Lighting up our lives in the portrait below is critically acclaimed singer, author, and actress Debby Boone, singer/songwriter of the 1977 hit single, “You Light Up My Life.” Noted as one of the most popular songs of the 1970s, it was this very song that first brought Boone to fame. Following the single’s release, the song spent a record-breaking 10 weeks as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100-chart. It was not until 1991—an astonishing 14 years later—that pop band Boyz II Men would finally take over the songs’ spot on the charts, claiming the title for a total of 13 weeks.
Following her nearly unrivaled success with her hit single, Boone went on to transition over into the world of country music, where she proved her worth as more than just a one-hit-wonder. In 1980, the release of her No. 1 hit country song, “Are You on the Road to Lovin’ Me Again” earned Boone’s much-praised reputation as a country singer. Later that decade, Boone would again shift musical genres, this time exploring the world of Contemporary Christian music.
Family Feud: the Soap-operish Antics of the Campbells and the Tates (1977-1981)
Pictured in the below photo is the cast of “Soap,” a popular comedic television show following the “soap-operish antics” of the Campbell and Tate families. On air from 1977 to 1981, this primetime comedy show was created as a parody of television soap operas. As if the premise behind the series wasn’t funny enough, the hilarious acting performances of cast members like Katherine Helmond, Richard Mulligan, and a young Billy Crystal only made this comedic parody series even better.
By bringing topics like homosexuality, prostitution, and murder to the screen—subjects considered taboo in the late 1970s—“Soap” was a show considered way ahead of its time, on multiple levels. Throw in alien abductions, demonic possession, and a little kidnapping on the side, and you’ve got yourself a bold, iconic television show, one which quickly earned itself a loyal, dedicated fanbase! Not known to many of the sitcom’s fans, this controversial show was actually almost canceled before being aired on TV!
On Set: Audrey Hepburn - ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, 1961
The photo below illustrates the style, class, and beauty that is Audrey Hepburn: the “sweet-natured, doe-eyed British actress,” whose iconic performance in the film, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) made her an overnight success in the world of film and fashion. However, despite her instant rise to fame in Hollywood, as the years passed by, Hepburn found herself spending less and less time acting in films, dedicating more of her time to her work with the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Despite her decreased appearance in the limelight, still, Hepburn’s fanbase remained stronger than ever. To this day, she remains one of America’s most beloved sweethearts. Her activist work with the UN eventually led to her position as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, where she worked alongside volunteers in some of the poorest and most destitute communities across Africa, South America, and Asia.
A Smiling Nadia Comaneci, World-renowned Romanian Gymnast, Performing on the Floor - Summer Olympics, 1976
In her element, the below photo captures famed Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci as she strikes a pose during her floor exercise performance, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. During this international gymnastics competition, the talented Comăneci—only 14-years old at the time—would go down in history as the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect 10.0 score at the Olympic Games, earning not just one, but a whopping 7 perfect 10’s; a score which earned the gymnast a total of three gold medals by the end of these Olympic games.
At the next Summer Olympics, held in 1980 in Moscow, Russia, Comăneci would compete once more, scoring two more perfect 10s, earning an additional two gold medals. By the end of her career, Comăneci would go on to win a total of nine Olympic medals, as well as four World Artistic Gymnastics Championship medals. Today, she is regarded as one of the world’s top gymnasts and is widely known for successfully popularizing this sport across the globe.
They’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat. Happy Fishermen Pose With Their 300-lb Halibut Prize - Alaska, 1969
Now that’s a big fish! The photo below perfectly captures the emotions felt by two lucky fishermen, just moments after successfully catching a whopping 300-pound halibut fish off the coast of Alaska back in 1969. Originally submitted on Reddit by the son of the bearded fisherman on the right, it was not long before this vintage photo of the Reddit user’s dad and his old friend posing alongside their enormous trophy fish soon went viral.
And as if the size of the Halibut pictured below isn't unbelievable enough, believe it or not, bigger fishes have been caught. Currently, the record for the largest Pacific Halibut was broken in 1996, after fishermen caught an Alaskan Halibut weighing in at 459 pounds.