Turning 70 in 2017—the list

From fast cars to flying toys—and some pretty great music.

By Bob Vavra, CFE Media December 12, 2017

We know what you’re thinking: The 70th anniversary of Plant Engineering is a big event, so why haven’t we heard more about it outside of Plant Engineering? We wondered the same thing. Then we took a look at other people and institutions turning 70 years old in 2017, and we understood a little better.

Here’s just a partial list of the other notable 70-year-olds in 2017:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. He was so dominant in his day that college basketball outlawed dunking for a decade.

“The Diary of Anne Frank”: First published in 1947, it is a teenager’s account of hiding from the Nazis for two years during World War II. It is considered required reading in high school English class.

Richard Dreyfuss: Maybe there ought to be a game called ‘Six Degrees of Richard Dreyfuss’. Think of his film work: “American Graffiti”. “Jaws”. “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. “Mr. Holland’s Opus”. His Academy Award-winning role in “The Goodbye Girl”. And one of my personal favorites, “What About Bob?”.

The Ferrari: Not terribly practical for a trip to the grocery store, but doesn’t everybody want to drive one just once?

Mick Fleetwood: Half of the naming convention for Fleetwood Mac, one of the 1970s biggest bands. He’s the guy in the back, drumming like there’s no tomorrow.

The Frisbee: The name ‘Frisbee’ wasn’t coined until 1957, but the company that originally made the aerodynamic plastic disc was created 10 years earlier.

Elton John: That’s SIR Elton John to you. The flamboyant rock pianist has tried his hand at all forms of music, including a rock score for the opera “Aida.”

Stephen King: The author of every modern nightmare we have, from “The Shining” to “Carrie” to “It”.

David Letterman: Comedian, late night talk show host and the man who gave us Stupid Pet Tricks.

Meat Loaf: His album “Bat Out of Hell” released in 1977 still sells an estimated 200,000 copies a year, and had sold more than 43 million copies worldwide. And speaking of albums…

The LP record: My generations didn’t know anything but the 33-1/3 long-playing record, but it wasn’t until 1947 that the LP was introduced. It has made a comeback in recent years, an analog solution in a digital age.

Carlos Santana: One of rock’s greatest guitarists, Santana’s early 1970s albums were a unique mix of rock, reggae and soul. He reinvented his career in the 2000s in collaboration with singers such as Rob Thomas and Michelle Branch.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Former California governor and Terminator. Seems like an appropriate place to end the list.