up Doc?
• Price of a front end alignment: $11.95
  Emerson b&w TV 19 inch screen: $98.00
• The World Population was ~ 3,791,000,000
• Pong, the first wide-release video game, was released.
• Chrysler introduced Electronic Ignition for cars in 1972.
• Tennis balls were traditionally white (sometimes black). They were changed to yellow in 1972 after research showed they were more visible on television.
• World Series Champions: Oakland Athletics
• Superbowl VI Champions: Dallas Cowboys
• National Basketball Association Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
• NHL Stanley Cup Champions: Boston Bruins
• US Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus
• US Open Tennis (Men Ladies): Stan Smith/Billie Jean King
• Wimbledon (Men/Women): Ilie Nastase/Billie Jean King

1971:

• Politics: The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the government from denying the right of United States citizens, eighteen years of age or older, to vote on account of age.
• The Top Song was Joy To The World by Three Dog Night
• The Big Movies included Billy Jack, Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Picture Show
• Price of a postage stamp in 1971: 8 cents
  Chiquita Bananas, 1 pound in 1972: 12 cents
• The World Population was ~ 3,724,000,000
• "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down" - the Weeble Toys were released.
• 1971's The French Connection famous car chase was filmed without obtaining the proper permits from the city.
• Cost of a Superbowl ad in 1971: $72,000
• The World Series Champions: Pittsburgh Pirates
• Superbowl V Champions: Baltimore Colts
• National Basketball Association Champions: Milwaukee Bucks
• NHL Stanley Cup Champions: Montreal Canadiens
• US Open Golf: Jack Nicklaus
• US Open Tennis (Men Ladies): Stan Smith/Billie Jean King
• Wimbledon (Men/Women): John Newcombe/Evonne Goolagong
• NCAA Football Champions: Nebraska
• NCAA Basketball Champions: UCLA
• First Starbucks opened at the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.

1970:

• Television Highlight: While she was the highest paid woman on television, with 42% of the viewing audience, Debbie Reynolds quit her show because NBC was running cigarette commercials during its airtime.
• The Top Song was Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkle
• The Big Movies included Love Story, Airport and M*A*S*H
• Price of loaf of bread in 1970: 25 cents
  Ford Pinto automobile: $1,919.00
  Ford Galaxie 500: $3,176.00
• The World Population was ~ 3,657,000,000
• US Life Expectancy: Males: 67.1 years, Females: 74.7 years
• Southwest Airlines began flying on June 18, 1971.
• Samsung originally sold noodles! It wasn't until 1970 that they started selling electronics.
• George Harrison subconsciously plagiarized a 1963 song called He's So Fine while writing his My Sweet Lord.
• In the 1970 Mr. Olympia final, the judges could not decide between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Olivia so the two of them, exhausted, agreed to walk off. Sergio left, but Arnold, after taking one step, turned back to the judges, mocked Sergio for leaving, and started posing again and won
• World Series Champions: Baltimore Orioles
• Superbowl IV Champions: Kansas City Chiefs
• National Basketball Association Champions: New York Knicks
• NHL Stanley Cup Champions: Boston Bruins
• US Open Golf: Tony Jacklin
• US Open Tennis (Men Ladies): Ken Rosewall/Margaret Smith Court
• Wimbledon (Men/Women): John Newcombe/Margaret Court
• FIFA World Cup Soccer: Brazil
• NCAA Football Champions: Nebraska & Ohio State & Texas
• NCAA Basketball Champions: UCLA