Introduction

As years go, 1973 was one for the history books. The World Trade Center officially opened. The U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade and overturned state bans on abortions. The United States began ending its involvement in the Vietnam War. The cold war was in full chill, and to maintain the balance of power, Communist East Germany and democratic West Germany were simultaneously admitted to the United Nations. The democratically elected, leftist government of Salvador Allende was violently overthrown, with U.S. backing, in a military coup. Israel fought Egypt and Syria in the Yom Kippur War, leading to an Arab oil embargo and a global energy crisis. The Watergate scandal led to calls for President Richard Nixon's impeachment and Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned his office following charges of tax evasion.