TIMELINE 1970 - Everything That Happened In 1970

Classic NASCAR

NASCAR Grand National Series
Gwyn Staley 400
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro, NC
Saturday April 18th 1970

Pole winner - Bobby Isaac  107.041 mph
Race winner - Richard Petty
2nd - Bobby Isaac
3rd - LeeRoy Yarbrough
4th - James Hylton
5th - Dick Brooks

Bonanza : The Trouble With Trouble

"The Trouble with Trouble" 

Season 12 episode 7

Aired October 25th 1970

In one of the best episodes played for comedy in the series, Hoss volunteers to be named sheriff of an aptly named town called Trouble. 

(a personal favorite of mine)

Gunsmoke on TV Guide

August 22nd 1970

My World and Welcome To It

Winner of the Prime Time Emmy in 1970 for Outstanding Comedy Series 

NBC Monday 730pm

(based on the humor and cartoons of James Thurber)

This show would also give star William Windom the 1970 Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.  The half hour comedy ran only one season before being canceled.

Jack Benny's 20th TV Anniversary

A classic in every sense of the word was Jack Benny and in 1970 he celebrated his 20th anniversary in television with lots of friends.  Here we get to see Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Mel Blanc, Rochester, Frank Nelson, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra,Red Skelton,Dean Martin and others.

A pure slice or radio and television history.

 Many Thanks to my friend and Jack Benny expert Buck Benny and his podcast.

Interesting Obituaries

This is an audio obituary from 1970, Paul Harvey on his daily noon newscast reads his tribute to the last Vince Lombardi.  Probably recorded around September 3rd of 1970 (the date of Lombardi's death).


Interesting indeed.

Happy Birthday

Today in 1970 one of, if not the greatest thoroughbred of all time, Secretariat was foaled at Meadow Farm in Virginia.

"Big Red" would win the Triple Crown in 1973 and in the process beat the 2 minute barrier in the Kentucky Derby. and win the Belmont stakes in 2:24, both of which have not been beaten. He was called by other jockeys "a living breathing locomotive" and in the famous Belmont race he was called "a tremendous machine".

Bestselling Novel of 1970

The bestselling novel of 1970 according to Publishers Weekly and the New York Times Book Review was "Love Story" by Erich Segal.
Originally written as a screenplay by Mr. Segal, but when he was able to get it produced he turned it into a novel.
Informally nominated for the National Book Award, it caused a sensation as the 5 judge panel threatened to resign if it was officially nominated. It was withdrawn from consideration but still managed to stay atop the NY Times Best Selling Fiction list for 41 weeks.
It was the last novel to have more than 40 weeks at the top before "The Da Vinci Code" logged 65 non consecutive weeks at the top between April 2003 and April 2006.
"Love Story" did become a movie and was released in December of 1970, starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw.