Today’s The 5 on Friday is all about the year 1970 because my birthday is tomorrow May 16th. I was born in 1970. Yes that means I’m in the last year of my thirties. Do you remember the show Thirty Something?

I’m almost out of my thirty somethings so I’m celebrating this 5 on Friday with 5 Cool Happenings in 1970.

1. Isle of Wight Festival 1970

This musical event in 1970 was the largest of early music festivals. At the time, it was said to be one of the largest human gatherings in the world, surpassing the attendance at Woodstock. With a list of over 50 performers including The Doors, The Moody Blues, The Who, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix.

Leonard Cohen performed his song “Suzanne”, how convenient was that?

For information about this year’s Isle of Wight Festival click here.

2. M*A*S*H

The movie MASH premiered in 1970. My father was in Vietnam just a few years before. For reasons he’s never fully explained, he didn’t like the movie or the television show. I’ve always been intrigued by the movie because it seemed a bit taboo at our house. Are you a MASH fan?

3. The First Earth Day

“. . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . ” -American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

Visit earthday.wilderness.org for more info about Earth Day

4. PBS Begins Broadcasting

I’ve been happily watching PBS since I was a kiddo. With unique programming made possible by viewers like me, such as Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Cyberchase, Arthur, Masterpiece Theater, Nature, Independent Lens, and Tavis Smiley.

In my opinion Tavis Smiley has one of the best interview shows on TV.

5. Big Bird on Time

Speaking of Sesame Street, one of my favorite characters, Big Bird, was on the cover of Time Magazine in October of 1970. Here’s a bit about Big Bird from the man who knows him best Caroll Spinney.