When This Dropped

February 8, 1976

President
Ford
Dow (EOY)
1,005
Gas/gal
$0.59
Big Mac
$0.76
Min Wage
$2.30

By the winter of 1976, Ford was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $2.30/hr — and the country was roughly five months away from its Bicentennial celebrations when President Ford proposed a $10 billion tax cut paired with new spending limits, signaling that economic policy would be a defining issue heading into the election year. On television, "All in the Family" remained the dominant show in American living rooms, while at the multiplex, the family adventure film "The Adventures of the Wilderness Family" was drawing steady crowds, reflecting a public appetite for wholesome, outdoor fare. That February, American athletes competed at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, bringing home 3 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals, while in professional sports the Cincinnati Reds had recently claimed the World Series title over the New York Yankees in one of the most closely contested Fall Classics in recent memory.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — February 8, 1976

New York Times
Time
Rolling Stone
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of February 8, 1976

Pro‐West Forces In Angola To Shift To Guerrilla War

U.N. Body Accuses Israel Of ‘Crimes’

World Events — February 1976

Time Person of the Year — 1976

American Women
Person of the Year
American Women

On the radio

Billboard Charts — February 8, 1976

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Paul Simon
Hot 100 #1
"50 Ways To Leave Your Lover"
Paul Simon
Desire
Bob Dylan
Billboard 200 #1
"Desire"
Bob Dylan

Grammy Awards

Songs in the Key of Life
Stevie Wonder
Grammy Album of the Year
"Songs in the Key of Life"
Stevie Wonder
I Write the Songs
Barry Manilow
Grammy Song of the Year
"I Write the Songs"
Barry Manilow
This Masquerade
George Benson
Grammy Record of the Year
"This Masquerade"
George Benson
Starland Vocal Band
Grammy Best New Artist
Starland Vocal Band

On the bookshelf

Trinity
Leon Uris
NYT Fiction #1
"Trinity"
Leon Uris
The Final Days
Woodward & Bernstein
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The Final Days"
Woodward & Bernstein
Humboldt's Gift
Saul Bellow
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"Humboldt's Gift"
Saul Bellow
JR
William Gaddis
National Book Award Fiction
"JR"
William Gaddis
The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution
David Brion Davis
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Revolution"
David Brion Davis

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 — 1976

Upstairs, Downstairs
Emmy Drama Series
Upstairs, Downstairs
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Garner
The Rockford Files
Emmy Lead Actor
James Garner
The Rockford Files
Lindsay Wagner
The Bionic Woman
Emmy Lead Actress
Lindsay Wagner
The Bionic Woman

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — February 8, 1976

The Sunshine Boys
Box Office #1
The Sunshine Boys
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Oscar Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
John G. Avildsen
Rocky
Oscar Best Director
John G. Avildsen
Rocky
Peter Finch
Network
Oscar Best Actor
Peter Finch
Network
Faye Dunaway
Network
Oscar Best Actress
Faye Dunaway
Network

Ebert 4-Star Films — February 8, 1976

Grey Gardens
4-Star Review
Grey Gardens
Heart of Glass
4-Star Review
Heart of Glass
Network
4-Star Review
Network
Rocky
4-Star Review
Rocky
Seven Beauties
4-Star Review
Seven Beauties

On the field

Sports Champions — February 8, 1976

Super Bowl
Pittsburgh Steelers
def. Dallas Cowboys
World Series
Cincinnati Reds
def. New York Yankees
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Phoenix Suns
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Philadelphia Flyers
Winter Olympics
Innsbruck, Austria
🥇3🥈3🥉4
Summer Olympics
Montreal, Canada
🥇34🥈35🥉25

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