Made in 73

Welp, it's finally here.  

The year I turn ffff..., fiiiii..., fiffffff...

Ugh just I can't say it.  

So I'll say this instead: The year I turn 25x2.

I've actually got 8 more months to come to terms with this cold, hard fact. To embrace it, even!

(Hold my hair: BARF.)

Suffice it to say, I've got a long way to go.

My journey to jumpstart this golden jubilee starts with a look back.  An appreciation post, if you will. Turns out, some pretty cool stuff happened in 1973! 

So, let's disco down to the time machine and check 'em out...

Cost of Living:

• The year I was born, the average family income was $12,900 and the minimum wage was $1.60 per hour
• A new house cost around $32,500 and the average monthly rent was $175
• Average college tuition at a public four-year school was $358 and $1,561 at a private school
• A gallon of gas averaged 39 cents
• A first-class stamp cost 8 cents
• In the grocery store, eggs were 69 cents a dozen, Oreos were 59 cents per package, peanut butter was 99 cents per jar and two rolls of toilet paper cost 14 cents

In the News:

• The US population was 211,908,788
• Nixon started his second term and the Watergate scandal dominated the front pages
• The landmark Roe v. Wade case on abortion rights was decided
• Paris Peace Accords were signed, effectively ending the Vietnam War
• The twin towers of the World Trade Center opened in NYC, becoming the tallest buildings in the world
• Skylab launched to become the world’s first successful space station
• The Endangered Species Act was passed
• For the first time in U.S. history, women were allowed to serve on juries in all 50 states
• A 6-day hostage drama inside a Swedish bank began the psychological phenomenon known as "Stockholm Syndrome"

Top Entertainment:

• The Godfather won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and Marlon Brando declined the award for Best Actor 
• Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut and Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach were bestselling books
• The Exorcist, American Graffiti & Charlotte's Web all opened in movie theaters
• All in the Family, The Waltons, Sanford and Son, M*A*S*H, Hawaii Five-O, Maude, Kojak, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour and The Mary Tyler Moore Show were the most popular shows on TV
• The Young & The Restless premiered as a new daytime soap opera
• Schoolhouse Rock! was born during Saturday morning cartoons
• Bette Midler won a Grammy for Best New Artist and Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly with His Song  swept Best Pop Female Vocal, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year
• Crocodile Rock by Elton John, You're So Vain by Carly Simon, You Are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce and We're An American Band by Grand Funk Railroad topped the music charts
• Hip hop was born at a birthday party in the Bronx

Top Sports:

• George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees
• The Dolphins beat the Redskins in Super Bowl VII, and are still the only team in NFL history to achieve a perfect season
• The cost of a Super Bowl ad was $88,000
• The NY Knicks won the NBA championships
• The Oakland As won the World Series
• Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup
• Secretariat won the Triple Crown
• Jack Nicklaus won the PGA championship
• Billie Jean King & Bobby Riggs played tennis in the famous Battle of The Sexes (she won)

New Inventions:

• Garlic knots were were first baked in the ovens of Ozone Park, Queens
• Stove Top Stuffing first appeared on grocery store shelves
• Carl Sontheimer created the Cuisinart
• Betty Morris of Brookfield, Wisconsin whipped up Shrinky Dinks
• The first mobile phone call was made by Motorola in NYC
• Air bags were first used the Oldsmobile Tornado
• MRI technology was developed to surpass traditional Xrays for diagnosing medical issues
• Michaels first opened their doors to the delight of crafters everywhere
• Federal Express began operations in Memphis, Tennessee, on their first night 14 planes delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities

And the #1 baby's name was... Jennifer!

No surprise there, it was the most popular girl's name for 15 years running.  Seriously.

I'll be processing this new decade over my next few posts, so come along for the ride.  I'd love the company! But let's take it slow, nobody's got time to break a hip.