The year of 1970 is one of the most exciting years of the century. It follows Woodstock and is before the Watergate scandal. Nixon is President and is doing a reasonably good job at it, Southern California has one of its worst brush fires in history, teenagers begin to smoke cigarettes in growing numbers. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll meets President Nixon and the government becomes more interested in air and water pollution. U.S. Army engineers sink an obsolete liberty ship, carrying 12,540 canisters of nerve gas. Drug overdoses climb to an extreme, costing some famous musicians their lives.

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• Kansas City Chiefs wins Super Bowl IV beating the Minnesota Vikings 23 to 7 in New Orleans on January 11.
• Joe Frazier once again wins the world heavyweight boxing title on February 16 by knocking out Jimmy Ellis in the fifth round of the championship bout in New York City.
• Earth Day, April 2, is the first mass demonstration against pollution of the earth, and other desecrations that are harmful to the planet. Environmentalists block off streets to raise awareness of threats to the Earth.
• A television address is made on April 30 by President Nixon announcing that he has ordered the U.S. combat troops into Cambodia to destroy the North Vietnamese headquarters. The action is no doubt intended to save American lives, he insists, and is essential to his plan for "Vietnamizing" the war.
• At noon on May 4, a rally erupts at Kent State University, to protest the growing of the war in Southeast Asia. National Guardsmen make the decision to open fire on the 1,000 students participating in the rally, four are killed, including two young women, eight other students are wounded.
• Police bullets attack a student dormitory at Jackson State College in Mississippi on May 14, killing a student and a high school senior from the local school, both were African American.
• 90 percent of the downtown area of Corpus Christi, Texas is destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Celia on August 3. Some winds reach up to 145 miles per hour.
• Jimi Hendrix, one of the world's most influential guitarist, dies September 18, from inhaling his own vomit, after some form of drug use, in his London apartment at the age of 27.
• The first ever New York Marathon begins on September 23 with 126 runners who circle Central Park for a total of four times. Gary Muhrke, a fireman from Far Rockaway, NY wins the marathon.
• Janis Joplin dies of a drug overdose at Hollywood, Calif., October 3 at the age of 27.
• On December 2 congress creates The Environment Protection Agency. It will have 9,000 employees and a budget of $2 million per day. It will be the largest U.S. regulatory agency within 5 years.
• President Nixon signs the Clean Air Act in December. It is the best effort yet, compromises were made with auto makers. (They are given 6 years to develop engines that are 90 percent emission free)
• The Poison Prevention Packaging Act is passed by Congress December 30. It requires that manufacturers of drugs, sulfuric acid, turpentine, and other potentially dangerous products put safety tops on their containers so that children will not be able to open them.
• Ziploc bags are created.
• A restriction enzyme is discovered by United States biochemist Hamilton O. Smith, 39,  U.S. biologist Daniel Nathans, finds that the enzyme can break up the DNA of a tumor virus, which led to a complete genetic mapping of the virus. U.S. microbiologist David Baltimore, 32, demonstrates the existence of a viral enzyme that reverses the normal DNA-to-RNA process.
• The National Research Council warns expectant mothers in the United States not to watch their weight gain during pregnancy to an extreme. The committee known as the NRC decides that infant mortalities can literally be cut in half, if mothers allowed themselves a certain amount of extra weight during their pregnancy, which would help the child be more healthy when born. 
• On October 15, the World Series is won by the Baltimore Orioles in a great series of defeats against the Cincinnati Reds 4 games to 1.

Emmy Awards:
Outstanding Comedy: All in the Family (CBS)
Outstanding Drama: The Senator-The Bold Ones (NBC)

13th Annual Grammy Awards:
Record of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
Album of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
Song of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Paul Simon
Best New Artist: The Carpenters

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1970's