There are some moments in history that become powerful touchstones, revisited to reflect and inform a better understanding of the present day. The Russell Library has developed a periodic exhibit series, Now and Then, to revisit pivotal years in modern American history. This summer we invite you to travel back to 1979!
Forty years later, take a look back at this pivotal year in American history and the lasting legacy of the events that filled the public mind for a moment in time. 1979 was the year of the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster and controversial SALT-II treaty negotiations with the Soviet Union. President Jimmy Carter promised to bring the hostages home from Iran as the dramatic situation inside the American embassy unfolded before a national television audience. Americans confronted rising gas prices, and increasingly, gas shortages. The year 1979 witnessed Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat sign the historic Egypt-Israeli Peace Treaty, the Southeast Asian refugee crisis divided national opinion, and the states debate the ratification of a proposed Equal Rights Amendment.
How do you remember 1979?
Now and Then:1979 is on display from June 14 until December 24. The Russell Library Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the exhibit contact Kaylynn Washnock at washnock@uga.edu or 706-542-5788.