When This Dropped

December 11, 1971

President
Nixon
Dow (EOY)
890
Gas/gal
$0.36
Big Mac
$0.59
Min Wage
$1.60

By the winter of 1971, Nixon was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $1.60/hr — the U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia was deepening, with officials openly discussing a possible ground invasion of Laos as American forces continued operations across the region. On television, "All in the Family" had just debuted on CBS, introducing Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker to American living rooms, while George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord/Isn't It A Pity" was holding at number one on the charts. The Pittsburgh Pirates had won the 1971 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles that fall, and halfway around the world, Egypt's Aswan High Dam officially opened on January 15, a massive engineering project decades in the making that would reshape the flow of the Nile and the lives of millions.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — December 11, 1971

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of December 11, 1971

Hussein Calls Arabs Unfit Fora War With Israel Now

Sadat Says Soviet Will Retain Use Of Bases In Egypt

Mrs. Gandhi Writes President: U.S. Could Have Averted War

World Events — December 1971

Time Person of the Year — 1971

Willy Brandt
Person of the Year
Willy Brandt

On the radio

Billboard Charts — December 11, 1971

Family Affair
Sly & The Family Stone
Hot 100 #1
"Family Affair"
Sly & The Family Stone
Santana III
Santana
Billboard 200 #1
"Santana III"
Santana

Grammy Awards

Tapestry
Carole King
Grammy Album of the Year
"Tapestry"
Carole King
You've Got a Friend
Carole King
Grammy Song of the Year
"You've Got a Friend"
Carole King
It's Too Late
Carole King
Grammy Record of the Year
"It's Too Late"
Carole King
Carly Simon
Grammy Best New Artist
Carly Simon

On the bookshelf

Wheels
Arthur Hailey
NYT Fiction #1
"Wheels"
Arthur Hailey
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dee Brown
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"
Dee Brown
Mr. Sammler's Planet
Saul Bellow
National Book Award Fiction
"Mr. Sammler's Planet"
Saul Bellow
Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom
James MacGregor Burns
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Roosevelt: The Soldier of Freedom"
James MacGregor Burns

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1971–72 Season

Marcus Welby, M.D.
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1971–72 Season

Emmy Winners — 1971

Elizabeth R
Emmy Drama Series
Elizabeth R
All in the Family
Emmy Comedy Series
All in the Family
Peter Falk
Columbo
Emmy Lead Actor
Peter Falk
Columbo
Glenda Jackson
Elizabeth R
Emmy Lead Actress
Glenda Jackson
Elizabeth R

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 11, 1971

The French Connection
Box Office #1
The French Connection
Patton
Oscar Best Picture
Patton
William Friedkin
The French Connection
Oscar Best Director
William Friedkin
The French Connection
Gene Hackman
The French Connection
Oscar Best Actor
Gene Hackman
The French Connection
Jane Fonda
Klute
Oscar Best Actress
Jane Fonda
Klute

Ebert 4-Star Films — December 11, 1971

A New Leaf
4-Star Review
A New Leaf
Bed and Board
4-Star Review
Bed and Board
Carnal Knowledge
4-Star Review
Carnal Knowledge
Claire’s Knee
4-Star Review
Claire’s Knee
Cold Turkey
4-Star Review
Cold Turkey

On the field

Sports Champions — December 11, 1971

Super Bowl
Baltimore Colts
def. Dallas Cowboys
World Series
Pittsburgh Pirates
def. Baltimore Orioles
NBA Champion
Milwaukee Bucks
def. Baltimore Bullets
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Chicago Blackhawks

Interested in postcards, posters or t-shirts? Leave your email and we’ll let you know.