40 Years….

So today, my father has worked for this company for 40 years.  Wow, that’s a really long time!  My mom is out of town for work so we celebrated this milestone last week before she left town with lunch with his co-workers & mom, hubby and me too :).

ignore the blurry phone photo!

So his boss compiled a list of things that happened the year my dad was hired.  Um… this was before I was born, so I had to look some of these up and some of these people.  I went ahead and included links (yes, I included links for things I knew too, I was on a google roll!)

1972 in Review

It was the longest year ever recorded in history – Leap Year + 2 Leap Seconds added on.

Historical Events

• HBO Channel launched by Times Warner
• President Richard Nixon announced the Space Shuttle Program
• APOLLO 17 carried the last men to walk on the moon
• Digital watches were introduced
• First handheld scientific Calculator (HP – 35) – Cost was $395

• Volkswagen Beetle passes the Model T as the most Produced automobile in history
• Atari Pong game was introduced
• Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby
• Watergate Break-in occurred
• Jane Fonda visits North Viet Nam (“Hanoi Jane”)
• Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs three straight sets in a tennis battle of the sexes
• Carnival Cruise Lines began sailing
• The movie “The Godfather” made its debut
• U.S. Airlines began mandatory inspections of passengers and baggage
• President Nixon visited China
• The Lockheed L-1011 Aircraft was put into service

**via**

• George Wallace was shot during a political rally in Maryland
• George Carlin was arrested for obscenity for reciting his “Seven Words You Can Not Say on Television”
• Bobby Fischer defeated Boris Spassky to become the first American World Chess Champion
• 11 Isreali athletes were killed during the Summer Olympics games in Munich
• Nixon defeated George McGovern in a Landslide
• The Dow Jones closed above 1000 for the first time, in November 1972

1972 Costs

• Average Car – $3,879
• Average House – $30,500
• Gas – $0.36/gal
• Bread – $0.25
• Milk – $1.33
• Stamp – $0.08
• Commercial during the Superbowl – $86,000

Entertainment Items

• Most watched TV Shows – All in the Family, Sanford and Sons & Hawaii Five – 0 (the original)
• Final Episode of Bewitched was aired
• Price is Right Debuted

Notable Births:

• Shaquille O’Neal
• Jennifer Garner
• Carmen Electra
• Chipper Jones
• Ben Affleck
• Cameron Diaz
• Gwyneth Paltrow

….And Deaths

• Maurice Chevalier
• J. Edgar Hoover
• Dan “Hoss” Blocker
• Jackie Robinson
• Harry S. Truman
• Roberto Clemente

Linking up with Seriously Shawn and Impulsive Addict!