A 1970s Time Capsule from #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z – N is for Nerf Ball

A 1970’s Time Capsule

POP CULTURE

Be sure to visit my News and Noteworthy post today as well.

In 1970, the Nerf ball was introduced as the “world’s first official indoor ball”, the name “Nerf” being a slang term for the foam padding used in off-road racing. Marketing slogans promised that one can “Throw it indoors; you can’t damage lamps or break windows. You can’t hurt babies or old people.”

The ball filled a strong consumer need and by the year’s end, more than four million Nerf balls had been sold. The four-inch (102 mm) ball was followed by a large version called “Super Nerf Ball”. Shortly after, in 1972, a basketball game called “Nerfoop” and the Nerf football joined the family, with the latter quickly becoming Nerf’s most popular ball.

Peyton Manning and the Nerf football

 

A to Z on the Music Charts

Night Fever by the Bee Gees reached number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 on March 18, 1978 and stayed there for eight weeks.

A to Z At the Movies

Not the top grossing film of 1978 but number 7 for the decade, National Lampoon’s Animal House was a big hit.  It was number 36 on AFI’s 100 years; 100 laughs and one of America’s best loved comedies.

 

All images in this article are in the public domain. For any YouTube clips embedded in my posts, I am not the uploader.