“My Mom And Dad In 1973”: 99 Striking Pics From People’s Lives In The 70s

What do Billie Jean King’s tennis match against Bobby Riggs, Pink Floyd’s legendary “Dark Side Of The Moon” album, and the opening of the London Bridge have in common? All of these—and many more—monumental things happened in 1973, a year that many still reminisce about to this day.

But life is not all about monumental events. It’s the little things, too – the picnics with friends, the self-expression through fashion, the fandom of up-and-coming artists, and so much more. That’s what we’re focusing on today – all sorts of moments from people’s lives back in 1973 that show just how different—or maybe similar?—life was back then. If you’re curious to compare the now and then, scroll down to find the pictures on the list below, and make sure to upvote your favorites.

#1 Woman Cutting Her Birthday Cake In Tehran, Iran 1973

Image credits: Plebsplease

#2 My Parents. Married For 46 Years Today! Zwolle, The Netherlands, 1973-Ish

Image credits: TheNameIsPippen

#3 My Father Who Shipped His Bike Over To England And Rode All Over Europe On It – 1973

Image credits: lionhearted828

With the help of the History Channel’s database and similar archives, people now can go back to nearly any day within the last several decades. Take January 14th of 1973, for instance, which was marked by the Miami Dolphins winning Super Bowl VII to cap off the NFL’s only perfect season. Or, when the World Trade Center—the tallest building in the world back then—opened in New York City on April 4th of that same year.

Every day, there is something big happening, and that year was no exception. But what is considered a “big” thing differs from person to person—people who are not that interested in sports, for instance, would argue whether the Miami Dolphins’s win was that big of a deal.

#4 Scarborough, England – 1973

Image credits: blrghh

#5 My Grandparent’s Wedding In India (1973). I Just Visited My Grandma After A Long Time And She Shared This Picture With Me. It Would Make Her Very Happy If She Could See This Photo In Color. I Don’t Have Any Money But I Would Appreciate It If Someone Could Colorize It. Thanks In Advance

Image credits: adhiyodadhi

For some people, the “big” things are the personal ones—like the birth of a child or a wedding, for instance. Well, can you guess how many people were born in 1973?

You are right if you guessed somewhere around 120,000,000. According to Database.Earth, 123,563,931 babies were born around the world in that year (25,032,563 males and 22,540,713 females).

The largest number of births was recorded in China, followed closely by India and Indonesia, respectively.

#6 Greenland Tots, December 1973

Image credits: Vintage National Geographic

#7 Me When Long Was In, 1973

Image credits: dittidot

#8 My Parents On Their Honeymoon 1973

Image credits: Dispositionpsn

As for weddings, according to Statista’s data, the number of couples who got married in 1973 was roughly 46 million. If the love birds who said “yes” back then are still together, they should be celebrating their 52nd anniversary right about now. Congratulations to them!

#9 After The Market, Portobello, London C 1973

Image credits: grepnold

#10 Young Lady Manning The Counter In A General Store, November, 1973

Image credits: Quick_Presentation11

#11 My Grandmother – After Six Kids! – In Manila, 1973

Image credits: white-moon

The year 1973 was also big for music lovers, not only for the aforementioned “Dark Side Of The Moon.” The same year saw the release of David Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane,” Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions,” Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” and Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” just to name a few.

#12 My Mother In 1973, At 3 Years Old, Waiting To Talk To My Grandfather Who Was Deployed In Guinea-Bissau, Fighting The Portuguese Colonial War

Image credits: reddit.com

#13 My Mom And Dad In 1973

Image credits: apoc666apoc

#14 Old Farmer Drinking Wine After Sowing, Roccanolfi, Italy, 1973

Image credits: SirWilburWhateley

Looking back at the music that was popular at the time, it’s clear that it wasn’t all as groovy and upbeat as some might think. Music enthusiasts seemed to enjoy some slower-paced tunes, too. Take the very first week of 1973, for instance—according to Billboard’s archives, the most popular song back then was Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” followed by Gilbert O’ Sullivan’s “Clair.”

#15 McDonald’s Menu During 1973

Image credits: imgur.com

#16 Me On Bass, Minnie On Sax. 1973

Image credits: grantdabassman

#17 A 7-11 In 1973

Image credits: Stupidcat311

Those who care for sports more than they do for music know that, back in 1973, there were way more attention-worthy events in the sports world than just the Miami Dolphins winning the Super Bowl.

In 1973, John Newcombe and Margaret Court won the Tennis Australia Open in men’s singles and women’s singles, respectively (and later the same year, won the US Open, too); the Spanish road racing cyclist Luis Ocaña was #1 in the iconic Tour de France; and the American golfer Jack Nicklaus took 1st place at the PGA Golf Championship (and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame just a year later, in 1974).

#18 Waiting For Gas…1973

Image credits: imgur.com

#19 My Dad. South Africa 1973

Image credits: AdF604

#1 Woman Cutting Her Birthday Cake In Tehran, Iran 1973

#2 My Parents. Married For 46 Years Today! Zwolle, The Netherlands, 1973-Ish

#3 My Father Who Shipped His Bike Over To England And Rode All Over Europe On It – 1973

#4 Scarborough, England – 1973

#5 My Grandparent’s Wedding In India (1973). I Just Visited My Grandma After A Long Time And She Shared This Picture With Me. It Would Make Her Very Happy If She Could See This Photo In Color. I Don’t Have Any Money But I Would Appreciate It If Someone Could Colorize It. Thanks In Advance

#6 Greenland Tots, December 1973

#7 Me When Long Was In, 1973

#8 My Parents On Their Honeymoon 1973

#9 After The Market, Portobello, London C 1973

#10 Young Lady Manning The Counter In A General Store, November, 1973

#11 My Grandmother – After Six Kids! – In Manila, 1973

#12 My Mother In 1973, At 3 Years Old, Waiting To Talk To My Grandfather Who Was Deployed In Guinea-Bissau, Fighting The Portuguese Colonial War

#13 My Mom And Dad In 1973

#14 Old Farmer Drinking Wine After Sowing, Roccanolfi, Italy, 1973

#15 McDonald’s Menu During 1973

#16 Me On Bass, Minnie On Sax. 1973

#17 A 7-11 In 1973

#18 Waiting For Gas…1973

#19 My Dad. South Africa 1973

#20 The Common And, Behind It, The Landscaped Public Gardens Provide Rest And Recreation In Metropolitan Boston. The Young Lady Is Amplifying The Sun’s Rays To Speed A Suntan, April 1973

#21 Jp Tokyo Street Shops And Lanterns – Found Photo, Taken Sometime In 1973

#22 Jp Tokyo Street Market And Kids – Found Photo, Taken Sometime In 1973

#23 My Japanese Uncle Out For A Hike Unknown Location, Japan (1973)

#24 Found Pictures Of My First Car: 1973 Grande With A 351c And 3 Speed Auto. Drove It Every Day From Age 16 (Snuck It Out A Few Times Before That) Until Finishing College. Always Regretted Letting It Sit And Rot Afterwards. Parents Sold It When I Moved To China For A Few Years

#25 The Day I Bought An Old Mercedes, 1973

#26 My Dad In Ahvaz, Iran. He’s Hanging Out With Some American Woman He Met After Fixing Her Car (He Was A Mechanic). 1973

#27 My Mum And Dad – Brighton, England 1973

#28 Midsummer Siesta At City Hall Plaza, August 1973

#29 Portobello 9am, C, London 1973

#30 Hiroshima, Japan 1973

#31 My Grandpa In Egypt As Part Of The Yugoslavian Un Team, Yom Kipur War 1973

#32 The World Trade Center Twin Towers Helicopter 1400 Feet View, 1973

#33 Oyster Farmers In China, 1973

#34 Outdoor Food Market At Haymarket Square. Public Protest Saved The Square From Incorporation Into An Expressway, May 1973

#35 Jp Tokyo Tokyo Tower 2 – Found Photo, Taken Sometime In 1973

#36 My Mom (37) Me (12) 1973 At 6 Flags St. Louis

#37 Glowing! Dinner In China, 1973. Unknown Camera/ Agfachrome. Slide Film Of My Grandfather (Middle), Dslr Scanned By Me

#38 A Neighborhood Of Cave Homes In Yan’an, China. 1973

#39 Stalwart New Englanders Play Ice Hockey In The Public Garden 02/1973

#40 Sidewalk Cafe On Newbury Street, Between Claredon And Dartmouth, May 1973

#41 Holloway Road C., 1973

#42 High School Juniors (Premières) In Tulle, France, 1973

#43 Jp Tokyo Street View 1, Taken Sometime In 1973

#44 1973- My Dad Is The One With The Bow Tie. Here He Is In America. Moved From Aswan, Egypt To Detroit

#45 My Parents During Our Family Vacation In New England, Summer Of 1973

#46 Old Custom House And New Waterfront Apartment Building, May 1973

#47 Boston Harbor – Looking Toward Squantum. Long Island Bridge In Distance, May 1973

#48 Raffaello Sailing To Italy From New York In 1973

#49 My Mom Sitting On The Hood Of My Grandad’s Rally Car In India (1973)

#50 My Fly A** Dad- Gujarat, India 1973

#51 My Father-In-Law (Left) Re-Enlisting Over The Demilitarized Zone Between North And South Vietnam. (1973)

#52 Walt Whitman Bridge Crosses The Delaware River At South Philadelphia, Leads To New Jersey Suburbs, September 1973

#53 Member Of The Charles River Basin Community Sailing Club Enjoy An Evening Sail. For A Dollar A Year, Youngsters Up To Age 17 Can Join The Club And Learn To Handle A Boat, August 1973

#54 Old Bridge On Northern Avenue, May 1973

#55 Fruits And Flowers At The Outdoor Market In Haymarket Square, May 1973

#56 Cleaning Up The Roadside In Onset, May 1973

#57 Public Gardens – A Park In The Heart Of The City, April 1973

#58 Faneuil Square Outdoor Market, May 1973

#59 Outdoor Food Market At Haymarket Square. Public Outcry Saved The Square From Being Incorporated Into An Expressway, May 1973

#60 Commonwealth Avenue Between Arlington And Berkeley Streets, April 1973

#61 Ice Skating In The Public Garden, February 1973

#62 Rocking The Striped Pants In 73

#63 Dr. Suessian Display At Columbian Opticians Shop, Tacoma, Wa, 1973

#65 Commercial Street – Slated For Renewal, May 1973

#66 Felix Street C., 1973

#67 St Pauls, London, 1973

#68 My Dad In The Us Navy While Stationed In Iwakuni Japan Around 1973

#69 City Hall Plaza-A Pleasant Setting For Rest And Conversation, August 1973

#70 Cool Water Falling In Tiers Into Basin At City Hall Plaza Helps To Alleviate The Midsummer Heat, August 1973

#71 Mercantile Wharf Building Is Being Renovated, May 1973

#72 The Common And Adjoining Public Gardens Provide Rest And Recreation In The Center Of Metropolitan Boston, April 1973

#73 Outdoor Food Market At Haymarket Square. Public Protest Saved The Square From Becoming Part Of An Expressway, May 1973

#74 New Apartment Towers On The Waterfront- Seen From Old Bridge On Northern Avenue, May 1973

#75 Picnicking On Great Brewster Island In Boston Harbor, May 1973

#76 Shawmut Avenue In Roxbury Section, Looking Toward Copley Square. John Hancock Building At Rear, February 1973

#77 Boston Harbor – Seen From The Top Of Mystic River Bridge. In Foreground, Massachusetts Port Authority Shipping Facility Has New Equipment That Permits Direct Loading From Ship To Freight Train, February 1973

#79 City Hall Plaza, May 1973

#80 My Mom, Great Grandfather And Me At My First Birthday Party In September 1973. Great Grandpop Was Born In Italy In 1895

#81 Two Americans Stopping For A Cold One In Zermatt, Switzerland While Bumming Around Europe In 1973

#82 Sailboats Of The Charles River Basin Community Sailing Club For A Dollar A Year, Youngsters Up To Age 17 Can Join And Learn To Sail, August 1973