summarize: In May 1977, the first installment of the Star Wars epic was released in movie theaters. With its dazzling computer-generated special effects and fast-paced action, the film became a blockbuster hit. Star Wars was so popular with moviegoers of all ages, in fact, that it revived the science-fiction film genre. In addition, the movie showcased innovations in computer technology—by the 1970s, technological innovations were transforming everything from movies to medicine.

Steve Jobs cofounded Apple Computer in 1976. Two years later, Apple Computer released the Apple II—an affordable personal computer that revolutionized how people used computers at home and at work. Over the next 35 years, Jobs continued to advance personal computing devices until his death in 2011. Steve Jobs cofounded Apple Computer in 1976. Two years later, Apple Computer released the Apple II—an affordable personal computer that revolutionized how people used computers at home and at work. Over the next 35 years, Jobs continued to advance personal computing devices until his death in 2011.

The Microprocessor Shrinks Computing Devices Computing machines began to influence how Americans worked as early as the 1950s. However, the first computers were large and complicated to use. During the 1970s, new technologies replaced bulky vacuum tubes and transistors with tiny silicon chips, inspiring a computing revolution. For the first time, ordinary Americans could easily purchase and use a personal computer, or PC.

Microprocessors, which were introduced in 1971, facilitated the invention of the PC. In essence, a processor is a computer’s brain—it performs the basic operations that enable a computer to do work. A microprocessor integrates all of the elements of a processor on a piece of silicon, called a chip. As smaller silicon chips were invented, computers and other computing devices began to shrink in size.

The microprocessor inspired an array of new inventions, one of which was the pocket-sized calculator. The first of these, called the Bowmar Brain, hit the U.S. market in 1971. Unlike bulky adding machines, this mini number-cruncher was only a little more than 5 inches high and 3 inches wide. With a $245 price tag, the Bowmar Brain was initially a luxury item. But as the supply of pocket calculators grew to meet people’s increasing demand, prices dropped significantly.

Another popular new product based on microprocessor technology was the video game. The first successful video game was a ball-and-paddle game called Pong, which appeared in game arcades in 1972. In 1975, Pong’s manufacturer, Atari, released a home version of the game in the form of a video game console that connected to a television. To company executives’ surprise, Atari sold 150,000 units that year. During the 1975 holiday season, people waited in lines for hours to purchase a “pong on chip”-powered home video game.

In 1977, a California-based company called Apple Computer released a computer that was small and cheap enough to use at home. By modern standards, the Apple II was slow and had miniscule memory. Yet the Apple II launched the personal computer revolution, selling at a price that middle-class families could afford. Families, businesses, and schools purchased more than 2 million Apple IIs between 1977 and 1993, the end of the computer’s production.

Medical Advances In the 1970s, numerous medical advances improved health care. Inspired by the success of the polio vaccine, researchers developed vaccines for other childhood diseases. By 1971, scientists had developed a combination vaccine to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella, or German measles.

The microprocessor was incorporated into an imaging device that enabled doctors to see inside the body. This computed tomography (CT) scanner, which was introduced in 1974, uses X-ray and computer technology to construct detailed three-dimensional images of a patient’s internal organs. Doctors use CT scanners to spot tumors, bone breaks, and other anomalies that less-advanced technologies cannot detect.

Other medical advances provided options for women who had difficulty getting pregnant. In 1978, the first “test-tube baby” was born in England. In these cases, a woman’s egg is fertilized outside of her body in a process called “in vitro,” meaning “in glass,” because it occurs in a glass test tube or dish. Then, a doctor implants the fertilized egg in the woman’s womb, and pregnancy proceeds as normal. The first American test-tube baby was born in 1981. Although the practice remains controversial, nearly 80,000 babies are born in the United States each year through in vitro fertilization.

Invented in 1971, the microprocessor contributed to the development of pocket calculators, personal computers, and CT scanners. This tiny chip enabled the shrinking of these devices, leading to a personal technologies revolution in the 1970s. The first home video games and computers were invented with the help of microprocessors. Invented in 1971, the microprocessor contributed to the development of pocket calculators, personal computers, and CT scanners. This tiny chip enabled the shrinking of these devices, leading to a personal technologies revolution in the 1970s. The first home video games and computers were invented with the help of microprocessors.

Microwaves and Movies at Home The invention of two electronic devices shaped Americans’ home lives in the 1970s. The first of these was the microwave oven. Although microwave technology had existed since the 1940s, Raytheon did not produce a microwave oven for home use until the late 1960s. Microwave ovens bombard food with radio waves, and as the waves pass through the food, they set molecules of water, fat, sugar, and other elements into rapid motion. This motion causes friction, which creates heat. Foods that take an hour to cook in a conventional oven heat in minutes in a microwave, a feature that appealed to the growing number of working women.

The second electronic device to transform American home life was the videocassette recorder, or VCR, which enabled people to record TV programs on videotape and replay them later. VCR users could also play prerecorded tapes of movies and videotapes they had made using video cameras, or camcorders. VCRs reshaped American entertainment in the 1970s. Previously, people watched movies at theaters or at home on television broadcasts, but with the VCR, movie fans could rent or buy videotapes of movies to watch at any time. In addition, television show viewers no longer had to organize their schedule around broadcast times.