Lufia: The Legend Returns is a Role-Playing video game that was released for the GameBoy Color in 2001. It features a long list of characters who each play an important role in the game's development. For information about specific characters, see below. For information on the rest of the game, please see the game's page, linked above.
Playable Characters
There are twelve playable characters that can be found during the regular course of the game's plot. The Egg Dragon is a special character that can only be recruited after a series of sidequests.
Some character details are provided below, so that aspiring players will have some idea of what to expect when playing through the game. However, those who wish to know all there is to know about each character are encouraged to peruse additional resources in order to learn all the details of each character's strengths and weaknesses in battle.
Wain (Age 17)
A young man from the small town of Patos who has honed his skill with a sword by exterminating weaker monsters like red slimes. He longed for adventure and excitement until Seena arrived.
Wain's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Red
Strengths: Balanced statistics and a varied IP Skill set
Liabilities: No outstanding statistics outside of physical Strength
During gameplay players will notice that Wain has a balanced set of statistics with an emphasis on physical strength over magical power. Wain has the unique ability to learn lower-level healing and defensive IP Skills normally learned only by magicians, as well as other supporting skills. Wain's magic repertoire is fairly limited, but he is able to use healing magic and all but the most powerful Ice spells.
Seena (Age 16)
A beautiful young fortune teller who arrives in Wain's town to challenge the riddle of the Death Tower located nearby. she joins Wain on his journey to rid the world of evil.
Seena is eventually proven to be Erim, Sinistral of Death, after Guard Daos is defeated. She claims that she wanted the others to kill Daos so that she could be the only Sinistral and rule the world herself, causing the rest of the group to attack her in their confused rage. After the ensuing battle, the ghost of Daos summons Zalbak, the Infernal God of Flame, who absorbs Erim in order to gain her immense power. The group travels to Doom Island to defeat Zalbak, and Erim, who has returned to her original form as Seena, dies along with him. Before that happens, Seena explains why she had to deceive Wain and the others. She did not want to continue her life as the Sinistral of Death, and so she hid her new identity and traveled around the world looking for strong people who would eventually be able to kill her. Just before she dies, she makes a final prediction--that she and Wain will meet again someday.
Throughout the story, Seena shows that, although she is usually practical, she does have a romantic side. She is the one who urges Wain to travel around the world looking for the stones Rudo needs to win over Maqurine, and she thinks about her future love at several different points. However, she does not let herself get completely carried away, and understands the possibility that love may not be in her future. She also realizes that, despite her natural talent at fortune-telling, she sometimes has to help things along in order to make the client happy, and that there may not be any magic forces behind getting the job done, much to Wain's surprise.
Seena's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Blue
Strengths: Extensive set of magic spells and relatively high Magic Power and Strength
Liabilities: Low Speed rating and few offensive IP Skills
Seena is a unique character in that, while she is a magician with a long list of useful attack, support, and status-changing spells, she also has a fairly high strength rating throughout the game. Given that she has two distinctive sets of weapons that alternatively increase her attack power or magical strength, players have the option of developing her in different directions. Since there are other characters with higher base strength ratings, it may be easier for players new to the game to focus on developing her magical abilities rather than her physical strength. It should be noted that Seena's Speed rating is among the lowest in the game, and so placing her near characters with Yellow Spiritual Force is advised if players want to make the most of her abilities.
Seena herself is blessed with Blue Spiritual Force, and so her natural abilities as a spellcaster are heightened whenever her SF rating is boosted. Though her list of IP Skills is relatively short, Seena can use attack spells of every element except Ice, and is the only character who can use the Light spell to deal bonus damage to undead creatures.
Dei (Age 24)
A kind-hearted yet unlucky thief who gives all the money he steals to the poor of his hometown of Majari on the Epsis Continent.
Dei's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Yellow
Strengths: Very high natural Speed rating and high Resistance to magic
Liabilities: Lower melee attack and defense than other characters
Dei's strength comes from his high Speed rating, and several of his IP Skills turn this natural agility into physical strength. He has a modest but useful set of support and attack magic, and can learn all but the strongest Thunder spells. Another unique feature of Dei's character is that he has unusually high resistance to magic attacks, and placing him on the field when facing enemies who use magic makes these battles much easier. Though his attack power is lower than that of other melee fighters, many of the daggers that he uses to fight have elemental properties, allowing Dei to take advantage of enemy weaknesses. Dei can also equip bows in battle, but their high attack power is balanced by the fact that using a bow makes it impossible for Dei to wear shields. Since Dei's natural defenses are lower than those of other characters, it may be easier to use knives and take less damage.
Aima (Age 26)
A female monk who is constantly training her body to become a "Master of the Fist." She is currently studying under a master of the Jigen-Ryuu fighting school while defending her town from the Garland Gang bandits. In her own words, her biggest obstacle in obtaining her goals is her mental weakness, which she seeks to strengthen on her journey with Wain.
Ruby's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Yellow
Strengths: High Intelligence and Wisdom Ratings and unique IP Skills
Liabilities: Low HP, MP, and Defense Ratings
Ruby has the unique ability to attack twice per turn with her weapons, which take the form of playing cards that deal elemental damage. However, Ruby has a low natural Strength rating, which is is compounded further by the fact that each one of her attacks is weaker than it would be if she only attacked once. Players wishing to make the most of her double attack should place her near characters with Red Spiritual Force to make sure that she can deal damage to her opponents, or Green Spiritual Force to increase her low HP.
Ruby's real power comes from her ability to cast all levels of Fire and Ice magic with ease. Her high Intelligence rating allows her to severely damage to most enemies, and her Yellow Spiritual Force works to increase her low natural MP. In addition, Ruby is able to cast many healing and status-curing spells, and so she is a handy member of any team.
Ruby has a very short list of IP Skills, but many of them are unique and take advantage of her status as a master gambler. Her Double Up skill in particular can become very deadly if players are lucky enough to win several bets in a row, but as soon as the bet is lost, its power becomes zero. Such is the life of a wandering gambler.
Yurist (Age 27)
A wanderer and poet from the village of Tanba who lives by his own rules, taking life as it comes. Though she agrees to join Wain's cause in defeating the Sinistrals, Milka holds disdain for the industrialized human society and longs to live with nature. If Wain and company travel back to the forest after traveling through it once, they will find that a small cottage has been built. Inside lives Maqurine, the mysterious girl whom Rudo loves. It seems that Maqurine has a love of precious stones, as she desires two gemstones hidden deep in caves. After completing several sidequests, the player will find out that Maqurine needed the stones to maintain her human shape, and, now that she has them, she can live with Rudo in happiness. In return for their help, Rudo and Maqurine give Wain and friends the Cat Ring, which bestows an enormous Speed bonus to the female character who wears it.
Keit: A young boy living in the town of Tomis with his mother, the ferry ticket agent. Keit is the only one in Tomis who knows the location of the pirates' secret base, and leads Wein and company to the cave at low tide. Wain asks Keit to watch the ship, and, though the pirates eventually escape on their own vessel, Wain assures Keit that he did a good job.
Nicky: Another young boy from Lidel continent who is interested in pirates. Nicky lives in the fishing village of Cobe, and calls himself "Deckard's Number One Partner." However, everyone else in the village thinks that Nicky is a liar, and Wain is the only one who believes in him. The company asks Nicky to transport them to Alstadt Kingdom using his boat, but they are soon waylaid by a Kingdom battleship. Nicky is knocked out by an errant shell in the ensuing skirmish, and the party is forced to destroy the ship. Nicky learns from this experience that he cannot always rely on Deckard's help, and vows to become a sronger pirate.
Deraf: An elite magician and the Prime Minister of Alstadt Kingdom. Deraf had always dreamed of leading the Kingdom, but did not act on his wishes until thunder struck the Tower of Chaos and he received power from the Sinistral Amon. Deraf then began to put poison in the King's food, which killed him even sooner than he expected. Deraf's next act was to imprison Princess Melphis in a haunted lighthouse and begin collecting weapons for use in a takeover of the entire Lidel continent. In order to do this, he employed pirates to transport cannons and asked General Gohl of the palace guard to find the Ultimate Weapon.
Conas and Karina: A pair of young lovers from the town of Elcorano in the Fante Continent. Conas is a member of the town's local militia and works with the player's party to defeat a dragon in the nearby Mistra Cave. Once Wain and company return to Elcorano, they find that Conas is just about to ask Karina to marry him when another dragon descends on the city. Though the player can defeat the dragon in battle, the characters cannot "kill" it according to the story. A mysterious warrior enters Elcorano and dispatches the dragon in one blow. After this enemy is defeated, Conas approaches the stranger to express his gratitude, and is killed in the same way. The stranger reveals that he is Daos, the Sinistral of Terror, and leaves Karina to grieve for her fallen lover.
Tak: A self-proclaimed "master gambler" from the City of Gamblers, Redwood. Though Tak has enough skill to defeat many an opponent, he has yet to beat the female gambler Ruby, with whom he is hopelessly infatuated. He makes one more attempt to convince Ruby to become his lover during the Monster Track Contest in Azoles Cave, but once Ruby escapes he gives up until the game's epilogue.
Leydock: The man behind the Monster Track Contest held every so often in Redwood, Leydock loves "strong people." Once the player directs Wain to win the contest, the party is invited to Leydock's mansion for a celebratory feast. The characters all express their gratitude for the meal except for Dei, who suspects that something is not right. Indeed, the food had been spiked with a sleeping potion, and Dei is only able to save Wain before the rest of the group is kidnapped. After commenting on the eccentricity with which rich people create dungeons under their mansions , Dei and Wain travel through Leydock's dungeon to discover that he plans on performing taxidermy on the others in order to improve his "collection" of strong fighers. In battle, Leydock insists on being accompanied by his doll-like servants, and if the player is able to defeat them on every round of play (which can be done rather easily if the player levels up enough), Leydock will never attack, as he will waste his turn summoning another minion.
Jan and Sammi: A second set of lovers from the Fante Continent, Jan and Sammi hail from the small village of Tanba at the Northeast corner of the landmass. Jan is a strong man who has infiltrated the Tower of Sorrow in order to figure out what is causing strange weather patterns and freak occurrences in the vicinity of Tanba. Jan joins the party in a short battle against Daos, and defeats the Sinistral once the battle is over. The party realize that Jan, though formidible, could not possibly have the strength to defeat the leader of the Sinistrals, but can do nothing else but return to the city. Upon arriving there, the player will find that Jan and Sammi have finally getten married after a long courtship. However, Daos crashes the wedding, and possesses Sammi, causing her to see Jan as a hideous monster. Seena and Wain try to keep the two apart, but are not able to do so--upon possessing Sammi, Daos also gave her fighting power equal to his own. Yurist, a childhood friend of both Jan and Sammi, tries to intervene, but Sammi is not able to shake off the curse, and ends up seriously wounding Jan. In order to keep his new wife from committing a crime, Jan takes his own life, thus breaking Daos's spell. Throughout the rest of the game, Sammi expresses her remorse for losing her husband, but eventually comes to realize that Jan sacrificed himself so that she could live her life to the fullest.
Playable Characters
There are twelve playable characters that can be found during the regular course of the game's plot. The Egg Dragon is a special character that can only be recruited after a series of sidequests.
Some character details are provided below, so that aspiring players will have some idea of what to expect when playing through the game. However, those who wish to know all there is to know about each character are encouraged to peruse additional resources in order to learn all the details of each character's strengths and weaknesses in battle.
Wain (Age 17)
A young man from the small town of Patos who has honed his skill with a sword by exterminating weaker monsters like red slimes. He longed for adventure and excitement until Seena arrived.
Wain's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Red
Strengths: Balanced statistics and a varied IP Skill set
Liabilities: No outstanding statistics outside of physical Strength
During gameplay players will notice that Wain has a balanced set of statistics with an emphasis on physical strength over magical power. Wain has the unique ability to learn lower-level healing and defensive IP Skills normally learned only by magicians, as well as other supporting skills. Wain's magic repertoire is fairly limited, but he is able to use healing magic and all but the most powerful Ice spells.
Seena (Age 16)
A beautiful young fortune teller who arrives in Wain's town to challenge the riddle of the Death Tower located nearby. she joins Wain on his journey to rid the world of evil.
Seena is eventually proven to be Erim, Sinistral of Death, after Guard Daos is defeated. She claims that she wanted the others to kill Daos so that she could be the only Sinistral and rule the world herself, causing the rest of the group to attack her in their confused rage. After the ensuing battle, the ghost of Daos summons Zalbak, the Infernal God of Flame, who absorbs Erim in order to gain her immense power. The group travels to Doom Island to defeat Zalbak, and Erim, who has returned to her original form as Seena, dies along with him. Before that happens, Seena explains why she had to deceive Wain and the others. She did not want to continue her life as the Sinistral of Death, and so she hid her new identity and traveled around the world looking for strong people who would eventually be able to kill her. Just before she dies, she makes a final prediction--that she and Wain will meet again someday.
Throughout the story, Seena shows that, although she is usually practical, she does have a romantic side. She is the one who urges Wain to travel around the world looking for the stones Rudo needs to win over Maqurine, and she thinks about her future love at several different points. However, she does not let herself get completely carried away, and understands the possibility that love may not be in her future. She also realizes that, despite her natural talent at fortune-telling, she sometimes has to help things along in order to make the client happy, and that there may not be any magic forces behind getting the job done, much to Wain's surprise.
Seena's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Blue
Strengths: Extensive set of magic spells and relatively high Magic Power and Strength
Liabilities: Low Speed rating and few offensive IP Skills
Seena is a unique character in that, while she is a magician with a long list of useful attack, support, and status-changing spells, she also has a fairly high strength rating throughout the game. Given that she has two distinctive sets of weapons that alternatively increase her attack power or magical strength, players have the option of developing her in different directions. Since there are other characters with higher base strength ratings, it may be easier for players new to the game to focus on developing her magical abilities rather than her physical strength. It should be noted that Seena's Speed rating is among the lowest in the game, and so placing her near characters with Yellow Spiritual Force is advised if players want to make the most of her abilities.
Seena herself is blessed with Blue Spiritual Force, and so her natural abilities as a spellcaster are heightened whenever her SF rating is boosted. Though her list of IP Skills is relatively short, Seena can use attack spells of every element except Ice, and is the only character who can use the Light spell to deal bonus damage to undead creatures.
Dei (Age 24)
A kind-hearted yet unlucky thief who gives all the money he steals to the poor of his hometown of Majari on the Epsis Continent.
Dei's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Yellow
Strengths: Very high natural Speed rating and high Resistance to magic
Liabilities: Lower melee attack and defense than other characters
Dei's strength comes from his high Speed rating, and several of his IP Skills turn this natural agility into physical strength. He has a modest but useful set of support and attack magic, and can learn all but the strongest Thunder spells. Another unique feature of Dei's character is that he has unusually high resistance to magic attacks, and placing him on the field when facing enemies who use magic makes these battles much easier. Though his attack power is lower than that of other melee fighters, many of the daggers that he uses to fight have elemental properties, allowing Dei to take advantage of enemy weaknesses. Dei can also equip bows in battle, but their high attack power is balanced by the fact that using a bow makes it impossible for Dei to wear shields. Since Dei's natural defenses are lower than those of other characters, it may be easier to use knives and take less damage.
Aima (Age 26)
A female monk who is constantly training her body to become a "Master of the Fist." She is currently studying under a master of the Jigen-Ryuu fighting school while defending her town from the Garland Gang bandits. In her own words, her biggest obstacle in obtaining her goals is her mental weakness, which she seeks to strengthen on her journey with Wain.
Ruby's Abilities
Spiritual Force: Yellow
Strengths: High Intelligence and Wisdom Ratings and unique IP Skills
Liabilities: Low HP, MP, and Defense Ratings
Ruby has the unique ability to attack twice per turn with her weapons, which take the form of playing cards that deal elemental damage. However, Ruby has a low natural Strength rating, which is is compounded further by the fact that each one of her attacks is weaker than it would be if she only attacked once. Players wishing to make the most of her double attack should place her near characters with Red Spiritual Force to make sure that she can deal damage to her opponents, or Green Spiritual Force to increase her low HP.
Ruby's real power comes from her ability to cast all levels of Fire and Ice magic with ease. Her high Intelligence rating allows her to severely damage to most enemies, and her Yellow Spiritual Force works to increase her low natural MP. In addition, Ruby is able to cast many healing and status-curing spells, and so she is a handy member of any team.
Ruby has a very short list of IP Skills, but many of them are unique and take advantage of her status as a master gambler. Her Double Up skill in particular can become very deadly if players are lucky enough to win several bets in a row, but as soon as the bet is lost, its power becomes zero. Such is the life of a wandering gambler.
Yurist (Age 27)
A wanderer and poet from the village of Tanba who lives by his own rules, taking life as it comes. Though she agrees to join Wain's cause in defeating the Sinistrals, Milka holds disdain for the industrialized human society and longs to live with nature. If Wain and company travel back to the forest after traveling through it once, they will find that a small cottage has been built. Inside lives Maqurine, the mysterious girl whom Rudo loves. It seems that Maqurine has a love of precious stones, as she desires two gemstones hidden deep in caves. After completing several sidequests, the player will find out that Maqurine needed the stones to maintain her human shape, and, now that she has them, she can live with Rudo in happiness. In return for their help, Rudo and Maqurine give Wain and friends the Cat Ring, which bestows an enormous Speed bonus to the female character who wears it.
Keit: A young boy living in the town of Tomis with his mother, the ferry ticket agent. Keit is the only one in Tomis who knows the location of the pirates' secret base, and leads Wein and company to the cave at low tide. Wain asks Keit to watch the ship, and, though the pirates eventually escape on their own vessel, Wain assures Keit that he did a good job.
Nicky: Another young boy from Lidel continent who is interested in pirates. Nicky lives in the fishing village of Cobe, and calls himself "Deckard's Number One Partner." However, everyone else in the village thinks that Nicky is a liar, and Wain is the only one who believes in him. The company asks Nicky to transport them to Alstadt Kingdom using his boat, but they are soon waylaid by a Kingdom battleship. Nicky is knocked out by an errant shell in the ensuing skirmish, and the party is forced to destroy the ship. Nicky learns from this experience that he cannot always rely on Deckard's help, and vows to become a sronger pirate.
Deraf: An elite magician and the Prime Minister of Alstadt Kingdom. Deraf had always dreamed of leading the Kingdom, but did not act on his wishes until thunder struck the Tower of Chaos and he received power from the Sinistral Amon. Deraf then began to put poison in the King's food, which killed him even sooner than he expected. Deraf's next act was to imprison Princess Melphis in a haunted lighthouse and begin collecting weapons for use in a takeover of the entire Lidel continent. In order to do this, he employed pirates to transport cannons and asked General Gohl of the palace guard to find the Ultimate Weapon.
Conas and Karina: A pair of young lovers from the town of Elcorano in the Fante Continent. Conas is a member of the town's local militia and works with the player's party to defeat a dragon in the nearby Mistra Cave. Once Wain and company return to Elcorano, they find that Conas is just about to ask Karina to marry him when another dragon descends on the city. Though the player can defeat the dragon in battle, the characters cannot "kill" it according to the story. A mysterious warrior enters Elcorano and dispatches the dragon in one blow. After this enemy is defeated, Conas approaches the stranger to express his gratitude, and is killed in the same way. The stranger reveals that he is Daos, the Sinistral of Terror, and leaves Karina to grieve for her fallen lover.
Tak: A self-proclaimed "master gambler" from the City of Gamblers, Redwood. Though Tak has enough skill to defeat many an opponent, he has yet to beat the female gambler Ruby, with whom he is hopelessly infatuated. He makes one more attempt to convince Ruby to become his lover during the Monster Track Contest in Azoles Cave, but once Ruby escapes he gives up until the game's epilogue.
Leydock: The man behind the Monster Track Contest held every so often in Redwood, Leydock loves "strong people." Once the player directs Wain to win the contest, the party is invited to Leydock's mansion for a celebratory feast. The characters all express their gratitude for the meal except for Dei, who suspects that something is not right. Indeed, the food had been spiked with a sleeping potion, and Dei is only able to save Wain before the rest of the group is kidnapped. After commenting on the eccentricity with which rich people create dungeons under their mansions , Dei and Wain travel through Leydock's dungeon to discover that he plans on performing taxidermy on the others in order to improve his "collection" of strong fighers. In battle, Leydock insists on being accompanied by his doll-like servants, and if the player is able to defeat them on every round of play (which can be done rather easily if the player levels up enough), Leydock will never attack, as he will waste his turn summoning another minion.
Jan and Sammi: A second set of lovers from the Fante Continent, Jan and Sammi hail from the small village of Tanba at the Northeast corner of the landmass. Jan is a strong man who has infiltrated the Tower of Sorrow in order to figure out what is causing strange weather patterns and freak occurrences in the vicinity of Tanba. Jan joins the party in a short battle against Daos, and defeats the Sinistral once the battle is over. The party realize that Jan, though formidible, could not possibly have the strength to defeat the leader of the Sinistrals, but can do nothing else but return to the city. Upon arriving there, the player will find that Jan and Sammi have finally getten married after a long courtship. However, Daos crashes the wedding, and possesses Sammi, causing her to see Jan as a hideous monster. Seena and Wain try to keep the two apart, but are not able to do so--upon possessing Sammi, Daos also gave her fighting power equal to his own. Yurist, a childhood friend of both Jan and Sammi, tries to intervene, but Sammi is not able to shake off the curse, and ends up seriously wounding Jan. In order to keep his new wife from committing a crime, Jan takes his own life, thus breaking Daos's spell. Throughout the rest of the game, Sammi expresses her remorse for losing her husband, but eventually comes to realize that Jan sacrificed himself so that she could live her life to the fullest.
Born of a family with a long tradition in the martial arts, Nam Anh was initiated to the Shaolin martial way by his grandfather at a tender age.
In 1959, he undertook the study of Wu Tang under the supervision of Grand Master Kwan Say Ming, following a selective admission to become a member of the Chin Woo Athletic Association of martial arts. A combination of circumstances led him to his meeting of Grand Taoist Tchuong Tchong Fu and a mountain retreat with the Grand Master between 1967 and 1969.
From 1969 to 1975, he studied Wing Chun as a disciple of Ho Hai Long (Nguyen Duy Hai being his real name) himself being heir to the teachings of Nguyen Te Cong . It was also at this period that Grand Master Nam Anh and Grand Master Ho Hai Long founded the Chan-Chi-Tao School, where the importance of concentration in the practice of breathing and the spirit are stressed.
Karma introduced him to Hang Van Giai in the camp of Chi Hoa. Bound by the same destiny, the two political captives rapidly became good companions. In these times of great hardships, between 1975 and 1977, he was initiated to the esoteric sciences of geomancy, physiognonomy and divinatory arts . After he was set free, it was also through Hang Van Giai's recommendations that he was able to become Nguyen Minh's intimate disciple between 1977 and 1983. He was then able to complete his studies of Kung Fu : following nearly thirty years of training, Grand Master Nam Anh received the ninth degree red sash and was chosen Head Grand Master of the sixth generation of the Orthodox Shaolin Wing Chun School in Vietnam by delegation of the Diamond Temple. His selection was awarded to his knowledge and the close ties he had developed with modern society. Meanwhile, in 1978, he encountered Liu Ping (a taoist colleague of Tchuong Tchong Fu) who became his spiritual guide.
Exceptionally, in 1980, he firmly undertook the study of orthodox Bak Mei under the leadership of Loo Ping Woon, which would initiate the end of hostilities between the two schools in Vietnam.
While leading an active career in the martial arts, Nam Anh also followed other professional activities :
•Master's degree in International Public Law from the University of Saigon and « Licencié ès Lettres » in French and German languages, at the Faculty of Education of the same institution
•1969-1973 : member of the Association of Journalists in Vietnam, assistant to the editor in chief for the "Vo Thuât" or "Martial arts" magazine
•1973 : member of the Bar of Vietnam
•1973-1975 : legal advisor to the French embassy in Vietnam
•1977-1986 : member of the Association of Jurists in Vietnam
In 1986, upon his arrival in Quebec, he became a professor at the University of Montreal for more than nine years and undertook Ph.D. studies in International Commerce Law.
Nam Anh, founding president of the International Federation of Shaolin Wing Chun Nam Anh Kung Fu also set up the Quebec Order of Anmanatherapists. He is also the author of sixteen different works on martial arts, languages, architecture, oriental medicine, and Chinese astrology, all published in Vietnam between 1969 and 1975.
In 1959, he undertook the study of Wu Tang under the supervision of Grand Master Kwan Say Ming, following a selective admission to become a member of the Chin Woo Athletic Association of martial arts. A combination of circumstances led him to his meeting of Grand Taoist Tchuong Tchong Fu and a mountain retreat with the Grand Master between 1967 and 1969.
From 1969 to 1975, he studied Wing Chun as a disciple of Ho Hai Long (Nguyen Duy Hai being his real name) himself being heir to the teachings of Nguyen Te Cong . It was also at this period that Grand Master Nam Anh and Grand Master Ho Hai Long founded the Chan-Chi-Tao School, where the importance of concentration in the practice of breathing and the spirit are stressed.
Karma introduced him to Hang Van Giai in the camp of Chi Hoa. Bound by the same destiny, the two political captives rapidly became good companions. In these times of great hardships, between 1975 and 1977, he was initiated to the esoteric sciences of geomancy, physiognonomy and divinatory arts . After he was set free, it was also through Hang Van Giai's recommendations that he was able to become Nguyen Minh's intimate disciple between 1977 and 1983. He was then able to complete his studies of Kung Fu : following nearly thirty years of training, Grand Master Nam Anh received the ninth degree red sash and was chosen Head Grand Master of the sixth generation of the Orthodox Shaolin Wing Chun School in Vietnam by delegation of the Diamond Temple. His selection was awarded to his knowledge and the close ties he had developed with modern society. Meanwhile, in 1978, he encountered Liu Ping (a taoist colleague of Tchuong Tchong Fu) who became his spiritual guide.
Exceptionally, in 1980, he firmly undertook the study of orthodox Bak Mei under the leadership of Loo Ping Woon, which would initiate the end of hostilities between the two schools in Vietnam.
While leading an active career in the martial arts, Nam Anh also followed other professional activities :
•Master's degree in International Public Law from the University of Saigon and « Licencié ès Lettres » in French and German languages, at the Faculty of Education of the same institution
•1969-1973 : member of the Association of Journalists in Vietnam, assistant to the editor in chief for the "Vo Thuât" or "Martial arts" magazine
•1973 : member of the Bar of Vietnam
•1973-1975 : legal advisor to the French embassy in Vietnam
•1977-1986 : member of the Association of Jurists in Vietnam
In 1986, upon his arrival in Quebec, he became a professor at the University of Montreal for more than nine years and undertook Ph.D. studies in International Commerce Law.
Nam Anh, founding president of the International Federation of Shaolin Wing Chun Nam Anh Kung Fu also set up the Quebec Order of Anmanatherapists. He is also the author of sixteen different works on martial arts, languages, architecture, oriental medicine, and Chinese astrology, all published in Vietnam between 1969 and 1975.
BROADCASTING OF TV
The term 'broadcasting'means to send out in all direction.The transmitting antenna radiates electromagnetic radio waves that can be picked up by the receiving antenna. The radiation is in the form of rf carrier waves, modulated by the desired information .Amplitude modulation (AM) is used for the pictoure signal.However,frecuency modoulation (FM) is used for the sound signal. Wesee that the desired sound for the televised program is converted by the microphone to an audio signal, which is amplified for the sound signal transmitter. For teransmittionof the picture, the camera tube converts the visual information into electrical signal variations. SOURCE:Miller,M.(1993).Modern Electronic Communication.Prentic-Hall.International,Inc
The term 'broadcasting'means to send out in all direction.The transmitting antenna radiates electromagnetic radio waves that can be picked up by the receiving antenna. The radiation is in the form of rf carrier waves, modulated by the desired information .Amplitude modulation (AM) is used for the pictoure signal.However,frecuency modoulation (FM) is used for the sound signal. Wesee that the desired sound for the televised program is converted by the microphone to an audio signal, which is amplified for the sound signal transmitter. For teransmittionof the picture, the camera tube converts the visual information into electrical signal variations. SOURCE:Miller,M.(1993).Modern Electronic Communication.Prentic-Hall.International,Inc
Pop Culture by the Decade is an attempt to demonstrate different trends through the decades of 1960-1990 (Roughly defined by generation, this means late baby boomers through generation X.) This will describe trends and pop culture in any areas from music, to technology, to cinema and television.
1960's
The sixties was a time of both war and peace, youth, and consequently great change in American popular culture. The youth of the generation, called the “baby boomers” due to the unusually high birth rate after the Second World War, would come to take charge in the late sixties. With people being drafted to Vietnam, protester numbers rose greatly affecting almost all aspects of culture in America. The highs of rock and roll music, rises in black rights, and the summer of love were contradicted by the lows of the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and John Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the disaster of the Altamont Free Concert.
Music
When you look at music from 1960-1969 you will notice that it’s almost as if there are two separate decades put into one. The music from the beginning of the decade was very upbeat with what one could say weaker lyrics.
“Rock n’ Roll music underwent a remarkable transformation during the 1960’s-from songs with fluffy lyrics set to a catchy beat to the more sophisticated and hard hitting approach of rock. Compare anything by the Beach Boys with Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”, or, for that matter, anything by the early Beatles with anything by the later Beatles, and one can hear the difference” (Layman, Richard 1995).
Early `60s
Simple beats ruled the radio in the early ‘60s with hits like “I Fall to Pieces”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Surfin’ USA”, and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Beach Boys, and The Beatles respectively. In this “simply” beginning to the decade favorite artists included Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Elvis was still cracking the charts. The biggest part of this era was the 1964 British invasion, when the Beatles and many other rock bands, made their debut in America. The British invasion would prove to be one of the biggest pop culture engagements in history.
Late `60s
The radical change in music could be contributed to a number of things including the counterculture movement, the Vietnam War, or simply a demand for more refined music. Many of the artists from this time are still remembered as some of the most influential people in pop culture. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Doors, Bob Dylan, and many other bands would become the front runners of popular music. Not only would the bands change but the music drastically altered as well. Bands started to become the voice of the anti-war movement, shouting out lyrics of peace and unity. Not all bands used the stage as a way to voice their political views, the Grateful Dead were never known as political. Bill Kreutzmann, a drummer for the band, once said “Cause you know the Grateful Dead is not a band to get into causes. We’ve never pushed any political candidate”. The psychedelic age started here as well, and music started to experiment with sounds and instruments. A great example of this is comparing an early Beatles album such as “Please Please Me” to one made later like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely hearts Club Band”. In 1967 American culture was at its highest point of anti-war unity, the summer is known as the summer of love. The summer of love had an up rise of art, fashion, and music. Drugs played a big role in all of this, as bands started to experiment with them, which greatly affected their music. In 1969 the Rolling Stones allegedly asked the motorcycle gang “Hells Angels” to watch over the stage, which both sides deny, during the concerts three deaths occurred, two people were killed in hit and run accidents, a third was stabbed to death by some members of Hells Angels. The `60s came to a peaceful end with the historical Woodstock festival in 1969.
Film
Films began to diversify in the `60s as well. A number of hits are being remade by today’s film industry, like The Nutty Professor, The Manchurian Candidate, The Odd Couple, The Love Bug, and The Planet of the Apes. Film series that started in the decade are still around today like Batman and James Bond. The decade started off to a bad start with the March 1960 actors strike that shutdown seven of the eight major studios of the time. Movie makers started to turn Broadway plays into films.
Musicals that proved popular on Broadway were made into movies, including Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. After Marilyn Monroe died, Audrey Hepburn, star of My Fair Lady and Wait until Dark, was the idol of young girls. Disney offered family entertainment in 101 Dalmatians and Pinocchio. Movies became more political, commenting on the arms race as in Dr. Strangelove. Sex became more explicit, and occasionally nontraditional… (Goodwin, Susan 2006)
In no time the industry was up and running again producing such classics as 1961`s West Side Story, 1962’s film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, 1961 and 1968’s Disney animated classics 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, and the great Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Psycho. The Sound of Music became the all time box office leader in 1967, with gross earnings of around 70 million dollars. In 1969, due to the increase of sex among other things the Motion Picture Association of America started their rating system.
Literature/Books
With all the changes going on in America, literature wasn’t left out. Classic books and authors filled the decade, with works like To Kill a Mockingbird, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Godfather. In the early `60s books with sexual themes were greatly controversial, like John Cleland’s Memoirs of a Woman’s Pleasure which was banned in several cities. As the decade grew, however, the grip on sexual topics seemed to slip. In 1961 the book Stranger in a Strange Land became the first science fiction book to be on the best sellers list, redefining what was considered popular. In 1962, following Mark Twain’s death, the highly controversial because of its anti-religious views Letters from Earth, a book written by Mark Twain, is released.
Fashion
Fashion in the `60s was drastically different from past decades. With the young generation in control, many things that would be deemed inappropriate in the past would become popular, and more expansive. Miniskirts were introduced in 1965, and women began to commonly wear trousers. The presidential elections proved to be a fashion show for women, with the first ladies the top models. As a result of the new fashion craze clothes were more expensive than ever before, because of the influence of European fashion fads. Hippies would also play a part in fashion, introducing simple and colorful clothing. The hippies also wanted cheap, preferably homemade clothing, using macramé and beads to design original clothing. They introduced bell bottom pants, which are very much still popular today.
Technology
An age without video games, computers, and microwaves; the `60s weren’t exactly the pioneer technology age. The first tape to record both audio and video was introduced in 1960. The color TV gained popularity in the ‘60s after Walt Disney’s Wonder World of Color premiered in September, 1961. In the science world, the first man, Neil Armstrong, walked on the moon in 1969. Also, there was a huge advancement in the health field when, in 1967, the first artificial heart was planted in a human by Dr. Denton Cooley.
1970s
The 1970s is sometimes thought of as the decade were nothing of significance occurred. It is the decade that followed the 1960s when there was an abundance of social change, music was politically powerful, and technology was making great strides. However, the 1970s, which is easily over looked, did indeed have a lot to offer.
Music
The seventies had many forms of music; some of the most popular types were Soul music, Disco, and Punk rock music. Soul music can be described as a mixture of funk, gospel, and R&B. Much of the Soul music from the 70s is still popular today. Some of the great Soul artists from the era include; Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Sam Cooke. Some of the artists known for Southern Soul are Otis Redding and Joe Tex. Another area of Soul that maybe better known is Detroit Soul. Detroit Soul includes The Supremes, Diana Ross, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye.
Another popular form of music was Disco. Disco was a form of music that was popular in dance clubs; it’s a form of dance pop. Disco was very popular in the early to mid seventies. Not only was it a popular form of music and dance but it crossed over into the cinematic industry with Saturday Night Fever. Disco music stemmed off from some of the soul music that was popular in the 1960s. Some of the most well known disco artists of the seventies were; Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Village People, KC and the Sunshine Band, Jackson 5, Barry White, and Abba.
The 1970s also brought about Punk Rock. Punk Rock music became popular during the mid-1970s. Punk was anti-establishment rock music. It was different than all other forms of rock music. Punk songs were faster and harder rock songs that other genres of rock music. Many of the punk bands that were popular in America came from Britain. Some of these bands include Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash.
Fashion
Fashion in the 1970s is hard to pinpoint. Unlike many of the decades preceding it the 70s fashion had a variety of popular clothing styles. Hemlines were long (peasant dress) or short (miniskirt or hot pants). Large colorful patterns were popular at the beginning of the 1970s, but towards the end solids in whites and grays were more popular. Glitter and metallics were also very popular. Pants had gained more popularity and it was more acceptable to see a female in pants now than ever before. Men became more casual as well. Some of the male clothing became jock inspired. During this decade a little bit of everything was popular and some styles of clothing were more socially acceptable than previous decades.
Technology
A lot happened during the 70s in technology. During this time scientists discovered the danger of DDT and CFCs; the realized that use of these chemicals was depleting the Ozone layer. They also discovered the after affects of Agent Orange, a chemical used in Vietnam to destroy the heavily covered jungle areas. They released studies that proved Agent Orange caused birth defects, cancer, and nerve damage for those who came in contact with it.
There was also a lot of space travel that occurred during the 1970s. In 1971 and 1972 there were two lunar landings a year. In May of 1973 Skylab orbited Earth. Apollo 14 landed on the moon and Alan Shepherd hit a golf ball on the moon.
Literature
During the 1970s more African American works were published than ever before thanks to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. For instance the famous poet Maya Angelou published some of her first works. Also more works by women were being published.
Television and Movies
During the 1970s Science Fiction became very popular. An example of this is George Lucas Star Wars. Some other popular TV shows were Hee Haw, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and the Mod Squad. Some of the most popular movies were Love Story, M*A*S*H, and Joe.
1980’s
The 1980’s was definitely a decade of greed. The yuppie (Young Urban Professional) culture emerged based on selfishness, they were also very materialistic. In the early eighties technology took a huge turn. Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Xerox all had their own versions of the personal computer, which was continuously improving, and scientists were beginning to become close to entirely mapping out all three billion nucleotides of the human genome.
Technology
Technology had come a long way by the 1980’s. Computers, which were previously used mainly for business, were becoming more common in households, and even started appearing in schools. In the year 1981, The Columbia was launched. The Columbia was the first ever reusable aircraft. The first mission (1981) only lasted from April 12 to April 14. The shuttle lasted until the 2001 mission. The seven crew members never returned home because upon re-entry of its 28th mission the shuttle exploded. The Challenger’s first voyage was in 1983, and it completed nine missions before bursting only 73 seconds after liftoff in January of 1986. The Challenger was NASA’s second space shuttle orbiter, after the Columbia. The cell phone came into being in the late 80’s. Mainly used for business in the early stages, the big, bulky mobile phones would become smaller and more reliable with technological advances. The 80’s was also a decade for the invention of cable television.
Music
MTV revolutionized the world of music. It was mainly created to debut albums, but later became the home of many types of television shows (especially reality TV). The eighties brought the birth of the compact disc (CD). The first CD was capable of holding up to 99 songs, or a little less than 80 minutes of audio. New genres of music were popularized in the 80’s such as pop, punk, new wave, rap, country, rock, and hip-hop. K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s single Please Don’t Go hit the top of the charts in the early eighties along with the famous Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen.
Fashion
The movie Flashdance (1983) highly influenced eighties fashion. It was very common to see teens wearing tank tops, leg warmers, and tight fitting or torn jeans. It was also a time when things were very big, bold, and brightly colored. It was quite common to see a woman wearing tight bottoms (often leggings), with an oversized top (often a sweatshirt hanging off one shoulder). The decade’s top designers included Donna Karen, Anna Klein and Calvin Klein. Madonna’s leather, chains, and fishnet stockings were a common choice for those not wearing designer clothes, and even Michael Jackson’s glove became a hot item. Teens displayed their individuality with their big asymmetrical haircuts, studded bracelets and belts, along with skinny ties worn over t-shirts. Sneakers were also a huge necessity of the eighties. Pant suits often worn by yuppies had thick shoulder padding, giving a sharp triangular shape to the woman’s figure. During the eighties, it was not uncommon to wear underwear as outerwear. Designers began to create clothes to display the brassiere and underpants (Fukai et al. 622,625).
Books and Literature
10 of the 13 books from the eighties that sold over one million copies came from authors Stephen King, Danielle Steele, and Tom Clancy. Ken Follett, Martin Cruz Smith, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and John le Carre were popular fiction writers of the decade. Popular children’s books include Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (1984), Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1986), and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1986).
Art
The eighties was a huge decade for art, as artists were controversially pushing the envelope. Artists of the decade were mostly modern inspired such as Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Marisol, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein, just to name a few. Andrew Wyeth’s Helga pieces were refused by some museums. Over the fifteen years it took him to complete the project neither Wyeth’s wife nor Helga Testorf’s husband knew. It was a huge surprise to find out so abruptly about “Andrew Wyeth’s Stunning Secret- The Helga Paintings: A Portfolio” (Andrew Wyeth’s Helga, Time Magazine). The works were finally shown at the National Gallery of Art in 1987. The Mapplethorpe exhibits were also highly controversial, and many people protested against them. The photographs displayed homosexual issues, along with sadistic and masochistic acts. Although much of his work was graphic, he also displayed portraits of famous people, which perceived as acceptable. Auctions also brought record prices. In the early eighties ‘Yo’ by Pablo Picasso was bought for $5.4 million, and later in the decade ‘Sunflowers’ was purchased for $39.9 million, and ‘Irises’ went for $53.9 million, both by Van Gogh. In the 1980’s museums became larger, and more widely distributed than ever. When The Museum of Modern Art reopened it was twice as large, and multi-million dollar museums were being opened all over the U.S.
Film and Television
In the early eighties VCR’s became a common household item, and by 1989 over half of all American homes subscribed to cable service. Popular movies of the decade include E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Tootsie, Arthur, Flashdance, Cocoon, Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club, Star Trek, Fatal Attraction, Rain Man, and Driving Miss Daisy. Many anti-family sitcoms were very popular from Roseanne, to Married with Children. Information based shows became bigger than ever as people tuned into 60 Minutes, CNN Cable News, and 20/20. The eighties became known as the decade of the sitcom. The top ten sitcoms of 1989 include, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Roseanne, A Different World, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Golden Girls, The Wonder Years, Empty Nest, 60 Minutes, and Unsolved Mysteries.
1990’s
The 1990’s popular culture evolved immensely from the early nineties to the late nineties. The early half of the decade was marked by grunge music (Nirvana,) the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Beverly Hills 90210, war in the Middle East, Schindler’s List, and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The later half the decade was marked by pop music (The Backstreet Boys,) the Nintendo 64, Friends, war in the Middle East, Saving Private Ryan, and the start of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
There were many trends in the 1990s (as there were with other decades) that are unique to the parts of Generation X and Y that lived in this decade.
The Retro Trend
Pop culture in the 1990s isn’t necessarily as visible today as that of the sixties, but it is arguably the most influential of the past four decades. People tend to remember things from past decades, music, movies, things of that sort. Even things that seemed to be pulled straight from the sixties or seventies had a hint of pure nineties to them. For instance, retro fashions used in the nineties were pulled from the sixties and seventies, but worn not necessarily because of the style, but because people found the idea of being retro compelling.
The retro trend in pop culture went as far as showing up in cars (the rebirth of the Volkswagen Beetle) and movies (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.)
1960's
The sixties was a time of both war and peace, youth, and consequently great change in American popular culture. The youth of the generation, called the “baby boomers” due to the unusually high birth rate after the Second World War, would come to take charge in the late sixties. With people being drafted to Vietnam, protester numbers rose greatly affecting almost all aspects of culture in America. The highs of rock and roll music, rises in black rights, and the summer of love were contradicted by the lows of the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and John Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the disaster of the Altamont Free Concert.
Music
When you look at music from 1960-1969 you will notice that it’s almost as if there are two separate decades put into one. The music from the beginning of the decade was very upbeat with what one could say weaker lyrics.
“Rock n’ Roll music underwent a remarkable transformation during the 1960’s-from songs with fluffy lyrics set to a catchy beat to the more sophisticated and hard hitting approach of rock. Compare anything by the Beach Boys with Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love”, or, for that matter, anything by the early Beatles with anything by the later Beatles, and one can hear the difference” (Layman, Richard 1995).
Early `60s
Simple beats ruled the radio in the early ‘60s with hits like “I Fall to Pieces”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Surfin’ USA”, and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Beach Boys, and The Beatles respectively. In this “simply” beginning to the decade favorite artists included Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Elvis was still cracking the charts. The biggest part of this era was the 1964 British invasion, when the Beatles and many other rock bands, made their debut in America. The British invasion would prove to be one of the biggest pop culture engagements in history.
Late `60s
The radical change in music could be contributed to a number of things including the counterculture movement, the Vietnam War, or simply a demand for more refined music. Many of the artists from this time are still remembered as some of the most influential people in pop culture. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Doors, Bob Dylan, and many other bands would become the front runners of popular music. Not only would the bands change but the music drastically altered as well. Bands started to become the voice of the anti-war movement, shouting out lyrics of peace and unity. Not all bands used the stage as a way to voice their political views, the Grateful Dead were never known as political. Bill Kreutzmann, a drummer for the band, once said “Cause you know the Grateful Dead is not a band to get into causes. We’ve never pushed any political candidate”. The psychedelic age started here as well, and music started to experiment with sounds and instruments. A great example of this is comparing an early Beatles album such as “Please Please Me” to one made later like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely hearts Club Band”. In 1967 American culture was at its highest point of anti-war unity, the summer is known as the summer of love. The summer of love had an up rise of art, fashion, and music. Drugs played a big role in all of this, as bands started to experiment with them, which greatly affected their music. In 1969 the Rolling Stones allegedly asked the motorcycle gang “Hells Angels” to watch over the stage, which both sides deny, during the concerts three deaths occurred, two people were killed in hit and run accidents, a third was stabbed to death by some members of Hells Angels. The `60s came to a peaceful end with the historical Woodstock festival in 1969.
Film
Films began to diversify in the `60s as well. A number of hits are being remade by today’s film industry, like The Nutty Professor, The Manchurian Candidate, The Odd Couple, The Love Bug, and The Planet of the Apes. Film series that started in the decade are still around today like Batman and James Bond. The decade started off to a bad start with the March 1960 actors strike that shutdown seven of the eight major studios of the time. Movie makers started to turn Broadway plays into films.
Musicals that proved popular on Broadway were made into movies, including Sound of Music and My Fair Lady. After Marilyn Monroe died, Audrey Hepburn, star of My Fair Lady and Wait until Dark, was the idol of young girls. Disney offered family entertainment in 101 Dalmatians and Pinocchio. Movies became more political, commenting on the arms race as in Dr. Strangelove. Sex became more explicit, and occasionally nontraditional… (Goodwin, Susan 2006)
In no time the industry was up and running again producing such classics as 1961`s West Side Story, 1962’s film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, 1961 and 1968’s Disney animated classics 101 Dalmatians and The Jungle Book, and the great Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Psycho. The Sound of Music became the all time box office leader in 1967, with gross earnings of around 70 million dollars. In 1969, due to the increase of sex among other things the Motion Picture Association of America started their rating system.
Literature/Books
With all the changes going on in America, literature wasn’t left out. Classic books and authors filled the decade, with works like To Kill a Mockingbird, Where the Wild Things Are, and The Godfather. In the early `60s books with sexual themes were greatly controversial, like John Cleland’s Memoirs of a Woman’s Pleasure which was banned in several cities. As the decade grew, however, the grip on sexual topics seemed to slip. In 1961 the book Stranger in a Strange Land became the first science fiction book to be on the best sellers list, redefining what was considered popular. In 1962, following Mark Twain’s death, the highly controversial because of its anti-religious views Letters from Earth, a book written by Mark Twain, is released.
Fashion
Fashion in the `60s was drastically different from past decades. With the young generation in control, many things that would be deemed inappropriate in the past would become popular, and more expansive. Miniskirts were introduced in 1965, and women began to commonly wear trousers. The presidential elections proved to be a fashion show for women, with the first ladies the top models. As a result of the new fashion craze clothes were more expensive than ever before, because of the influence of European fashion fads. Hippies would also play a part in fashion, introducing simple and colorful clothing. The hippies also wanted cheap, preferably homemade clothing, using macramé and beads to design original clothing. They introduced bell bottom pants, which are very much still popular today.
Technology
An age without video games, computers, and microwaves; the `60s weren’t exactly the pioneer technology age. The first tape to record both audio and video was introduced in 1960. The color TV gained popularity in the ‘60s after Walt Disney’s Wonder World of Color premiered in September, 1961. In the science world, the first man, Neil Armstrong, walked on the moon in 1969. Also, there was a huge advancement in the health field when, in 1967, the first artificial heart was planted in a human by Dr. Denton Cooley.
1970s
The 1970s is sometimes thought of as the decade were nothing of significance occurred. It is the decade that followed the 1960s when there was an abundance of social change, music was politically powerful, and technology was making great strides. However, the 1970s, which is easily over looked, did indeed have a lot to offer.
Music
The seventies had many forms of music; some of the most popular types were Soul music, Disco, and Punk rock music. Soul music can be described as a mixture of funk, gospel, and R&B. Much of the Soul music from the 70s is still popular today. Some of the great Soul artists from the era include; Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Sam Cooke. Some of the artists known for Southern Soul are Otis Redding and Joe Tex. Another area of Soul that maybe better known is Detroit Soul. Detroit Soul includes The Supremes, Diana Ross, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye.
Another popular form of music was Disco. Disco was a form of music that was popular in dance clubs; it’s a form of dance pop. Disco was very popular in the early to mid seventies. Not only was it a popular form of music and dance but it crossed over into the cinematic industry with Saturday Night Fever. Disco music stemmed off from some of the soul music that was popular in the 1960s. Some of the most well known disco artists of the seventies were; Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Village People, KC and the Sunshine Band, Jackson 5, Barry White, and Abba.
The 1970s also brought about Punk Rock. Punk Rock music became popular during the mid-1970s. Punk was anti-establishment rock music. It was different than all other forms of rock music. Punk songs were faster and harder rock songs that other genres of rock music. Many of the punk bands that were popular in America came from Britain. Some of these bands include Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash.
Fashion
Fashion in the 1970s is hard to pinpoint. Unlike many of the decades preceding it the 70s fashion had a variety of popular clothing styles. Hemlines were long (peasant dress) or short (miniskirt or hot pants). Large colorful patterns were popular at the beginning of the 1970s, but towards the end solids in whites and grays were more popular. Glitter and metallics were also very popular. Pants had gained more popularity and it was more acceptable to see a female in pants now than ever before. Men became more casual as well. Some of the male clothing became jock inspired. During this decade a little bit of everything was popular and some styles of clothing were more socially acceptable than previous decades.
Technology
A lot happened during the 70s in technology. During this time scientists discovered the danger of DDT and CFCs; the realized that use of these chemicals was depleting the Ozone layer. They also discovered the after affects of Agent Orange, a chemical used in Vietnam to destroy the heavily covered jungle areas. They released studies that proved Agent Orange caused birth defects, cancer, and nerve damage for those who came in contact with it.
There was also a lot of space travel that occurred during the 1970s. In 1971 and 1972 there were two lunar landings a year. In May of 1973 Skylab orbited Earth. Apollo 14 landed on the moon and Alan Shepherd hit a golf ball on the moon.
Literature
During the 1970s more African American works were published than ever before thanks to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. For instance the famous poet Maya Angelou published some of her first works. Also more works by women were being published.
Television and Movies
During the 1970s Science Fiction became very popular. An example of this is George Lucas Star Wars. Some other popular TV shows were Hee Haw, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and the Mod Squad. Some of the most popular movies were Love Story, M*A*S*H, and Joe.
1980’s
The 1980’s was definitely a decade of greed. The yuppie (Young Urban Professional) culture emerged based on selfishness, they were also very materialistic. In the early eighties technology took a huge turn. Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Xerox all had their own versions of the personal computer, which was continuously improving, and scientists were beginning to become close to entirely mapping out all three billion nucleotides of the human genome.
Technology
Technology had come a long way by the 1980’s. Computers, which were previously used mainly for business, were becoming more common in households, and even started appearing in schools. In the year 1981, The Columbia was launched. The Columbia was the first ever reusable aircraft. The first mission (1981) only lasted from April 12 to April 14. The shuttle lasted until the 2001 mission. The seven crew members never returned home because upon re-entry of its 28th mission the shuttle exploded. The Challenger’s first voyage was in 1983, and it completed nine missions before bursting only 73 seconds after liftoff in January of 1986. The Challenger was NASA’s second space shuttle orbiter, after the Columbia. The cell phone came into being in the late 80’s. Mainly used for business in the early stages, the big, bulky mobile phones would become smaller and more reliable with technological advances. The 80’s was also a decade for the invention of cable television.
Music
MTV revolutionized the world of music. It was mainly created to debut albums, but later became the home of many types of television shows (especially reality TV). The eighties brought the birth of the compact disc (CD). The first CD was capable of holding up to 99 songs, or a little less than 80 minutes of audio. New genres of music were popularized in the 80’s such as pop, punk, new wave, rap, country, rock, and hip-hop. K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s single Please Don’t Go hit the top of the charts in the early eighties along with the famous Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen.
Fashion
The movie Flashdance (1983) highly influenced eighties fashion. It was very common to see teens wearing tank tops, leg warmers, and tight fitting or torn jeans. It was also a time when things were very big, bold, and brightly colored. It was quite common to see a woman wearing tight bottoms (often leggings), with an oversized top (often a sweatshirt hanging off one shoulder). The decade’s top designers included Donna Karen, Anna Klein and Calvin Klein. Madonna’s leather, chains, and fishnet stockings were a common choice for those not wearing designer clothes, and even Michael Jackson’s glove became a hot item. Teens displayed their individuality with their big asymmetrical haircuts, studded bracelets and belts, along with skinny ties worn over t-shirts. Sneakers were also a huge necessity of the eighties. Pant suits often worn by yuppies had thick shoulder padding, giving a sharp triangular shape to the woman’s figure. During the eighties, it was not uncommon to wear underwear as outerwear. Designers began to create clothes to display the brassiere and underpants (Fukai et al. 622,625).
Books and Literature
10 of the 13 books from the eighties that sold over one million copies came from authors Stephen King, Danielle Steele, and Tom Clancy. Ken Follett, Martin Cruz Smith, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and John le Carre were popular fiction writers of the decade. Popular children’s books include Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (1984), Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (1986), and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1986).
Art
The eighties was a huge decade for art, as artists were controversially pushing the envelope. Artists of the decade were mostly modern inspired such as Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Marisol, Jasper Johns, and Roy Lichtenstein, just to name a few. Andrew Wyeth’s Helga pieces were refused by some museums. Over the fifteen years it took him to complete the project neither Wyeth’s wife nor Helga Testorf’s husband knew. It was a huge surprise to find out so abruptly about “Andrew Wyeth’s Stunning Secret- The Helga Paintings: A Portfolio” (Andrew Wyeth’s Helga, Time Magazine). The works were finally shown at the National Gallery of Art in 1987. The Mapplethorpe exhibits were also highly controversial, and many people protested against them. The photographs displayed homosexual issues, along with sadistic and masochistic acts. Although much of his work was graphic, he also displayed portraits of famous people, which perceived as acceptable. Auctions also brought record prices. In the early eighties ‘Yo’ by Pablo Picasso was bought for $5.4 million, and later in the decade ‘Sunflowers’ was purchased for $39.9 million, and ‘Irises’ went for $53.9 million, both by Van Gogh. In the 1980’s museums became larger, and more widely distributed than ever. When The Museum of Modern Art reopened it was twice as large, and multi-million dollar museums were being opened all over the U.S.
Film and Television
In the early eighties VCR’s became a common household item, and by 1989 over half of all American homes subscribed to cable service. Popular movies of the decade include E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Tootsie, Arthur, Flashdance, Cocoon, Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club, Star Trek, Fatal Attraction, Rain Man, and Driving Miss Daisy. Many anti-family sitcoms were very popular from Roseanne, to Married with Children. Information based shows became bigger than ever as people tuned into 60 Minutes, CNN Cable News, and 20/20. The eighties became known as the decade of the sitcom. The top ten sitcoms of 1989 include, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Roseanne, A Different World, America’s Funniest Home Videos, Golden Girls, The Wonder Years, Empty Nest, 60 Minutes, and Unsolved Mysteries.
1990’s
The 1990’s popular culture evolved immensely from the early nineties to the late nineties. The early half of the decade was marked by grunge music (Nirvana,) the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Beverly Hills 90210, war in the Middle East, Schindler’s List, and the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The later half the decade was marked by pop music (The Backstreet Boys,) the Nintendo 64, Friends, war in the Middle East, Saving Private Ryan, and the start of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
There were many trends in the 1990s (as there were with other decades) that are unique to the parts of Generation X and Y that lived in this decade.
The Retro Trend
Pop culture in the 1990s isn’t necessarily as visible today as that of the sixties, but it is arguably the most influential of the past four decades. People tend to remember things from past decades, music, movies, things of that sort. Even things that seemed to be pulled straight from the sixties or seventies had a hint of pure nineties to them. For instance, retro fashions used in the nineties were pulled from the sixties and seventies, but worn not necessarily because of the style, but because people found the idea of being retro compelling.
The retro trend in pop culture went as far as showing up in cars (the rebirth of the Volkswagen Beetle) and movies (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.)