1974 took the first step toward a technology that would eventually guide travelers everywhere. The launch of Navstar 1 marked the beginning of the satellite system that would grow into the Global Positioning Service used around the world today.
Puzzles and play found a new icon when Hungarian professor Erno Rubik invented the Rubik's Cube, a colorful challenge that would go on to captivate solvers of all ages across the globe.
Music fans celebrated as ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo," launching the Swedish group toward international stardom, while sports audiences watched athletes continue to set new standards of performance and endurance.
Looking back, 1974 blended scientific groundwork with playful creativity, reminding the world that innovation can come in forms as different as an orbiting satellite and a pocket-sized puzzle.
A brighter side
Notable constructive milestones
The first successful GPS satellite was launched
Navstar 1 began the development of satellite navigation technology.
1974 on Wikipedia
Want to explore this subject in more depth?
Read about 1974: Finding the Way by Satellite on Wikipedia