Memory Lane: 1973

Inflation has a significant impact on people’s lives around the world with the US inflation rate running at 6.16%. This causes problems in every aspect of people’s lives from the price of gas, food and bills, which in turn causes higher wages and the spiral continues, much of this is caused by the Arab members of the (OPEC) restricting the flow of oil to countries supporting Israel as part of the Yom Kippur War.

In the US two important cases dominate the news with Roe v. Wade making abortion a US constitutional right on the 22nd January and the start of the Watergate hearings in the US Senate.

Due to price increase of gas the Japanese car manufacturers with smaller engines and more efficient have an impact of the US car industry.

In The News

Skylab is launched

Secretariat wins the Triple Crown on June 9th

Three-Day Week put in place in the UK

Sydney Opera House is opened

Yom Kippur War and Oil Embargo

Watergate hearings begin

Supreme Court rules on Roe v. Wade


Population/Economy

Population:

  • Wake County : 254,386
  • NC: 5,390,000
  • USA: 211,900,000

National Debt:

  • $458,141,605,312 (1973)
  • $18,152,809,942,589 (2015)

Value of a Dollar: $1 in 1973 is $5.52 in 2015

Cost Of Living 1973:

  • Yearly inflation rate: 6.16%
  • Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average: 850
  • Average cost of new house: $32,500
  • Average income per year: $12,900
  • Average monthly rent: $175
  • Cost of a gallon of gas: $0.40
  • AMC Javelin car: $2,900
  • A dozen eggs: $0.45
  • Ford Galaxy 500: $3,883
  • Pork Roast Lb: $0.59
  • Morton’s TV Dinner: $0.36
  • Dozen medium eggs: $0.25
  • Component-type 8-track stereo tape player: $44.50
  • Crock pot cooker: $17.79
  • Men’s paisley slacks: $23.49
  • Ticket to Disneyland: Admission and 12 adventure tickets $5.75
  • Hamburger at McDonalds: $0.33

Ounce of Gold Price:

  • The cost of an ounce of gold was $97.32
  • The inflation-adjusted price of an ounce of gold was $526.05


Going to the Movies

Cost of a movie ticket: $1.77

Inflation-adjusted price of a movie ticket: $9.57

The cost of a movie ticket in 2015: $7.92

Top 5 Movies:

  1. The Sting
  2. The Exorcist 
  3. American Graffiti
  4. Papillon
  5. The Way We Were

 

45th Academy Awards

  • Best Picture: The Sting
  • Best Director: George Ry Hill – The Sting
  • Best Actor: Jack Lemmon – Save The Tiger
  • Best Actress: Glenda Jackson – A Touch Of Class
  • Best Supporting Actor: John Houseman – The Paper Chase
  • Best Supporting Actress: Tatum O’Neal – Paper Moon


Top 10 TV Shows

  1. All in the Family – CBS – 20,654,400
  2. The Waltons – CBS – 18,602,200
  3. Sanford and Son – NBC – 18,205,000
  4. M*A*S*H – CBS – 17,013,400
  5. Hawaii Five-O – CBS – 15,888,000
  6.  Maude – CBS – 15,557,000
  7. Kojak – CBS – 15,424,600
  8. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour – CBS – 15,424,600
  9. The Mary Tyler Moore Show – CBS – 15,292,200
  10. Cannon – CBS – 15,292,200

Top 20 Pop Songs

  1. Tony Orlando and Dawn – Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree
  2. Jim Croce – Bad Bad Leroy Brown
  3. Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly With His Song
  4. Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
  5. Paul McCartney and Wings – My Love
  6. Kris Kristofferson – Why Me
  7. Elton John – Crocodile Rock
  8. Billy Preston – Will It Go Round In Circles
  9. Carly Simon – You’re So Vain
  10. Diana Ross – Touch Me In The Morning
  11. Vicki Lawrence – The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
  12. Clint Holmes – Playground In My Mind
  13. Stories – Brother Louie
  14. Helen Reddy – Delta Dawn
  15. Billy Paul – Me And Mrs. Jones
  16. Edgar Winter Group – Frankenstein
  17. Dobie Gray – Drift Away
  18. Sweet – Little Willy
  19. Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
  20. Cher – Half Breed


Top 20 Country Songs

  1. Soul Song
  2. Watermelon Wine – Tom T. Hall
  3. She Needs Someone To Hold Her – Conway Twitty
  4. I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me – Merle Haggard
  5. Rated “X” – Loretta Lynn
  6. The Lord Knows I’m Drinking – Cal Smith
  7. ‘Til I Get It Right – Tammy Wynette
  8. Teddy Bear Song – Barbara Fairchild
  9. Keep Me In Mind – Lynn Anderson
  10. Super Kind Of Woman – Freddie Hart
  11. A Shoulder To Cry On – Charley Pride
  12. Superman – Donna Fargo
  13. Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Pride
  14. Come Live With Me – Roy Clark
  15. What’s Your Mama’s Name – Tanya Tucker
  16. Satin Sheets – Jeanne Pruett
  17. You Always Come Back – Johnny Rodriguez
  18. Kids Say The Darndest Things – Tammy Wynette
  19. Don’t Fight The Feelings Of Love – Charlie Pride
  20. Why Me – Kris Kristofferson


This Year in Sports

ACC Football Champ: NC State

ACC Basketball Champ: NC State (NC State  76 – Maryland 74)

World Series Winner: Oakland A’s over the NY Mets 

Heavyweight Boxing Champ: George Foreman (Universal)

Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins (Miami Dolphins-14 Washington Redskins 7)

NASCAR Season Winner: Benny Parsons

Masters Winner: Tommy Aaron- 283 (-5 – won $30,000)

Wimbledon Winners:

  • Men’s Singles: Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš defeated Soviet Union Alex Metreveli, 6–1, 9–8(7–5), 6–3
  • Women’s Singles: United States Billie Jean King defeated United States Chris Evert, 6–0, 7–5
  • Men’s Doubles: United States Jimmy Connors / Romania Ilie Năstase defeated Australia John Cooper / Australia Neale Fraser, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 8–9(3–7), 6–1
  • Women’s Doubles: United States Rosemary Casals / United States Billie Jean King defeated France Françoise Dürr / Netherlands Betty Stöve, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
  • Mixed Doubles: United States Billie Jean King / Australia Owen Davidson defeated United States Janet Newberry / Mexico Raúl Ramírez, 6–3, 6–2