Memory Lane: 1978

Space InvadersDue to the oil crisis,  Japanese car imports account for half of the US import market.

The first ever Cellular Mobile Phone is introduced in Illinois.

Space Invaders appears in arcades launching a craze for computer video games.

Sweden is the first country in the world to recognize the effect of aerosol sprays on the Ozone Layer and bans the sale.

The serial killer David Berkowitz, “Son of Sam,” is convicted of murder after terrorizing New York for 12 months.

1978 is also a great year for movies with Grease summer opening on June 16th , Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind all showing in movie theaters around the world.

In The News

Space Invaders launches craze for computer Video games

Gold reaches $200.00 per ounce

Roman Polanski flees to France

First test tube baby is born

Cult leader Jim Jones tells 900 members of his church, “People’s Temple”, to commit suicide in Guyana

Susan B. Anthony Dollar is minted


Population/Economy

Population:

  • Wake County: 286,556
  • NC: 5,759,000
  • USA: 222,600,000

National Debt:

  • $771,544,000,000 (1978)
  • $18,152,809,942,589 (2015)

Value of a Dollar: $1 in 1978 is $3.78 in 2015

Cost Of Living 1978:

  • Yearly inflation rate: 7.62%
  • Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average: 805
  • Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve: 11.75%
  • Average cost of new house: $54,800
  • Average income per year: $17,000
  • Average monthly rent: $260
  • Cost of a gallon of gas: $0.63
  • 1 lb. of bacon: $1.20
  • Dozen eggs: $0.48
  • 8 Track Player: $169
  • Ladies Corduroy Overalls: $22
  • Star Wars Family Pajamas: $6.49 – $11.99
  • Cheeseburger at McDonald’s: $0.32
  • Ticket to Disneyland: Admission and 12 Adventure Book tickets: $8.25-$9.50

Ounce of Gold Price:

  • The cost of an ounce of gold was $193.22
  • The inflation-adjusted price of an ounce of gold was $710.37


Going to the Movies

Cost of a movie ticket: $2.34

Inflation-adjusted price of a movie ticket: $8.60

The cost of a movie ticket in 2015: $7.92

Top 5 Movies:

  1. Grease 
  2. Superman
  3. National Lampoon’s Animal House 
  4. Every Which Way But Loose
  5. Heaven Can Wait 

 

50th Academy Awards

  • Best Picture: Annie Hall
  • Best Director: Woody Allen – Annie Hall
  • Best Actor: Richard Dreyfuss – The Goodbye Girl
  • Best Actress: Diane Keaton – Annie Hall
  • Best Supporting Actor: Jason Roberts – Julia
  • Best Supporting Actress: Vanessa Redgrave – Julia


Top 10 TV Shows

  1. Laverne & Shirley – ABC – 22,722,500
  2. Three’s Company – ABC – 22,573,500
  3. Mork & Mindy – ABC – 21,307,000
  4. Happy Days – ABC – 21,307,000
  5. Angie – ABC – 19,891,500
  6. 60 Minutes – CBS – 18,997,500
  7. M*A*S*H – CBS – 18,923,000
  8. The Ropers – ABC – 18,774,000
  9. All in the Family – CBS – 18,550,500
  10. Taxi – ABC – 18,550,500

Top 20 Pop Songs

  1.  Andy Gibb – Shadow Dancing
  2. Bee Gees – Night Fever
  3. Debby Boone – You Light Up My Life
  4. Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive
  5. Exile – Kiss You All Over
  6. Bee Gees – How Deep Is Your Love
  7. Player – Baby Come Back
  8. Andy Gibb – (Love Is) Thicker Than Water
  9. A Taste Of Honey – Boogie Oogie Oogie
  10. Commodores – Three Times A Lady
  11. Frankie Valli – Grease
  12. Paul Davis – I Go Crazy
  13. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – You’re The One That I Want
  14. Samantha Sang – Emotion
  15. Eric Clapton – Lay Down Sally
  16. Rolling Stones – Miss You
  17. Billy Joel – Just The Way You Are
  18. Wings – With A Little Luc
  19. Yvonne Elliman – If I Can’t Have You
  20. Chic – Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)


Top 20 Country Songs

  1. Take This Job And Shove It – Johnny Paycheck
  2. What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life – Ronnie Milsap
  3. Out Of My Head And Back In My Bed – Loretta Lynn
  4. I Just wish You Were Someone I Love – Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
  5. Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You – Margo Smith
  6. Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys – Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
  7. Ready For The Times To Get Better – Crystal Gayle
  8. Someone Loves You Honey – Charley Pride
  9. Every Time Two Fools Collide – Kenny Rogers & Dottie West
  10. It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right – Dolly Parton
  11. She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed – Johnny Duncan
  12. Do You Know You Are My Sunshine – The Staler Brothers
  13. Georgia On My Mind – Willie Nelson
  14. Two More Bottles Of Wine – Emmylou Harris
  15. I’ll Be True To You – The Oak Ridge Boys
  16. It Only Hurts For A Little While – Margo Smith
  17. I Believe In You – Mel Tillis
  18. Only One Love In My Life – Ronnie Milsap
  19. Love Or Something Like It – Kenny Rogers
  20. You Don’t Love Me Anymore – Eddie Rabbit


This Year in Sports

ACC Football Champ: Clemson

ACC Basketball Champs: Duke (Duke 85 – Wake Forest 77 )

World Series Winner: New York Yankees over the LA Dodgers

Heavyweight Boxing Champ: Ken Norton (WBC)

Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys (Cowboys 27 – Denver Broncos 10)

NASCAR Season Winner: Cale Yarborough

Masters Winner: Gary Player (11 under – won $45,000)

Wimbledon Winners:

  • Men’s Singles: Sweden Björn Borg defeated United States Jimmy Connors, 6–2, 6–2, 6–3
  • Women’s Singles: United States Martina Navratilova defeated United States Chris Evert, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5
  • Men’s Doubles: South Africa Bob Hewitt / South Africa Frew McMillan defeated United States John McEnroe / United States Peter Fleming, 6–1, 6–4, 6–2
  • Women’s Doubles: Australia Kerry Melville Reid / Australia Wendy Turnbull defeated Mima Jausovec / Virginia Ruzici, 4–6, 9–8(12–10), 6–3
  • Mixed Doubles: South Africa Frew McMillan / Netherlands Betty Stöve defeated Australia Ray Ruffels / United States Billie Jean King, 6–1, 14–12