I was born on this day 30 years ago. My sister called me today to wish me a happy birthday and to call me Old Man River. To tell you the truth, it feels great to be 30 and I wouldn’t trade it to be any younger. I make more money, have more knowledge and have a clearer picture of the things I want to accomplish in life. Things have just begun.

Here are some hightlights from 1977 (via StarWars.com):

– Elvis Presley was found dead at his Graceland home. He was 42.
– Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the 39th U.S. president.
– New rock bands who arrived on the scene – The Clash, Talking Heads, B-52s, Def Leppard.
– Cost of a movie ticket is $2.23, while gas is .62 a gallon. A first class stamp is .13.
– Hitting the airwaves for their TV debuts were Three’s Company, Fantasy Island, Eight is Enough, CHiPs, The Love Boat, Soap and Lou Grant.
– The world said goodbye to Freddie Prinze, Joan Crawford, Groucho Marx, Bing Crosby and Charlie Chaplin.
– The world was introduced to the Apple II.
– New York City suffers a 25-hour blackout, resulting in chaos and looting.
– Top-grossing films were Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey and the Bandit, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Wikipedia also has an entry on all things 1977.