Life in America in 1978: What We Watched, Ate and Drove

Remember the telephone cord you stretched around the corner for a little privacy? The sound of a favorite TV show calling you into the living room? The Sears Wish Book pages you kept coming back to? Step back into everyday life in America in 1978—from the kitchen table and Saturday grocery run to neighborhood games, Atari joysticks, and evenings gathered around the television. Along the way, revisit the arrival of Garfield, the excitement of Kenner’s Star Wars figures, Grease and Superman on the big screen, and the records and tapes that became the soundtrack to ordinary days. Every home had its own story. Come revisit the little details that might bring yours back. CHAPTERS 00:00 Step Back Into 1978 01:18 The Kitchen Table and Morning Newspaper 02:45 Making the Family Budget Stretch 03:25 Phone Calls, Busy Signals, and Privacy 04:31 A Ride in the Family Car 05:41 Saturday at the Supermarket 07:47 Neighborhood Games and Childhood Freedom 08:58 Atari Takes Over the Television 09:49 Star Wars Toys and the Cardboard Promise 10:58 Going to the Movies: Grease and Superman 12:09 Records, Cassettes, and Your Favorite Songs 13:35 Planning the Evening Around TV 14:55 Dreaming Through the Sears Wish Book 15:54 Letters, Packages, and Familiar Handwriting 16:37 The People Behind the Memories What is one detail you remember from 1978—and where do you remember it? Tell us your town, your favorite store, or the person you wish could walk through that door again. Subscribe to America, As We Lived It for more journeys through the everyday life you remember. #1978 #AmericanNostalgia #LifeInThe70s