The 1970s was a superlative decade, especially when it came to inventions. For starters, Americans were able to purchase their very first home computer. It wasn’t the only great invention that surfaced either. Here’s a rundown on five others:
VCR
For today’s youth it may be hard to believe that there was once a time when videos weren’t readily streamed into one’s home. However, it comes as no surprise to me because I remember VCRs. The very first one came out in 1972 and it cost well over $1,000. It was called the Cartrivision. On top of that, you couldn’t just pick up a movie anywhere. They had to be ordered through the mail.
The Cartrivision wasn’t the only VCR system to be released in the 1970s either. There were several others that hit the market before the decade ended. Among them were Betamax and VHS. My parents got the VHS version. It came out in 1977. I can still remember what a big deal it was. At the time, the technology was said to be “cutting edge.”
Colored Photos from Space
Given today’s technology, it is also amazing to think that 1972 was the first time that Americans were able to see a color photo of the earth. And what a photo it was! To me, it is still one of the best photos ever taken. As such, I can’t help but give kudos to the Apollo 17 crew for taking it.
Pocket Calculators
Pocket calculators made their appearance in the 1970s as well. The first models came out in 1971. However, I didn’t get to use one until much later in the decade. The elementary school that I attended banned them. That’s because the teachers insisted that the calculators would make us “lazy” and the principal agreed. If you got caught sneaking one into the classroom, it was confiscated and you got sent to detention. Then your parents had to meet with the teacher in order to get the calculator back. I was able to use it at home though.
Walkman Cassette Players
The late 1970s also marked the introduction of the Sony Walkman Cassette Player. It burst onto the scene in the summer of 1979. I was a kid at the time and begged my parents to get me one. They finally relented and it showed up under the Christmas tree. I was beyond ecstatic. As far as I was concerned, it was the coolest item on the planet.
Holograms
Holograms were another interesting item to appear in the late 1970s. The first person to create one using a machine was Mike Foster. Of course being a child at the time, I wasn’t quite sure why I should be excited about them. Then companies started making hologram stickers for kids in the 1980s. Once that happened, I was actually glad that they were invented.
Source: Personal Experience
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