5 Things Turning 50 Years Old That Will Surprise You

If 50 years seem like a long time ago, it is, but these 5 things turning 50 years old that will surprise you might make you scratch your head and say "really"?

How does time fly so fast? One minute a new product or fad or invention debuts and the next moment we’re wondering how it’s been that long.

There are new things introduced every day. What makes something stand the test of time while other things are long gone and forgotten.

Remember the “pet rock” fad of the 70’s or The Sony Walkman from the 80’s or when MTV played videos. The 90’s gave us Zima beer and we were all doing the Macarena.

These all part of our long forgotten items and fads that didn’t stand the test of time.

It was in August of that year that President Richard M. Nixon resigned in disgrace after the Watergate scandal that brought down his presidency.

In 1974, television shows like Happy Days, Little House on The Prairie,  Good Times and Nova debuted.

The top 5 grossing movies of 1974 were The Towering Inferno, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Earthquake and The Trial of Billy Jack.

The top 5 charting songs of 1974 were in order from number 1, Love Will Keep Us Together, Captain and Tennille, Rhinestone Cowboy, Glen Campbell, Philadelphia Freedom, Elton John, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”, Freddy Fender and “My Eyes Adored You”, Frankie Vallie.

The top books from 1974 were, “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein, “Carrie” by Stephen King, and “Jaws, by Peter Benchley.

The average price of gas in 1974 was 53 cents per gallon,  a gallon of milk was $1.74,  bread was 25 cents,  and you could buy a dozen eggs for 78 cents.

as you can see, life was a lot more affordable back in 1974. For folks who remember probably didn’t think so at the time. A trip to the grocery store today would certainly give anybody from 50 years ago. Sticker shock. Who would’ve thought that you could pay up to eight dollars for one dozen eggs?

A guy accidentally invented a weak glue in 1968, but didn't know what to do with it. Six years later, another guy wanted a way to bookmark pages in his hymnal book at church, and Post-Its were born.

Invented in 1974 by a guy Hungarian guy named Erno Rubik.  He originally called them "Magic Cubes"

A guy from New Jersey named Joe Woodland came up with the idea, and drew it in the sand while vacationing in Florida.  The first bar code was scanned on June 26th, 1974, and then completely revolutionized shopping.

Cream-based liqueurs are common now, but it debuted as the first Irish cream on the market in 1974

 Dr. Henry Heimlich described it in an article in 1974.  It started as a theory, and it turned out it worked really well.  Before that, the advice was to smack a choking person on the back over and over again.