Rancho High School Alumni Association

World Events

Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot becomes prime minister (and virtual dictator) of Cambodia after Prince Sihanouk steps down (April 2).
Israeli airborne commandos attack Uganda's Entebbe Airport and free 103 hostages held by pro-Palestinian hijackers of Air France plane; one Israeli and several Ugandan soldiers killed in raid (July 4).
19-month civil war ends in Lebanon after threatening to escalate to global level (Nov.).

U.S. Events

US Supreme Court rules that blacks and other minorities are entitled to retroactive job seniority (March 24).
Ford signs Federal Election Campaign Act (May 11).
US Supreme Court rules that death penalty is not inherently cruel or unusual and is a constitutionally acceptable form of punishment (July 3).
Nation celebrates Bicentennial (July 4).
Mysterious disease strikes American Legion convention in Philadelphia, eventually claiming 29 lives (Aug. 4).
Jimmy Carter elected US President (Nov. 2).

Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars):   $1,819.00 billion
Federal spending:   $371.79 billion
Federal debt:   $629.0 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars):  $12,686
Consumer Price Index:   56.9
Unemployment:   7.7%
Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.13

Sports

Super Bowl
Pittsburgh d. Dallas (21-17)

World Series
Cincinnati d. NY Yankees (4-0)

NBA Championship
Boston d. Phoenix (4-2)

Stanley Cup
Montreal d. Philadelphia (4-0)

Wimbledon
Women: Chris Evert d. E. Cawley (6-3 4-6 8-6)
Men: Bjorn Borg d. I. Nastase (6-4 6-2 9-7)

Kentucky Derby Champion
Bold Forbes

NCAA Basketball Championship
Indiana d. Michigan (86-68)

NCAA Football Champions
Pittsburgh (12-0-0)

Entertainment

Events

The Steadicam is used for the first time in Rocky.
Philip Glass completes Einstein on the Beach, the first widely known example of minimalist composition.
NBC broadcasts Gone with the Wind and scores record-breaking ratings.

Movies

Rocky, Taxi Driver, Network, All the President's Men

Music

Philip Glass Einstein on the Beach,

Books

Raymond Carver, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
Judith Guest, Ordinary People
Alex Haley, Roots
Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior
Robert Lowell, Selected Poems
Gabriel García Márquez, Autumn of the Patriarch
Gore Vidal, 1876

Science

Air France and British Airways begin the first regularly scheduled commercial supersonic transport (SST) flights. Background: Famous Firsts in Aviation
Viking I lands on Mars. Background: US Unstaffed Planetary and Lunar Programs
The US Navy tests the Tomahawk cruise missile.
Richard Leakey discovers a 1.5 million year old Homo erectus skull in Kenya. Background: human evolution
Cosmic string theory first postulated by Thomas Kibble. Background: Astronomy

Deaths

Agatha Christie
Andre Malraux