Modern history
Another teaser from Gerry Perkins
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Guess the year
World news: Britain votes to stay in the EU – then the EEC – via a referendum. The Vietnam War officially ends. Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Microsoft. The Moorgate tube station crash in London kills 43 people. King Juan Carlos takes over as acting head of state of Spain from an ailing General Franco, assuming full power later in the year. Ross McWhirter, the co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records, is murdered by the IRA. The G6 group of industrialised nations is established. Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, commits his first murder. US President Gerald Ford survives a second assassination attempt in as many years. Patty Hearst – kidnapped publishing heiress turned fugitive – is captured. The former head of the US Teamsters workers’ union Jimmy Hoffa is reported missing. Lord Lucan is found guilty, in absentia, of the murder of the family nanny. Film and television: this year sees the release of such movie classics as Jaws, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The Rocky Horror Show opens on Broadway in New York, before the film version The Rocky Horror Picture Show is released. Fawlty Towers airs for the first time. Other films included One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Dog Day Afternoon and Shampoo. Music: Led Zeppelin sell out three nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden in four hours. Face-painted rock band Kiss releases its first live album Alive!, which effectively saves the band’s then fledgling career. Alice Cooper releases his famous Welcome to my Nightmare album. The Netherlands wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Ritchie Blackmore quits Deep Purple and forms Rainbow. The Who release the film version of their rock opera Tommy. Bruce Springsteen releases his classic 50 Senior Times l March - April 2022 l www.seniortimes.ie
album Born To Run. Queen releases its Bohemian Rhapsody single. Talking Heads plays its first concert in New York. Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden is founded. Peter Gabriel leaves Genesis. Pink Floyd releases its Wish You Were Here album. Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the first album to enter the US Billboard album charts at number one. Sport: West Ham United win the FA Cup, beating Fulham 2-0 in the Wembley final. George Best lines out for Cork Celtic. Formula 1 champion Graham Hill is killed in a plane crash. Muhammad Ali beats Joe Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila. The West Indies wins the first Cricket World Cup. Derby County become English champions. Bayern Munich beats Leeds United in the European Cup final. In golf Jack Nicklaus wins the Masters and Tom Watson wins the Open. In horseracing, L’Escargot wins the Grand National, while Ten Up wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Arthur Ashe wins the Wimbledon mens singles championship. Czech born Martina Navratilova becomes a US citizen. In GAA circles, Kerry wins the All Ireland Football Championship, with Kilkenny winning the hurling title. Ireland: holds the Presidency of the EEC for the first time. Three members of the Miami Showband are ambushed and killed by the UVF. Former Taoiseach and President Eamon De Valera dies. Charles Haughey returns to the Fianna Fail front bench. Oliver Plunkett is canonised by the Pope. The Birmingham Six are wrongly imprisoned for an IRA bombing in Birmingham. Answer on page 87
