Eco-Friendly Innovations
An oil crisis in the ’70s helped spur the development of this type of power from our closest star.
Answer: What is solar power? The first solar power plant came online in California in the 1980s.
In 1984, women were first allowed to compete in this lengthy Olympic running event.
Answer: What is the marathon? The race was held in Los Angeles and won by American runner Joan Benoit.
This beloved ’70s rom-com is directed by and stars Woody Allen alongside Diane Keaton.
Answer: What is Annie Hall? The film won many awards, including the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture.
National parks opened in this state in 1980 included Gates of the Arctic and Glacier Bay.
Answer: What is Alaska? That year saw seven total national parks open in Alaska.
This expression means a person takes after one of their parents.
Answer: What is a chip off the old block? This typically refers to a child having the same personality traits or work ethic as a parent, rather than necessarily sharing the same physical build or appearance.
Short for light-emitting diodes, energy-friendly bulbs called by this abbreviation came on the market between 1962 and 1993.
Answer: What are LED bulbs? The blue LED was developed by Shuji Nakamura in 1993 and won him the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Olympic events added in the 1990s include this women’s bat-andball sport.
Answer: What is softball? It was added in 1996 along with women’s soccer.
One of the most successful movie musicals and an iconic romcom, this 1978 film features ’50s teens Danny and Sandy.
Answer: What is Grease? The film was director Randal Kleiser’s debut and is still popular today
Called the most magical parks on Earth, this company opened theme parks in Florida, Tokyo, and Paris between the 1970s and ’90s.
Answer: What is Disney (or Disneyland)? Tokyo Disneyland was their first theme park built outside the United States.
You do this when you complete an item on your to-do list.
Answer: What is cross it off (or tick it off)? It’s helpful to prioritize tasks before creating a to-do list, and it’s beneficial to maintain both a long-term and a short-term task list.
Despite controversial origins, this paperless form of mail was invented during the 1970s and has been saving paper ever since.
Answer: What is email? Various tech innovators lay claim to its invention, and the term email gained traction in the 1980s
In this sport, Janet Guthrie was the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500 and Daytona 500 in the same year.
Answer: What is auto racing? She was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2020.
This rom-com is recognizable just from a few big names: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, and director Garry Marshall.
Answer: What is Pretty Woman? The costars had incredible chemistry from their first meeting, with Roberts convincing Gere to take the role.
This national park is a collection of sites showcasing the revolutionary history of one city in Massachusetts and including the USS Constitution.
Answer: What is Boston National Historical Park? The park includes many sites like the Freedom Trail and Black Heritage Trail.
Ready-made clothes are also called this.
Answer: What is off the rack? Men’s custom suits are available in three categories: standard, premium, and luxury. In 2024, the minimum prices for men’s custom suits were $699 for standard, $1,200 for premium, and $1,400 for luxury.
Organic, natural products gained popularity in the 1970s, including this staple food that is a mix of grains, nuts, and dried fruits.
Answer: What is granola? Brands like Quaker Oats, Kellogg’s, and General Mills began to commercially produce the crunchy favorite.
In 1975, Jackie Tonawanda, called the “female Ali,” sued for the right to face men in this combative sport.
Answer: What is boxing? Tonawanda went on to get a second-round knockout against male opponent Larry Rodania.
In 1989, Billy Crystal met Meg Ryan as this pair of friends caught up in will-they-won’t-they.
Answer: Who are Harry and Sally? One of the most beloved quotes from When Harry Met Sally is when Harry confesses, “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
This kind of theme park, specializing in aquatic pursuits, surged in popularity during the 1980s.
Answer: What are water parks? With their towering slides, wave pools, and summer appeal, water parks became staples of American leisure in the 1980s.
Take this to exit the interstate highway system.
Answer: What is an off-ramp? Before the interstate was inaugurated, it could take more than two months to travel by car from coast to coast.
An innovation of the ’90s, EZVI is a cleanup technology that takes contaminants out of this important stuff for hydration.
Answer: What is water? Invented for NASA, the system is able to pull contamination out of groundwater.
In 1970, she organized the “Original Nine” tennis greats for a women’s tournament, with a symbolic one-dollar contract.
Answer: Who is Billie Jean King? King’s efforts on the tournament laid the groundwork for the Women’s Tennis Association Tour and for equal pay.
The 1990s teen romance A Walk to Remember is based on a book by this noted author of love stories.
Answer: Who is Nicholas Sparks? Sparks took inspiration from his sister and dedicated the book and movie to her.
On October 31, 1994, California opened two national parks: Death Valley, and this one named for a tree said to resemble a Biblical figure.
Answer: What is Joshua Tree National Park? Mormon settlers named the tree after the Biblical figure Joshua, believing the trees’ outstretched branches resembled him raising his hands in prayer.
Pharmaceuticals prescribed for purposes other than those officially approved are referred to as this.
Answer: What is off-label? An example of off-label medication is gabapentin, an anti-seizure medication that is sometimes prescribed to treat nerve pain and hot flashes, among other ailments.