33 Vintage Facts From the 1970s You Didn’t Know

In July 1975, a 17 year old boy was killed while riding his moped. He was killed exactly a year after his 17 year old brother was killed while riding the same moped, in the same intersection, by the same taxi driver carrying the same passenger.

27. The Red Bull was actually created in Thailand in 1976 as an energy drink for truck drivers.

28. In 1970, the Oregon Highway Division attempted to blow up a washed ashore dead sperm whale, using half a ton of dynamite, to dispose of its rotting carcass. The explosion threw whale flesh over 800 feet away, crushing cars and almost killing bystanders.

29. The company behind ITT Tech was once one of the biggest conglomerates on Earth. They grossed $8 billion in 1970, were heavily involved in the Brazilian and Chilean coups, and were recently fined $100 million for violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

30. In 1975, $10 million worth of Huey helicopters had to be pushed off the flight deck of the USS Midway and into the sea to make way for the emergency landing of an aircraft with Vietnamese evacuees on board.

In 1975, a man named Alex Mitchell died of laughter watching the "Kung Fu Kapers" episode of 'The Goodies'. The skit featured a kilt-clad Scotsman with bagpipes battling a man with a black pudding. His widow later sent 'The Goodies' a letter thanking them for making the final moments of her husband's life so pleasant.

32. During 1976 Olympic relay, the flame was transmitted as a radio signal from Greece to Canada, triggering a laser beam to relight the fire.

33. During the 1979 British Columbia election, MLA Frank Calder was defeated by one vote. He later admitted that he and his wife had neglected to vote.