Off the Beaten Path
On road trips or sitting on the bus to summer camp, kids would sing a song about beer that started with this number.
What is 99? The title is “99 Bottles of Beer” and it begins: “Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall...”
Arnold Schwarzenegger helped popularize this sport and athletic competition in the 1970s and ’80s.
What is bodybuilding? The sport was recognized in 1998 by the International Olympic Committee.
On July 1, 1961, Princess Diana was born and later became the Princess of Wales when she married the heir to the British throne. This was her title and name before she married then-Prince Charles.
What is Lady Diana Spencer? She was known as “The People’s Princess” and tragically passed away in an automobile accident on August 30, 1997.
From 1977 to 1981, this man lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Who is Jimmy Carter? He is the nation’s longest-lived president.
This term from 1975 does not actually refer to one who quantifies legumes, but more often to an accountant or bureaucrat.
What is bean counter? Some sources believe the term comes from a German word that was also used to mean “a nitpicker.”
“I’m a man of means by no means” is a line from this popular 1965 song by Roger Miller.
What is “King of the Road”? The song tells of a man who’s left the traditional way of life behind for the freedom of the open road.
This popular sport of the 1970s was invented by Joseph Sobek, an avid tennis player who wanted to find a use for rubber balls.
What is racquetball? Tracing its roots back as far as the 12th century, this sport took off with national tournaments in the early ’70s.
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law this act that provides health insurance to Americans aged 65 and older.
What is Medicare? The act amended the Social Security Act, which became law in 1935
This cartoon family’s address changes throughout the television series’ run, but you can always find them in the town of Bedrock.
Who are the Flintstones? Two of their addresses were 245 Cave Stone Road and 222 Rocky Way
From 1972, this tech term refers to a small and flexible plastic disk used for storing information.
What is floppy disk? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest evidence of the word floppy is found in the writings of George Eliot.
When hiking in a national park, you might run into this bear who warns, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
Who is Smokey? The Smokey Bear campaign was inaugurated in 1944, making Smokey and his message 80 years old.
Although this organization has been around since 1844, it was not until 1978 that we got a song-and-dance routine to go along with it.
What is the YMCA? In the mid-1970s, the YMCA founded the Youth Basketball Association in partnership with the NBA.
The hottest days of summer in the northern hemisphere occur between July 3 and August 11 and are colloquially known as this.
What are the dog days of summer? In addition to heat, these days bring high humidity
The real-life Kirkeby mansion in Bel Air, California, was the filming site for this TV show starring the Clampett family.
What is The Beverly Hillbillies? In 2019, the mansion sold for around $150 million, a record-setting price in the state.
This two-word term refers to the “authorized absence from employment” granted to a father when his child is born.
What is paternity leave? The term can be traced back to the Guardian in 1973.
The best view of this natural light display in Earth’s polar regions would be far from the lights of civilization.
What are the aurora borealis (or the northern lights)? The lights are caused by the interaction between charged particles (electrons and protons) and Earth’s magnetic field.
In the 1960s and ’70s, this was a popular exercise for many, especially double Dutch games.
What is jump rope? Although originally popular with boys, girls began to jump rope for exercise when they were excluded from sports like football and hockey.
July’s full moon is known as this
What is the (full) buck moon? The moon gets this name from the male deer (buck), which in July is in its final month of antler growth. The antlers regrow each year, often slightly bigger than the year prior.
Still standing on the Warner Bros. Ranch is Darrin and Samantha’s home at 1164 Morning Glory Circle, from this TV series.
What is Bewitched? Next door to the house in real life is the house where Gidget was filmed.
This is a three-word cold weather phrase for the 1978–1979 strikes across Great Britain.
What is winter of discontent? The strikes of the late ’70s are credited with changes in the UK’s government in early 1979.
This overnight train chugs through a vast swath of Middle America on its north-south route and is memorialized by Arlo Guthrie’s 1972 hit tune of the same name.
What is the City of New Orleans? Amtrak still runs the route with the same name. The 900-mile (1,448-kilometer) trip takes 19 hours and has 23 stops along the full route.
Conceived by Dr. Kenneth Cooper and meaning “using oxygen,” this type of exercise was popularized by Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons.
What is aerobics? In the 1980s, step aerobics emerged as an offshoot of aerobics classes.
This national celebration in France happens every July and draws huge crowds to the streets of Paris.
What is Bastille Day? It commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, which sparked the French Revolution.
Residents of this famous London address include Harold Wilson and John Major.
What is 10 Downing Street? This has been the residence of the British prime minister since 1735.
Also called “docs,” the Oxford English Dictionary traces this shoe brand to 1969. It was popular throughout the ’70s.
What are Dr. Martens? The name of this heavy footwear comes from a real person, Dr. Klaus Maertens.