Money Matters
Median household income (to the nearest ten thousand).
What is $11,100
The latest available official figure is for 2023, with a real median household income of $80,610, according to the Census Bureau.
In 1974, this TV show started its 11 year run on ABC. (Aaayyy!)
What is "Happy Days"
January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons.
number-one program in television 1976–1977,
Fonzie became one of the most merchandised characters of the 1970s
Henry Winkler major star.[3][4]
Series spawned a number of spin-offs: Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy.
These multicolored fruit-flavored lentil-shaped candies were introduced in the UK in 1974 but didn’t appear in the US until a few years later…
What are Skittles (US in 1979)
named after a sports game due to their resemblance to game pieces
"Taste the Rainbow" slogan, now vegan-friendly after gelatin was removed in 2009
factory can produce over 100,000 Skittles per minute, and Mars sells over 150 billion Skittles annually worldwide
Stephen King’s first published novel was released in 1974.
What is "Carrie"
saved from the trash by his wife
launched his career
Was 4th book he wrote but first PUBLISHED book
Carrie was inspired by girls King knew in high school, and some themes in the book relate to women's power and sexuality.
On October 30, 1974, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali participated in a heavyweight championship boxing match in Africa. What was the match called?
What is "The Rumble in the Jungle"
Muhammad Ali knocked out the undefeated George Foreman in the eighth round to regain the world title. Cultural spectacle, three-day music festival, an audience of millions worldwide.
One of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.
Average price of a new car (to the nearest thousand)
What is $4,441
The ATP, which is what people actually pay, was around $48,841 in July 2025, while the average MSRP was higher at $51,124 in June 2025.
The Top-Rated TV Show in the 1973/1974 season?
What is "All in the Family" - held the position for five consecutive years (71-76)
January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes
In 2023, Variety ranked All in the Family number 16 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows.
This cat food was introduced in 1974 and “It’s the only brand cats ask for by name.”
What is Meow Mix
"The Meow Mix Theme" was used by the United States Central Intelligence Agency as part of torture and interrogation programs.
On March 23, 2015, parent company Big Heart Pet Brands was acquired by The J.M. Smucker Company[3] for $5.8 billion.
Who was the male lead in Young Frankenstein?
Gene Wilder
Film: Released Dec. 15 1974
The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder
Much of the lab equipment used as props was created by Kenneth Strickfaden for the 1931 film Frankenstein
The heiress kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, later joining the group in a bank heist?
Who is Patty Hearst
February 4, 1974
19 years old
In 1976, she was convicted for the crime of bank robbery and sentenced to 35 years in prison, later reduced to seven years. Her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter, and she was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.
What amount the federal minimum wage was increased to in 1974 (to the nearest $0.10).
$2.00
2025: $7.25
VA: $12.41, MD: $15
This Children’s television show airing in 1974 featured a segment called “Spidey Super Stories.”
What is “The Electric Company”?
The series aired on PBS for 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977
One of Mel Brooks' two major grossing films in 1974.
What is "Blazing Saddles" or "Young Frankenstein"
Saddles: three Academy Awards; regarded as a comedy classic; ranked number six on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs list
Frankenstein: nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay (for Wilder and Brooks) and Best Sound; No. 13 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest American movies
Which singer had the Biggest Number One Song of 1974?
Who is Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"
been certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of over one million units.
Noted as "one of the most recognizable songs in the world"
WON: Golden Globe Award Best Original Song 31st Golden Globe Awards 1974; Grammy Award Song of the Year 17th Annual Grammy Awards 1975; 2008, inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame.
In 1974, the US national speed limit was lowered to 55 MPH. What was the speed limit before that?
70 Miles Per Hour
intended to conserve fuel
Enacted by the federal government due to the 1973 oil crisis and the OPEC embargo.
It was a temporary measure that became permanent until it was largely repealed in the mid-1990s.
The dollar in 1974 had the same purchasing power as how many cents does today. (to the nearest .05)
What is 15 cents
$10,000 in 1975 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $60,046.10 in 2025.
$1 in 1974 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $6.55 today, an increase of $5.55 over 51 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.75% per year between 1974 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 555.27%.
This American television sitcom starring Valerie Harper aired in 1974 and on CBS for five seasons.
What is "Rhoda"
September 9, 1974 to December 9, 1978.
first spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in which Harper reprised her role as Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky and flamboyantly fashioned young woman seen as unconventional by the standards of her Jewish family from New York City.
The highest-grossing film of 1974
What is "The Towering Inferno"
The highest grossing director of 1974.
Who is Mel Brooks.
American filmmaker, actor, comedian, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades
one of 21 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony
Three of his films are included on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years (1900–2000), all of which were ranked in the top 15: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.
On August 9, 1974, one of US History’s most iconic political events occurred.
What is Richard Nixon resigned, and Gerald Ford became the 38th US President.
What was the inflation rate in 1974?
a staggering 11.04%
Today: 2.7% for 12 months ending in July
The family member who joined the Brady Bunch during the final season in 1974?
Who is Cousin Oliver - played an 8-yo, Brady kids were 12+
Oliver is the son of Carol's brother Jack and his wife Pauline. When they travel to an archaeological dig in South America, and their son is unable to accompany them, he is sent to live with the Bradys.
Some fans see this as the series' downfall, though ratings were already in decline.[
Herbie Rides Again (1974) was the sequel to the 1968 film The Love Bug. What number was on Herbie’s hood and sides?
What is 53
Herbie's trademark "53" racing number was chosen by producer Bill Walsh, who was a fan of Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Don Drysdale (Drysdale's jersey number, later retired by the team, was 53).
The first issue of People magazine, cover dated March 4, 1974, was released. Name the actress who appeared on the cover?
Who is Mia Farrow from the Great Gatsby
People's inaugural issue, cost 35 cents and had 72 pages
The first grocery item scanned with a Universal Product Code (UPC) using a barcode scanner.
10-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit Gum
June 26, 1974. proving that barcodes could work on even the smallest items.
only 1 percent of grocery stores adopted the new devices by the end of the 1970s
first commercial use of a barcode at a grocery store in Troy, Ohio
marked the beginning of barcode technology in retail and other industries.