Simply enter your birth year to find out what major milestones and fun events happened that year:

1940

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected to a third term as president of the U.S.
• Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of England
• The "bebop" style of modern jazz is developed by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk
• The first McDonald's restaurant opens in San Bernardino, California
• Cincinnati Reds win the World Series
• Chicago Bears win the NFL championship
• New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup
• Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the animated cartoon A Wild Hare

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1941

• Orson Welles' cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane is released
• Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese - 19 ships are damaged or sunk; 2300 killed
• The United States officially declares war on Japan
• New York Yankees win the World Series
• Chicago Bears win the NFL championship
• Boston Bruins win the Stanley cup

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1942

• The Battle of the Midway begins, marking the first major defeat for the Japanese
• Pan American Airlines becomes the first commercial airline to have a flight go around the world
• St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series
• Washington Redskins win the NFL championships
• Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup
• Casablanca premieres at the Hollywood Theater in New York City

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1943

• Detroit erupts in race riots which cause 34 deaths, 7000 injured
• U.S. military begins invasion of Italy
• Marines begin advancement on Gilbert Island
• New York Yankees win the World Series
• Chicago Bears win the NFL championship
• Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup

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1944

• Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term
• D-Day, the Normandy invasion of Europe by the U.S. and the Allies begins
• President Roosevelt signs the GI Bill giving education and housing benefits to veterans
• A tip leads the Gestapo to a sealed-off area in an Amsterdam warehouse where they find Jewish diarist Anne Frank and her family
• St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series
• Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Pippi Longstocking is published in Sweden

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1945

• Harry Truman becomes president of the U.S.
• The Holocaust is revealed to the world when British troops liberate the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
• Germany surrenders, ending the war in Europe
• U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Japan surrenders, ending WWII
• Detroit Tigers win the World Series
• Cleveland Rams win the NFL championship
• Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup
• Animal Farm by George Orwell is published

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1946

• UN General Assembly meets for the first time; John D. Rockefeller donates money for a UN headquarters in New York
• U.S. industry idled by widespread labor strikes; federal government takes control of railroads
• Xerographic photocopying process invented
• World Series: St. Louis over Boston, 4-3
• Movies: The Best Years of Our Lives, Notorious, Great Expectations
• Songs: Tenderly, Come Rain or Come Shine, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
• TV Shows: Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, Esso Newsreel (programming limited to approximately 12 hours per week on two networks)
• Books: Hiroshima, John Hersey; Baby and Child Care, Dr. Benjamin Spock; All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren
• Shortest recorded boxing match ever; Couture defeats Walton in 10.5 seconds with one punch

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1947

• President Truman formulates "Truman Doctrine" of providing aid to countries whose governments are threatened with overthrow
• Americans are able to purchase the first new cars manufactured since the beginning of World War II
• First airplane to break the speed of sound
• World Series:New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-3 (first televised World Series)
• Movies: Gentleman's Agreement
• TV Shows: Kraft Television Theatre, Small Fry Club (programming limited to approximately 18 hours per week)
• Books: Doktur Faustus, Thomas Mann; The Diary of Anne Frank; I, the Jury, Mickey Spillane
• Drive-in theatres become a booming industry

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1948

• President Harry S Truman re-elected in upset over Thomas E. Dewey
• U.S. continues to cope with severe postwar inflation while rocked by labor unrest
• "Big bang" theory of the universe's origin postulated
• World Series: Cleveland over Boston, 4-2
• Movies: Hamlet, Macbeth (Orson Welles), The Naked City, Oliver Twist, The Fallen Idol
• Songs: Nature Boy, Buttons and Bows, All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
• TV Shows: Howdy Doody, Philco TV Playhouse, Toast of the Town, Kraft Television Theatre, Meet the Press
• Books: The Big Fisherman, Lloyd C. Douglas; Crusade in Europe, Dwight D. Eisenhower; Cry, the Beloved Country, Alan Paton; The Ides of March, Thornton Wilder; Tales of the South Pacific, James Michener; The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer
• Long-playing (33-1/3 RPM) record invented
• Noted food critic Duncan Hines founds a company to make prepackaged cake mixes
• "Scrabble" introduced

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1949

• U.S. Air Force's Lucky Lady completes first non-stop around-the-world flight
• World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-1
• Movies: The Third Man, All the King's Men
• Songs: So In Love, Riders in the Sky, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Some Enchanted Evening
• TV Shows: Texaco Star Theatre, Candid Camera, Colgate Theatre, Kukla Fran & Ollie
• Books: The Man with the Golden Arm, Nelson Algren; The Jacaranda Tree, H.E. Bates; Guard of Honor, James Gould Cozzens; Love in a Cold Climate, Nancy Mitford; 1984, George Orwell; This I Remember, Eleanor Roosevelt
• South Pacific opens on Broadway
• Americans buy 100,000 television sets a week
• "Silly Putty" introduced

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1950

• Congress passes laws that restrict communists and communist parties in the U.S.
• Antihistamines become popular as cold relief medications
• World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia, 4-0
• Movies: Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve
• Songs: A Bushel and a Peck, Good Night Irene, Mona Lisa, C'est Si Bon
• TV Shows: Arthur Godfrey and Friends, Lux Video Theatre, Fred Waring Show, Your Show of Shows, Your Hit Parade, Fireside Theatre
• Books: The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury; Across the River and Into the Trees, Ernest Hemingway; Darkness at Noon, Sidney Kingsley; The Way West, A.B. Guthrie, Jr.
• TV hero Hopalong Cassidy peaks in popularity
• 14 million television sets sold in U.S., increasing the number in service by ten-fold

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1951

• Congress passes 22nd Amendment, limiting a President to two terms
• Electricity generated from nuclear power for the first time
• World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants, 4-2
• Movies: The African Queen, An American in Paris, Strangers on a Train, A Streetcar Named Desire
• Songs: Hello Young Lovers, Getting to Know You, Cry, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening
• TV Shows: I Love Lucy, Adventures of Ellery Queen, Captain Video, What's My Line
• Books: A Man Called Peter, Catherine Marshall; Lie Down in Darkness, William Styron; Desirée, Annemarie Selinko; From Here to Eternity, James Jones; The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk; The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
• Color television introduced; first color broadcast transmitted from CBS in New York

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1952

• Dwight Eisenhower elected President over Adlai Stevenson by wide margin; Republicans gain control of White House and both houses of Congress
• U.S. detonates world's first hydrogen bomb
• Dr. Jonas Salk develops polio vaccine
• World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-3
• Movies: Limelight, High Noon, The Greatest Show on Earth
• Songs: It Takes Two to Tango, Your Cheatin' Heart, Wheel of Fortune
• TV Shows: Our Miss Brooks, Jackie Gleason Show, I Love Lucy, Dina Shore, Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
• Books: The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway; East of Eden, John Steinbeck; The Grass Harp, Truman Capote; The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale
• 1952 presidential campaigns are the first to be broadcast on television
• Microwave ovens made available for domestic use; first models are the size of refrigerators and cost over $1,200

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1953

• U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now Health and Human Services) created
• U.S. Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager sets speed record in X-1 rocket plane
• James Watson and Francis Crick determine the structure of DNA
• World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-2 (fifth consecutive win)
• Movies: Roman Holiday, From Here to Eternity, The Robe (first major motion picture filmed in wide-screen CinemaScope)
• Songs: Doggie in the Window, I Believe, Stranger in Paradise, I Love Paris
• TV Shows: Twenty Questions, Red Skelton Show, GE Theatre, Make Room for Daddy
• Books: Casino Royale, Ian Fleming; Battle Cry, Leon Uris
• TV Guide debuts; on the cover of the first issue are Lucille Ball and her newborn son, Desi Arnaz IV

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1954

• Supreme Court rules that race-based segregation in schools is unconstitutional
• New York Stock Exchange prices reach their highest level since 1929
• Increasing global concern about nuclear fallout and radioactive waste disposal
• First successful kidney transplant
• World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland, 4-0
• Movies: On the Waterfront, Rear Window, Seven Samurai
• Songs: Hernando's Hideaway, Three Coins in a Fountain, Mister Sandman, Young at Heart
• TV Shows: Jack Benny Show, Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, George Gobel Show, Mr. Wizard, Disneyland
• Books: A Stillness at Appomattox, Bruce Catton; The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien; Lord of the Flies, William Golding
• Davy Crockett becomes a national fad; sales of "coonskin" caps soar
• Sales of comic books reach 20 million copies a month

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1955

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads the first major event of the U.S. civil rights movement, a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama
• The AFL and CIO labor unions merge
• Artificial diamonds created for the first time
• World Series: Brooklyn over New York Yankees, 4-3
• "Sugar" Ray Robinson wins world boxing championship
• Movies: Marty, The Seven Year Itch, The Rose Tattoo, Smiles of a Summer Night
• Songs: Rock Around the Clock, The Yellow Rose of Texas, Davy Crockett, Love is a Many Splendored Thing
• TV Shows: Truth or Consequences, Lawrence Welk Show, The Honeymooners, Gunsmoke, Name that Tune, $64,000 Question, Lassie, You'll Never Get Rich
• Books: The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Sloan Wilson; Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov; Witness for the Prosecution, Agatha Christie
• Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California

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1956

• Dwight Eisenhower re-elected President, defeating Adlai Stevenson handily for a second time
• Congress approves Highway Act, which allows for construction of the U.S. interstate highway system
• First transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation
• World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn, 4-3
• Movies: The Ten Commandments, Lust for Life, Around the World in 80 Days, The Man with the Golden Arm, The Seventh Seal
• Songs: Don't Be Cruel, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, I Could Have Danced All Night, On the Street Where You Live
• TV Shows: Danny Thomas Show, Perry Como Show, Ed Sullivan Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, December Bride, This is Your Life
• Books: Peyton Place, Grace Metalious; Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy; The Last Hurrah, Edwin O'Connor; The Organization Man, W.H. Whyte
• Rock and roll becomes a national phenomenon, fueled by the popularity of Elvis Presley

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1957

• Soviet Union inaugurates the "Space Age" by launching Sputnik I, the world's first artificial satellite. A month later Sputnik II carries a dog into orbit, making that dog the first living being to enter space.
• World Series: Milwaukee over New York Yankees, 4-3
• Movies: The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Prince and the Showgirl, Twelve Angry Men, Love in the Afternoon
• Songs: Young Love, Tonight, Wake Up Little Susie, That'll Be the Day, Jailhouse Rock
• TV Shows: Phil Silvers Show, Father Knows Best, Price is Right, American Bandstand, Twenty-One, Leave it to Beaver, Nat "King" Cole Show
• Books: On the Road, Jack Kerouac; Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand; The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss
• 71 cities have populations of one million or more in 1957; 40 years earlier such cities numbered only 16

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1958

• U.S. launches its first satellite, Explorer I; NASA established
• Experimental nuclear power plant goes into operation
• World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee, 4-3
• Arnold Palmer wins his first Masters golf tournament
• Movies: Gigi, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Me and the Colonel
• Songs: Catch a Falling Star, Chipmunk Song, Volare, The Purple People Eater, At the Hop
• TV Shows: You Asked for It, Wagon Train, To Tell the Truth, The Rifleman, Donna Reed Show, Have Gun Will Travel
• Books: A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry; Exodus, Leon Uris; Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak; Masters of Deceit, J. Edgar Hoover; Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote; The Affluent Society, John K. Gailbraith
• New York's Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opens
• "Barbie" doll introduced, becoming an instant success
• "Hula Hoops" become a national craze

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1959

• Alaska and Hawaii become U.S. states
• Soviet space probe Lunik III photographs far side of the moon
• World Series: Los Angeles over Chicago, 4-2
• Jack Nicklaus wins USGA Amateur golf championship
• Movies: Suddenly Last Summer, Ben Hur, Anatomy of a Murder, Hiroshima Mon Amour
• Songs: Mack the Knife, High Hopes, Personality, Kansas City, Battle of New Orleans
• TV Shows: Maverick, Rawhide, Fibber McGee and Molly, Peter Gunn, Real McCoys, Dennis the Menace
• Books: Goodbye, Columbus, Philip Roth; Goldfinger, Ian Fleming; The Miracle Worker, William Gibson; The Status Seekers, Vance Packard; The Tin Drum, Günter Grass; Advise and Consent, Allen Drury
• Studies determine that more Americans have died in auto accidents than in all U.S. wars combined
• Toy manufacturer Wham-O introduces the "Frisbee"

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1960

• John F. Kennedy elected President in narrow contest over Richard Nixon
• U.S. launches: Tiros I, first weather satellite; Echo I, first communications satellite (experimental); Transit I-B, first navigational satellite; Corona, first spy satellite
• Soviet Sputnik 5 launches two dogs into orbit and returns them safely to earth
• World Series: Pittsburgh over New York Yankees, 4-3
• Movies: Psycho, The Entertainer, The Apartment
• Songs: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Let's Do the Twist, Never on Sunday, Teen Angel, Stay, Are You Lonesome Tonight
• TV Shows: Perry Mason, Bonanza, My Three Sons, The Untouchables, Andy Griffith Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Walt Disney Presents
• Books: The Affair, C.P. Snow; The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Allan Sillitoe; To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee; Rabbit, Run, John Updike; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer
• The number of television sets in the U.S. reaches 85 million, nearly one set for every two Americans
• First "Teflon" non-sticking cookware goes on sale at Macy's in New York

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1961

• President Kennedy establishes Peace Corps
• Commander Alan Shephard Jr. becomes first American in space in a suborbital flight aboard Mercury 3; Virgil Grissom follows in similar fashion two months later
• First lasers developed
• World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati, 4-1
• Movies: West Side Story, The Hustler, Judgment at Nuremburg
• Songs: Moon River, Where the Boys Are, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Blue Moon, The Lion Sleeps Tonight
• TV Shows: Bullwinkle, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Hazel, Dick Van Dyke Show, Top Cat
• Books: Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein; Catch-22, Joseph Heller; The Carpetbaggers, Harold Robbins; The Making of the President: 1960, Theodore White; The Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone; The Winter of Our Discontent, John Steinbeck
• Electric toothbrushes introduced
• "Frito" corn chips appear
• "Barbie" gets a boyfriend when the "Ken" doll is introduced

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1962

• Soviet missile bases detected in Cuba; President Kennedy demands their removal
• Industrial robots introduced to perform repetitive manufacturing tasks
• Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. becomes first American to achieve earth orbit; his Mercury 6 mission is followed by two other Mercury flights
• Telstar becomes the first communications satellite intended for regular service; relays television signals between North America and Europe
• World Series: New York Yankees over San Francisco, 4-3
• Songs: Blowin' in the Wind, Go Away Little Girl, Days of Wine and Roses, The Loco-Motion, Sherry, Monster Mash, Big Girls Don't Cry
• TV Shows: I've Got a Secret, Beverly Hillbillies, Route 66, The Flinstones, Price is Right, Ben Casey
• Books: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Edward Albee; Letting Go, Philip Roth; Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck; One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey; The Thin Red Line, James Jones; Happiness is a Warm Puppy, Charles Schultz
• Marilyn Monroe dies, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills
• Phil Knight develops the first Nike running shoe

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1963

• President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas, Texas; Vice President Lyndon Johnson becomes President.
• 200,000 people march on Washington in support of civil rights; Dr. Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech
• Dr. Michael DeBakey pioneers use of artificial heart for use during heart surgery
• First successful liver transplant
• World Series: Los Angeles over New York Yankees, 4-0
• Jack Nicklaus wins his first Masters golf tournament; with over $125,000 in winnings, Arnold Palmer becomes golf's all-time top money winner
• Movies: Dr. Strangelove, The Birds, Tom Jones
• Songs: Go Away Little Girl, He's So Fine, It's My Party, Blue Velvet, My Boyfriend's Back, Call Me Irresponsible
• TV Shows: My Favorite Martian, 77 Sunset Strip, McHale's Navy, The Fugitive, Petticoat Junction
• Books: In the Clearing, Robert Frost; The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John Le Carré; The American Way of Death, Jessica Mitford
• Audio cassettes introduced

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1964

• After completing what would have been the final year of John F. Kennedy's first term, President Johnson re-elected in a landslide over Barry Goldwater
• The average hourly wage for blue collar workers has increased from between 50 and 75 percent since 1949
• Space probe Mariner IV flies by Mars, transmitting pictures of the planet's surface back to earth
• First lung transplant
• World Series: St. Louis over New York Yankees, 4-3
• Cassius Clay (the future Muhammad Ali) defeats Sonny Liston to win heavyweight boxing title
• Movies: Lord of the Flies, A Hard Day's Night, My Fair Lady, Goldfinger, Zorba the Greek, Mary Poppins
• Songs: I Want to Hold Your Hand, Hello Dolly!, She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Oh Pretty Woman, Baby Love, My Guy
• TV Shows: The Munsters, The Virginian, Daniel Boone, Outer Limits, Gilligan's Island, Man From UNCLE, Flipper, Dr. Kildare, Voyage the the Bottom of the Sea
• Books: A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway (posthumous publication); Herzog, Saul Bellow; In His Own Write, John Lennon
• "Beatlemania" spreads as the Beatles become a global phenomenon

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1965

• Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara calls for a nationwide network of bomb shelters
• Former leader of the Black Muslims, Malcolm X, is shot and killed in New York City
• The first commercial satellite, Early Bird, is launched into space by NASA to transmit telephone and television signals
• Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series
• Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews, is the top grossing film
• "Satisfaction" by Rolling Stones is a top hit
• Sony introduces the Betamax, a home video tape recorder
• Nearly all of NBC's programs are now broadcast in color
• I Dream of Jeannie premieres

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1966

• As part of nationwide protest against the Vietnam War, demonstrations are staged all over the U.S.
• U.S. planes begin bombing of the Hanoi area of North Vietnam
• Baltimore Orioles win the World Series
• Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the top grossing film
• Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys and Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel are released
• Star Trek and The Newlywed Game premiere

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1967

• The first home microwave is released by Amana
• St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series
• Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl I
• Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup
• Disney's The Jungle Book and The Graduate are the top grossing films
• Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is released
• The first issue of Rolling Stone magazine is published

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1968

• Martin Luther King is assassinated in Memphis, TN
• Senator Robert F. Kennedy is shot in California after celebrating presidential primary victories
• Detroit Tigers win the World Series
• Green Bay Packers win Superbowl II
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes are the top grossing movies
• The rock musical Hair opens on Broadway
• The Beatles' White Album and Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends are released
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In debuts on NBC

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1969

• Richard Nixon becomes president of the U.S.
• U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to set foot on the moon while commanding the Apollo 11 mission
• Breathtaking pictures of Mars are transmitted to earth from NASA's Mariner 7 as it passes within 2,200 miles of the Red Planet
• Woodstock music festival begins in upstate NY
• 250,000 Vietnam War protestors gather in Washington for the largest anti-war rally in U.S. history
• The first draft lottery since WWII is held in New York City
• The Beatles' perform in public for the last time, on the roof of Apple Records
• The Stonewall riots mark the start of the modern gay rights movement in the U.S.
• New York Mets win the World Series
• New York Jets win Superbowl III
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Sesame Street premieres

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1970

• The lunar spacecraft Apollo 13 splashes down in the Pacific after near catastrophe
• The first Earth Day is marked by millions of Americans participating in anti-pollution demonstrations
• 18-year-olds are given the right to vote in federal elections
• Baltimore Orioles win the World Series
• Kansas City Chiefs win Superbowl IV
• Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup
• "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last Number 1 song

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1971

• A new stock-market index called the NASDAQ debuts
• Walt Disney World opens
• Ray Tomlinson sends the first e-mail
• Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series
• Baltimore Colts win Superbowl V
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premeires on television
• "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel wins Grammy for song of the year
• All in the Family premieres

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1972

• President Nixon approves NASA's space shuttle, a reusable spacecraft, at a cost of $5.5 billion
• Five men are arrested in the Watergate office complex in DC for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee
• First scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) is introduced for $395
• Oakland Athletics win the World Series
• Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl VI
• Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup
• The Godfather is the top grossing film
• "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King wins a Grammy for song of the year
• The Price is Right premieres on CBS

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1973

• Supreme Court rules in Roe vs. Wade that states may not prevent a woman from having an abortion during the first trimester
• U.S. announces the end of the military draft
• Gerald R. Ford becomes the first appointed vice president under the 25th Amendment
• President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam
• Oakland Athletics win the World Series
• Miami Dolphins win Superbowl VII
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• The Exorcist and American Graffiti are top grossing films
• Elvis Presley's Aloha From Hawaii television special is seen around the world by more than 1 billion viewers
• "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack wins a Grammy for song of the year
• Schoolhouse Rock premieres

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1974

• Gerald Ford becomes president of the US
• Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run to beat Babe Ruth's record
• President Nixon resigns
• Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the eighth round to regain the heavyweight crown in Zaire
• Dungeons & Dragons officially released
• People magazine is published for the first time
• Oakland Athletics win the World Series
• Miami Dolphins win Superbowl VIII
• Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup
• Blazing Saddles is the top grossing film
• "Killing Me Softly With His Song" wins Grammy for song of the year

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1975

• Teamster Jimmy Hoffa disappears without a trace
• Cincinnati Reds win the World Series
• Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl IX
• Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup
• Production begins on Star Wars
• Jaws and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are the top grossing films
• Soul Train premieres on television in the United States
• "The Way We Were," performed by Barbara Streisand, wins the Grammy for best song
• Saturday Night Live and Wheel of Fortune premiere

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1976

• The U.S. celebrates its bicentennial, marking the 200th anniversary of its independence
• The Viking II sets down on Mars' Utopia Plains
• Jimmy Carter is elected president of the United States
• Cincinnati Reds win the World Series
• Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl X
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Rocky is the top grossing film
• Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars
• The Eagles Their Greatest Hits compilation becomes the first album in history to be certified platinum
• "Tonight's The Night" by Rod Stewart spends the most time at the top of the U.S. chart
• Charlie's Angels and The Muppet Show premiere

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1977

• Jimmy Carter becomes president of the U.S.
• Most of the 10,000 Vietnam War draft evaders are pardoned by President Carter
• Elvis Presley dies in his Graceland bathroom
• Congress creates a Department of Energy
• New York Yankees win the World Series
• Oakland Raiders win Superbowl XI
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Swedish music group ABBA passes The Beatles as having most records sold
• Star Wars is the top grossing film
• The Shining by Stephen King is published
• "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• Three's Company premieres

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1978

• The first computer bulletin board system is created
• Garfield debuts in newspapers
• New York Yankees win the World Series
• Dallas Cowboys win Superbowl XII
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Saturday Night Fever and Grease are the top grossing films
• "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• Diff'rent Strokes and Mork & Mindy premiere

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1979

• ESPN starts broadcasting
• Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series
• Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XIII
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Kramer vs. Kramer is the top grossing film
• "My Sharona" by The Knack spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• The Facts of Life premiers

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1980

• Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts in a violent blast estimated to be 500 times as powerful as the Hiroshima atomic bomb
• Ronald Reagan is elected the 40th U.S. president in a sweeping victory
• Hewlett-Packard announces release of its first personal computer
• Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series
• Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XIV
• New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup
• The Empire Strikes Back is the top grossing film
• "Lady" by Kenny Rogers spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts

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1981

• Ronald Reagan becomes president of the U.S.
• Space shuttle Columbia, the world's first reusable spacecraft, is sent into space
• President Reagan appoints Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first woman on the Supreme Court
• The Pac-Man video game is introduced in the U.S.
• Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series
• Oakland Raiders win Superbowl XV
• New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup
• Raiders of the Lost Ark is the top grossing film
• "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• MTV debuts on cable television, playing music videos 24 hours a day
• Gimme a Break premieres

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1982

• Ronald Reagan is president of the U.S.
• The space shuttle Columbia completes its first operational flight
• Actor John Belushi is found dead of a drug overdose in a West Hollywood hotel
• The first artificial heart is implanted in American Barney Clark
• The Cable News Network, or CNN, is launched
• 750,000 people rally against nuclear weapons in New York City's Central Park
• Time Magazine's Man of the Year was for the first time given to a non-human, a computer
• St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series
• San Francisco 49ers win Superbowl XVI
• New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is the top grossing film
• "I Love Rock 'N Roll" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• Cheers, Family Ties, Silver Spoons, and Fame premiere

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1983

• Sally Ride becomes the first American woman to travel in space
• Baltimore Orioles win the World Series
• Washington Redskins win Superbowl XVII
• New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup
• Return of the Jedi is the top grossing film
• "Every Breath You Take" by The Police spends the most time at the top of U.S. charts
• The A-Team and Webster premiere

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1984

• On a Challenger mission, two astronauts become the first humans to fly free of a spacecraft
• The Apple Macintosh is introduced by Apple
• Detroit Tigers win the World Series
• Los Angeles Raiders win Superbowl XVIII
• Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
• Ghost Busters, Beverly Hills Cop, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Gremlins, and The Karate Kid are top grossing films
• "When Doves Cry" by Prince and the Revolution spends the most time at the top of U.S. charts
• The Cosby Show, Punky Brewster, and Who's the Boss? premiere

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1985

• Live Aid, a 17 hour rock concert broadcasts worldwide from London and Philadelphia, raising $70 million for starving Africans
• New Coke is released on the 99th anniversary of Coca-Cola
• Kansas City Royals win the World series
• San Francisco 49ers win Superbowl XIX
• Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
• Back to the Future is the top grossing film
• "Careless Whisper" by Wham! spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• The Golden Girls and Growing Pains premiere

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1986

• The U.S. officially observes Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday for the first time
• The space shuttle Challenger explodes moments after lift off, killing 6 astronauts and a teacher
• Japanese video game maker Nintendo introduces its games to America
• IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer
• New York Mets win the World Series
• Chicago Bears win Superbowl XX
• Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup
• Top Gun is the top grossing film
• "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• ALF, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Pee-wee's Playhouse premiere

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1987

• Wall Street crashes sending the Dow Jones Industrial average down 22.6%
• Minnesota Twins win the World Series
• New York Giants win Superbowl XXI
• Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
• Three Men and a Baby is the top grossing film
• "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• Full House, Married with Children, and Star Trek: The Next Generation premiere

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1988

• The Netherlands becomes the second country to get connected to the Internet
• Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series
• Washington Redskins win Superbowl XXII
• Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
• Rain Man is the top grossing film
• "Faith" by George Michael spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts

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1989

• George H.W. Bush becomes president of the U.S.
• The largest oil spill in U.S. history occurs after the Exxon Valdez strikes Blight Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound
• The Berlin Wall comes down, symbolically ending the Cold War
• Nintendo released its popular handheld video game player, Game Boy
• Oakland Athletics win the World Series
• San Francisco 49ers win Superbowl XXIII
• Calgary Flames win the Stanley Cup
• Batman is the top grossing film
• "Look Away" by Chicago spends the most time at the top of the US charts
• The Arsenio Hall Show and The Simpsons premiere

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1990

• George H.W. Bush is president of the US
• Operation Desert Shield forces leave for Saudi Arabia to defend them following the invasion of Kuwait
• Congress passes Americans with Disabilities Act
• The Space Shuttle Discovery places the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit
• Cincinnati Reds win the World Series
• San Francisco 49ers win Superbowl XXIV
• Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
• Home Alone is the top grossing film
• "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey spends the most time at the top of the U.S. charts
• Chris Farley and Adam Sandler join Saturday Night Live

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Want to Know More?
Check out these sites for more fun facts about your birth date and birth year!

Blogthings' "What Happened the Year You Were Born?" Quiz

• Type in your birth year, get a list of events and fun facts about your birth year

What Happened the Year You Were Born – from The Boomer Initiative™:

• Gives major events from 1946-1964
• Offers business & economy, science & technology, and arts & entertainment insights
• Also offers fun facts

Any Day Today in History from Scope Systems:

• Type in date, gives you events that occurred on this date, by year
• Also shows famous people who were born and died on this date
• Shows holidays and religious observances for this date

What Happened Today in History? From Uncle Woody's Almanac:

• Type in date, gives you events that occurred on this date, by year
• Also gives famous people born on this date throughout history
  

Daily Miscellany:

• Click on date for bizarre events/holidays on that date
• Also includes people born on this day and events in history on this day
  

Happenings for all years indicated above are public knowledge and collected from numerous sources, including the above listed Web sites. Please note that Appleton and its merchant partners are not affiliated with any of the Web sites listed above and do not endorse the accuracy of their content. The above listed Web sites and all these sites' associated brands, products, trademarks and affiliates have not sponsored and are in no way affiliated with Appleton or its merchant partners.