Mental Floss

POP CULTURE









Walt Disney Pictures

If you were alive during the first half of the 1980s and lucky enough to have access to HBO, you've probably seen 'Midnight Madness' more times than you can count.

Jennifer M Wood
Gene Hackman, William Friedkin, Roy Scheider, Eddie Egan, and Randy Jurgensen in The French Connection (1971).

'The French Connection' still stands as one of the greatest films of the 1970s because of its gritty visual style, powerhouse performances, and one of the greatest car chase sequences ever put on film.

Matthew Jackson








Vince Bucci, Getty Images

The 'Magnum, P.I.' and 'Blue Bloods' actor has had a career spanning six decades. He also batted for the Detroit Tigers in 1991.

Jake Rossen
kadmy/iStock via Getty Images

Paintball has its origins in the 1970s, when two friends wanted to decide who was more equipped to deal with outdoor survival.

Jake Rossen






Children's Television Workshop/Courtesy of Getty Images

'Sesame Street' ran into problems during its first season in 1970 when a small group of Mississippi television consultants decided it was too controversial. The reason? Black cast members.

Jake Rossen