Overview
That’s right. We haven’t always offered civil engineering, but we have for a LONG time. Since 1973, which — if you were around then (or even if you weren’t and just like looking back through the history books) — looked a little something like this:
Politics
Richard Nixon is President.
Watergate hearings begin.
Ruling on Roe v. Wade.
U.S. ends its involvement in the Vietnam War.
An oil embargo triggers the 1973 energy crisis.
Culture
Population: 211,908,788
Life expectancy: 71.4 years
Average cost of new house: $32,500
Average annual income: $12,900
Cost of a gallon of gas: 40 cents
Cost of a dozen eggs: 45 cents
Cost of a first-class stamp: 8 cents
Academy Award, Best Picture: The Godfather
American rock band Aerosmith releases their debut album.
Sports
Super Bowl VII: Miami d. Washington (14-7)
World Series: Oakland A’s d. NY Mets (4-3)
Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens d. Chicago Blackhawks (4-2)
Battle of the Sexes: Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in a televised tennis match at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. (With an attendance of 30,492, this remains the largest live audience ever to see a tennis match in U.S. history. Televised in 36 countries, the global audience was estimated at 90 million).
Technology
Skylab, the first American space station, is launched.
The first handheld mobile phone call is made by Martin Cooper of Motorola.
Federal Express officially begins operations, delivering 186 packages.
A patent for the ATM is granted.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the technology behind MRI scanning, is developed.
Architecture, Engineering, Construction
The Sydney Opera House officially opens after 14 years of construction.
The World Trade Center (1973-2001) officially opens (April 4) in New York City, only to be overtaken as the world’s tallest building* less than a month later by the Sears Tower.
The Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in Chicago finishes (May 3), becoming the world’s tallest building (held until 1998, when it was overtaken by the Petronas Towers in Malaysia).
Walter P Moore forms subsidiary Turner Moore Cummins Zimmerman to provide civil engineering services.
* The World Trade Center is recorded as the world’s tallest building from 1971 (when the 2nd tower topped out) to 1973. It was preceded by the Empire State Building.
