Back when I was helping Triple plan Chelley’s surprise birthday party, I did a little research into the year she was born. 1978 also happens to be the year I was born, so I was doubly interested. We didn’t end up needing the pages of information I found, but I planned to share some tidbits with you all. On my birthday. And then I forgot.So, even though we’re now past the 30th anniversary of Chelley’s birth and mine, I still want to tell you about a few other things that were born in 1978. For extra credit or something.
First – everyone’s favorite dog-hating, lasagna-loving cat, Garfield. The comic strip drawn by Jim Davis debuted on June 19.
Next – the original primetime soap, Dallas. This long-running TV show about a wealthy, dysfunctional family in Texas actually began as a miniseries in April.
And what about food? Surely there was a food-related discovery in 1978? Why yes, yes, there was. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in a renovated gas station in downtown Burlington, Vermont, on May 5.
Now, I want to see a show of hands. Who out there has one of these collecting dust on a shelf somewhere? That’s right, folks. Precious Moments began cranking out those round-headed figurines just over 30 years ago. Say it with me: Awwww.
Did you realize Whitesnake has recorded more than 50 songs they believe should be rounded up and plopped onto a collector’s album? Honestly, I had no idea. The band was formed in 1978, but it would be 9 long years before I ever heard one of their songs. “Is This Love” or “Here I Go Again,” anyone?
And last, but certainly not least, we have a movie. Or perhaps I should say, A Movie. After all, we are talking about the film that brought us Olivia Newton-John in black leather. That’s right – Grease came out 30 years ago, showing us the danger of being a beauty school dropout and encouraging good girls everywhere to go bad. Well, you know, as bad as it gets when you’re bopping around a fairground singing, “Boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy boog-e-dy, Shoo-by doo-wop she-bop, Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop.”
There you have it. The most notable events of 1978. Just kidding. Many more important things happened, of course. But I thought these were fun.
What do you think? Are you a fan of summer lovin'? What’s your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry’s? Are you offended that I assumed all Precious Moments figurines are dust-catchers? Were you allowed to watch Dallas back in its heyday? Do you love lasagna or hate dogs? And really, most importantly, what is your favorite Whitesnake song?
