Reflecting on 2 significant US celebration years

Condensing a journey of 50 years accurately in one short commentary is just not feasible. But still, this July 4, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with what we hope will be a memorable combination of fireworks, patriotism and backyard barbeques. But while we ponder what is going to happen, this is also an opportunity to look back at the year 1976, when we celebrated our bicentennial with grand celebrations and to compare life and events while celebrating our semiquincentennial this year. One must not forget that how this writer viewed the world 50 years ago differs significantly from today. What seemed important then may not seem so now. President Gerald Ford was in charge, having taken over after President Richard Nixon's exit from the White House in 1974 due to Watergate. Ford subsequently lost the November election that year to Jimmy Carter. The Vietnam War ended the year before, but it still hit us hard. The American economy was recovering from a recession in 1976 with 30-year home mortgage interest rates running close to 9 percent. But still, a man holding a full-time job could somehow manage to raise a family and own a home and a car on a single income. And in-state tuition at a California State University was around $100 a semester. On television, Happy Days was ruling the ratings and personal favorites included M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, The Jeffersons, The Six Million Dollar Man and Welcome Back, Kotter. 1976 was also the year of Sylvester Stallone's first Rocky movie. In the world of musical entertainment, Stevie Wonder released Songs in the Key of Life, The Eagles released Hotel California and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours also ruled the charts. And a relative unknown by the name of Peter Frampton really captured our collective attention and mesmerized us with his Frampton Comes Alive! album. In sports, Nadia Comăneci scored the first perfect 10 in gymnastics during the 1976 Olympics. This was also the year I started following the NFL and the NBA when the Pittsburgh Steelers were the top team in football and the Boston Celtics ruled basketball. And the final of the World Cup of soccer was won by Czechoslovakia, which beat West Germany. Incidentally, neither country exists today. And finally in 1976, California's Silicon Valley was still getting off the ground, as companies like Intel were targeting a challenging 3-micron integrated circuit manufacturing technology (the 1-micron barrier was not commercially broken till 1984). And in a leap forward in the realm of personal computers (PCs), Apple Computer was also founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and released its first Apple 1 PC. And there were still orchards running in Santa Clara County. Now jumping to 2026, 50 years later America celebrates 250 years of existence. The change and the journey has been quite incredible. Donald Trump is in the White House for the second time and is running possibly the most unique presidency in the history of the US. His style of management has certainly not been seen in the more than 50 years I have lived in this country. The upcoming mid-term elections in November should be interesting. The American economy looks strong but the continued crisis in housing affordability is negatively impacting the American Dream of owning a home for many young people who are already starting with a burden of student loans, with costs to attend a CSU running more than $3,200 per semester for undergraduates, with additional campus fees and living expenses. Wise students today start by attending local community colleges to save money. The top-rated TV shows are difficult to pinpoint because the number of channels available today is just too many to follow. The top movie of the year domestically thus far has been The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. And in music, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Ella Langley and Drake have ruled the charts. Incidentally, I now primarily get all such information from our kids! Plus, immediate entertainment access does not stop at borders thanks to the global online communication revolution. And we are saturated with news. Going outdoors into nature still provides a respite. In sports, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl early this year by defeating the New England Patriots. The Los Angeles Dodgers rule Major League Baseball and will try for a three-peat. In the NBA, we saw the return of the New York Knicks, who won basketball's most coveted trophy for the first time in 53 years. And as I write this column, soccer's World Cup is going on, and the USA team is a strong contender. There is little silicon-based manufacturing left in "Silicon Valley," as the tech industry there first transformed into software and is currently pursuing Artificial Intelligence (AI) vigorously. Forget microns, globally, nanometer circuit manufacturing technology has now been successfully conquered. And in 2026, we are carrying more computing power in our smartphone than the Apple 1 PC could have ever dreamed of. Yes, the world has made great strides in technology, and our country is still the leader in innovation. In closing, the past 50 years have been kind to America even though it has been a struggle. Let us remain positive about this country as it continues to lead the world in innovation and helps to bring positive changes to our lives. There are still major challenges, like the fight against cancer, and there is no cure for autism. And that is just a start. But America has never ignored challenges. So let us celebrate the 250th anniversary of our existence. There is plenty to be hopeful and proud of.