Do you recall where you were and what you were doing in 1970? Here’s a little glimpse into the past.
1970
The Concorde made its first supersonic flight from Toulouse, France at 3:30 pm with test pilot Andre Turcat at the helm. It lasted twenty-seven minutes and had the ability to fly at 1,350 mph. The program from inception to roll-out cost 1.3 billion English pounds.
The Concorde taking off.
US inflation was at 5.84%. Today (March) inflation is at 1.5% which was a drop since February inflation came in at 2.3%.
The DOW industrial average was at 838. Today the DOW is at 24,330.82.
The average annual income in America was $9,400.00. Today the average annual income is $63, 179.00 according to the US Census Bureau.
Gasoline was 36 cents per gallon. Today the price of gas according to AAA is approximately $1.737 to $1.642.
The Beatles disbanded on April 10th. What a sad day for the world. Their final album Let It Be was released later that year. As of 2019 the Beatles still had the top vinyl sales of any recording artist.
The Fab Four!
Apollo 13 was launched with astronauts John Swigert, James, Lovell, and Fred Haise aboard. They lost their oxygen tank to an explosion which precipitated more explosions and a lot of creative thinking hence “Houston we’ve had a problem”.
Apollo 13 Crew.
President Nixon invaded Cambodia in April of 1970 amongst much protestation. Mass shootings occur at Kent State University and Jackson State University as the anti-war sentiments rise. Shortly thereafter, President Nixon withdraws our troops from Cambodia.
President Nixon.
Cyclone Bhola hit Bangladesh and East Pakistan. It killed 500,000 and was a category 4 with winds between 131 and 155 mph.
The first Earth Day was celebrated, April 22nd. It ushered in an urgency and regularity about educational updates on environmental issues. Today 190 countries participate in Earth Day celebrations.
References:
https://home.bt.com/news/on-this-day/march-2-1969-concorde-makes-maiden-flight-11363964853797
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1970.html
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=f3cdea1974eb48d584e1ca8c76bc6a92
https://www.earthday.org/history/