Independence Day Weekend: Feeling Old!

Images of Freedom Train and Bicentennial logo from Wikipedia

One of the news stations announced that it was the 233rd birthday of the United States yesterday, and a quick check of the math confirms this to be true. And for people in my age bracket (a few years north of 40), this quickly leads to the realization that it has been thirty-three years since the Bicentennial. Yikes.

In 1976, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson were still alive and relevant. The sexual revolution was in full swing (as related in last summer's documentary drama series, Swingtown). And the Bicentennial was huge. There were more flags, bunting and patriotic themed merchandise in evidence than would exist until immediately after 9/11. They even redesigned the quarter, half-dollar and silver dollar to commemorate the event. Everything was America this, and Spirit of '76 that.

One of the biggest events (at least to my then 10-year-old self) was the Freedom Train, an actual train that went from town to town as a travelling museum. It was something of a mini-Smithsonian, or educational Disney exhibit, taking you through the history (mostly high points) of the United States. It's too bad there wasn't a 2-1/3 century blowout this year. I doubt the country has ever been as united in their patriotism without a cataclysmic event to jolt us into it.

But still. . .thirty-three years ago? Yikes.

Swine Flu: It's Deja-Vu All Over Again

I knew I wasn't just getting a sense of deja vu. There really was a swine flew scare when I was a kid. Picture it: 1976, year of the bicentennial, the Freedom Train, and star-spangled bunting everywhere. Farrah Fawcett's poster was on every boy's wall (even mine). But somebody got too cozy with some pigs, and we were faced with swine flu!

Here's how the Ad Council reacted:

Evel Knievel Dies at 69

Photo from Wikipedia

I generally only post items that interest me in some way, be they political, pop culture, or unclassifiable. I can't say I was an Evel Knievel fan exactly, but you couldn't be a kid in the 1970s without being influenced in some way by his stunts and his persona.

Were it not for Evel Knievel, Fonzie (on TV's Happy Days, if you're too young to remember) never would have jumped all that stuff on his motorcycle--and ultimately a shark on water skis. So, when you're reading JumpTheShark.com, you have Knievel to thank for the inspiration.

Evel Knievel and Muhammed Ali were the icons of the 70s, at least to kids, all wrapped up in stars and stripes. I tie together in my memory those two icons, along with the bicentennial, the 1976 Olympics and all of those old Battle of the Network Stars specials. It was all a very innocent, kind of bland but kind of sweet period in American pop culture history. And Evel Knievel was a huge part of it.

[Excerpt]

Iconic Daredevil Evel Knievel Dies at 69

Evel Knievel's hard life killed him -- it just took longer than he or anyone else might have expected.

The hard-living motorcycle daredevil, whose bone-breaking, rocket-powered jumps and stunts made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69.

Read more at: New York Times