1976 was a watershed moment in the computer/tech industry. This year saw the launching of Cray-1, the world’s first commercial supercomputer. Apple Computer Company was formed in this year by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. NASA’s Viking 2 spacecraft has successfully landed on Mars. Viking 2 got to work right away after landing, sending the first-ever close-up colour photos of the Martian landscape.
This year in the Disco Decade, music was not solely focused on disco. Ramones, the Ramones’ debut record, was released this year. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder’s renowned album, was also released. In other rock headlines, 1976 saw the formation of U2 and the publication of the Eagles’ classic album, Hotel California.
This was the first year that The Muppet Show aired on the ITV network, and it was also the first year that The Muppet Show was released in theatres. Rocky, the famous sports drama, starred Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, “The Italian Stallion,” in 1976. The picture went on to win Best Picture at the 49th Academy Awards, as well as launching a franchise and Stallone’s career. This year also saw the release of Taxi Driver, a fantastic film starring Robert De Niro. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, starring Jack Nicholson, won the award for Best Picture at the 48th Academy Awards in 1976. This year also saw the start of production on the first Star Wars picture.
1976 was also a significant year in terms of literature and theatre. In the sphere of literature, novelist Anne Rice published her first novel, Interview With a Vampire, which would go on to become one of her most well-known works. With the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ian McKellen and Judi Dench gave a spectacular rendition of “The Scottish Play,” Macbeth.
Continue reading to discover more about the events of 1976.
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![]() (January 21, 1976) |
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(March 24, 1976) |
![]() (April 01, 1976) |
![]() (June 26, 1976) |
![]() (July 18, 1976) |
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(July 28, 1976) |
![]() (August 07, 1976) |
![]() (September 03, 1976) |
![]() (September 09, 1976) |
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(November 02, 1976) |
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