World Events in 1976
Soweto uprising in South Africa
On 16 June, black schoolchildren in Soweto protested against being forced to learn in Afrikaans. Police opened fire, killing hundreds and sparking nationwide unrest that became a turning point in the fight against apartheid.
Entebbe raid
Israeli commandos flew 2,500 miles to Entebbe airport in Uganda to rescue 106 hostages held by Palestinian and German hijackers with Idi Amin's support. The dramatic operation freed almost all the hostages, though the raid commander Yonatan Netanyahu was killed.
Tangshan earthquake in China
A massive earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale devastated the industrial city of Tangshan on 28 July, killing an estimated 242,000 people. The Chinese government initially suppressed the true scale of the disaster.
Jimmy Carter elected US President
The relatively unknown Georgia peanut farmer and former governor defeated Gerald Ford in November's presidential election. Carter campaigned as a Washington outsider, promising honesty after the trauma of Watergate.
Harold Wilson resigns; Callaghan becomes PM
Harold Wilson shocked Britain by resigning as Prime Minister in March, citing exhaustion. James Callaghan won the subsequent Labour leadership contest and inherited a country struggling with high inflation and industrial unrest.
Music in 1976
"Save Your Kisses for Me"
Brotherhood of Man
The UK's Eurovision Song Contest winner topped the charts for six weeks and was the best-selling single of 1976, its chirpy pop perfectly suited to that scorching summer.
"Silly Love Songs"
Wings
Paul McCartney's response to critics who dismissed his post-Beatles work topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, proving his commercial instincts remained sharp.
#1 Film of 1976
Rocky
Box Office: $117 million
Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in the ultimate underdog story about a small-time Philadelphia boxer. Made for just $1 million, it won Best Picture at the Oscars and launched a franchise spanning five decades.
Born in 1976
Benedict Cumberbatch
British actor (Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Doctor Strange)
Peyton Manning
Two-time Super Bowl-winning NFL quarterback
Alicia Silverstone
Actress (Clueless, Batman & Robin)
Ronaldo (Nazario)
Brazilian football legend, two-time World Cup winner
Anna Friel
British actress (Brookside, Pushing Daisies)
Lost in 1976
Agatha Christie
Best-selling fiction writer of all time (Poirot, Miss Marple)
Age 85
Mao Zedong
Founding leader of the People's Republic of China
Age 82
Howard Hughes
Billionaire aviator, filmmaker, and recluse
Age 70
Benjamin Britten
One of Britain's greatest composers (Peter Grimes, War Requiem)
Age 63
Technology in 1976
Concorde entered commercial passenger service, flying London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio. Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in a California garage. JVC launched VHS, starting the format war with Sony's Betamax. The Cray-1, the first commercially successful supercomputer, was installed.
- ● Concorde enters commercial passenger service
- ● Apple Computer is founded by Jobs, Wozniak, and Wayne
- ● JVC launches the VHS video format
- ● Cray-1 supercomputer installed at Los Alamos
Cost of Living in 1976
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £12,704 | $44,200 |
| Average salary | £3,600 | $13,100 |
| Pint of milk | 9p | $0.43 |
| Loaf of bread | 20p | $0.30 |
| Dozen eggs | 38p | $0.84 |
| Pint of beer | 24p | $0.95 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 77p | $0.59 |
| Cinema ticket | 65p | $2.13 |
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The Zeitgeist of 1976
The long, scorching summer of 1976 saw standpipes in the streets and a Minister for Drought appointed. Punk rock burst from London's underground with the Sex Pistols and The Clash, rejecting the perceived excess of prog and disco. Flared jeans began losing ground to straight legs, and the first ripped T-shirts appeared on the King's Road. Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10 at the Montreal Olympics.
In the News in 1976
The Cod War between Britain and Iceland ended with a humiliating British climbdown. Harold Wilson unexpectedly resigned as Prime Minister and was succeeded by James Callaghan. Israeli commandos rescued hostages at Entebbe airport in Uganda in a daring raid.