Government and International Relations

• The War Powers Act restricts the president from engaging in long-term warfare.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The United States' lengthy involvement in Vietnam ended in 1973. The Vietnam War led to the War Powers Act that requires congressional approval for the president to engage U.S. forces in combat for more than 60 days. The Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 devastated Afghanistan and left the country vulnerable to extremist groups, such as the Taliban. The United States supported Taliban efforts to overthrow the Soviet Union and helped the organization gain power, as reported by the website Madre. In 1979 the Ayatollah Khomeini introduced Islamic Law and declared the United States an enemy to Islam. This sentiment created the events that led to the Iranian Hostage Crisis, setting the tone for United States relations with Islamic nations.
  
  

The Oil Crisis

• Foreign relations led to increased fuel costs in 1973.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  By 1973 the United States had depleted almost all internal oil reserves and was dependent on foreign oil. Egypt and Syria invaded Israel on October 6, 1973. The United States supported Israel. Arab nations and Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, attacked the United States with an oil embargo and raised oil costs to the United States. The oil crises led to creating the Alaskan pipeline and reducing the national speed limit to 55 mph on highways and freeways.
  
  

Health Care

• Ultrasound advanced prenatal care.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  The first successful test tube baby was born in England in 1978. In vitro fertilization revolutionized reproductive health by allowing individuals who are not able to conceive naturally to still be able to have children of their own. Developments in ultrasound technology advanced throughout the 1970s. Ultrasound allows doctors to estimate size and weight, monitor fetus development and determine the baby's sex. People no longer have to wait and see if they will have a healthy boy or girl.
  
  

Computer and Entertainment Technology

• Personal computers would not exist without microprocessors.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  The microprocessor or microchip introduced in 1971 launched the computer era. Microsoft was founded in 1975 and the first Apple Computer debuted in 1976. The floppy disc, also introduced in 1971, completely changed data storage and retrieval methods. The first video game, Pong, was released in 1972. The VHS, or video home system, debuted in 1975 and became the format of choice until DVD technology took over around the turn of the century. The Sony Walkman was introduced 1979. Inventions and advancements in computer and entertainment technology changed American culture and how Americans live.