This Week's Saturday Six

Here's the Saturday Six from this week. I was surprised to see that Patrick was born in 1969. He just seems older. Anyway, here it is.

1. Take the quiz: What happened the year that you were born?

2. Of the events mentioned, which would you most liked to have witnessed in person?

3. Of the people mentioned, who would you most like to meet in person?

4. Of the people mentioned, who would you least like to meet in person?

5. Which of the events do you think had the most profound effect on history?

6. Which of the events do you think contributed the most to our culture?

In 1970 (the year you were born)

Richard Nixon is president of the US A federal jury finds the "Chicago 7" innocent of conspiring to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention The lunar spacecraft Apollo 13 splashes down in the Pacific after near catastrophe The first Earth Day is marked by millions of Americans participating in anti-pollution demonstrations At Kent State University, National Guardsmen fire into a crowd killing four student antiwar demonstrators A powerful earthquake claims 50,000 lives in Peru 18 year olds are given the right to vote in federal elections Tidal wave driven by cyclone from Bay of Bengal hits East Pakistan, killing hundreds of thousands An anti-war rally is held at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, attended by John Kerry, Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, Andre Agassi, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Damon are born Baltimore Orioles win the World Series Kansas City Chiefs win Superbowl IV Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup Tearjerker Love Story is the top grossing film I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is published "The Long and Winding Road" becomes the Beatles' last Number 1 song

As a floating observer, I'd most like to have seen one of the two disasters, but on a more realistic level, I'd probably pick the World Series.

If it's cheating to say that I'd most like to meet the Apollo 13 astronauts or the (surviving) Beatles, since they're not specifically mentioned as individuals, then I'd probably pick Queen Latifah. She's the most interesting out of all of those people.

I would least like to meet Jane Fonda. Or maybe Maya Angelou.

Of those events, I'd imagine that Kent State is the one that had the most profound historical effect. I really don't think that any of them are that profound, although if you take the Nixon presidency as an event, that might count. As a nation, we're still feeling the effects of that, and the current administration certainly isn't helping.

Culturally, the Beatles in general would have to win that contest.