When This Dropped

December 21, 1975

President
Ford
Dow (EOY)
852
Gas/gal
$0.57
Big Mac
$0.75
Min Wage
$2.10

By the winter of 1975, Ford was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $2.10/hr — the Watergate convictions were finally coming in, with Nixon's former top aides John Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman found guilty of the cover-up just days into the new year. On screens and turntables, Barry Manilow's "Mandy" sat at number one on the charts while "All in the Family" dominated television as the top-rated show in the country. The Golden State Warriors had claimed the NBA championship that year, and in a landmark moment for American justice, the Watergate verdicts marked the first time senior White House officials had been criminally convicted for abuses carried out inside a sitting president's administration.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — December 21, 1975

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

World Events — December 1975

Time Person of the Year — 1975

King Faisal
Person of the Year
King Faisal

On the radio

Billboard Charts — December 21, 1975

Let's Do It Again
The Staple Singers
Hot 100 #1
"Let's Do It Again"
The Staple Singers
Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits
Chicago
Billboard 200 #1
"Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits"
Chicago

Grammy Awards

Still Crazy After All These Years
Paul Simon
Grammy Album of the Year
"Still Crazy After All These Years"
Paul Simon
Send in the Clowns
Judy Collins
Grammy Song of the Year
"Send in the Clowns"
Judy Collins
Love Will Keep Us Together
Captain & Tennille
Grammy Record of the Year
"Love Will Keep Us Together"
Captain & Tennille
Natalie Cole
Grammy Best New Artist
Natalie Cole

On the bookshelf

Ragtime
E.L. Doctorow
NYT Fiction #1
"Ragtime"
E.L. Doctorow
Angels: God's Secret Agents
Billy Graham
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Angels: God's Secret Agents"
Billy Graham
The Killer Angels
Michael Shaara
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"The Killer Angels"
Michael Shaara
Dog Soldiers
Robert Stone
National Book Award Fiction
"Dog Soldiers"
Robert Stone
The Life of Emily Dickinson
Richard B. Sewall
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The Life of Emily Dickinson"
Richard B. Sewall

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1975–76 Season

All in the Family
Nielsen #1 TV Show
All in the Family
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1975–76 Season

Emmy Winners — 1975

Police Story
Emmy Drama Series
Police Story
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Peter Falk
Columbo
Emmy Lead Actor
Peter Falk
Columbo
Michael Learned
The Waltons
Emmy Lead Actress
Michael Learned
The Waltons

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 21, 1975

Let's Do It Again
Box Office #1
Let's Do It Again
The Godfather Part II
Oscar Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
Miloš Forman
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Oscar Best Director
Miloš Forman
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Oscar Best Actor
Jack Nicholson
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Louise Fletcher
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Oscar Best Actress
Louise Fletcher
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Ebert 4-Star Films — December 21, 1975

Barry Lyndon
4-Star Review
Barry Lyndon
Dog Day Afternoon
4-Star Review
Dog Day Afternoon
Farewell, My Lovely
4-Star Review
Farewell, My Lovely
Jaws
4-Star Review
Jaws
Nashville
4-Star Review
Nashville

On the field

Sports Champions — December 21, 1975

Super Bowl
Pittsburgh Steelers
def. Minnesota Vikings
World Series
Cincinnati Reds
def. Boston Red Sox
NBA Champion
Golden State Warriors
def. Washington Bullets
Stanley Cup
Philadelphia Flyers
def. Buffalo Sabres

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