The last time there were back-to-back Triple Crown wins was in 1978, when Affirmed outfought his gallant rival Alydar through the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to become racing's 11th Triple Crown winner just one year after Seattle Slew completed the triple. 

Here is a look back at other important events from 1978 as Nyquist takes aim on the Preakness Stakes, his next step in a bid to join American Pharoah as back-to-back Triple Crown winners in racing’s history books:

• The first email system was created at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, N.J.
• GPS or Global Positioning System was developed.
• The world’s first “test-tube baby,” Louise Brown, is delivered by Caesarean section at Oldham Hospital in Great Britain.
• Illinois Bell Company introduced the first-ever Cellular Mobile Phone System.
• The video game Space Invaders launched a craze for computer video games.

Wikimedia Commons/Jordiferrer

• The average cost of new house was $54,800.
• The cost of a gallon of gas was 63 cents.

Notable people born in 1978:

• Nate Silver, statistician, sabermetrician, writer and founder of  fivethirtyeight.com was born on Jan. 13, 1978.
• Ashton Kutcher was born on Feb. 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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• Known for his breakthrough, starring role on “Freaks and Geeks,” actor James Franco was born in Palo Alto, Calif. on April 19, 1978.
• Erin Andrews of Fox Sports and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” was born on May 4, 1978.
• Actor Jason Biggs was born on May 12, 1978, in Pompton Plains, N.J.
• Actress Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978.

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• Singer Nicole Scherzinger was born on June 29, 1978.
• Actor Josh Harnett was born on July 21, 1978.
• A native of Berkeley, Calif., comedian Andy Samberg was born on Aug. 18, 1978.
• Now-retired NBA star Kobe Bryant was born on Aug. 23, 1978.

Wikimedia Commons/Joseph A. Lee

• Singer Usher was born on Oct. 14, 1978.
• Golfer Bubba Watson was born on Nov. 5, 1978.
• Singer Tyrese Gibson was born on Dec. 30, 1978.
• Actress Katherine Marie Heigl was born in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 24, 1978.

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Companies founded in 1978:

• Banana Republic
• Home Depot

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• Versace
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Opus One Winery

1978 Pop Culture

Popular films:

• “Grease”

• “Saturday Night Fever”
• “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”
• National Lampoon’s “Animal House”
• “Jaws 2”
• “Heaven Can Wait”
• “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”
• “Revenge of the Pink Panther”
• “The Deer Hunter”

Popular musicians and songs:

• Bee Gees with “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive "
• Paul McCartney and Wings
• John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
• Rolling Stones
• Commodores with “Three Times a Lady”
• Boomtown Rats

Popular TV programs:

• “Happy Days”
• “Little House on the Prairie”

• “The Rockford Files”
• “Saturday Night Live”
• “Wheel of Fortune”
• “Charlie's Angels”
• “Quincy, M.E.”
• “The Muppet Show”
• “CHiPs”
• “The Love Boat”
• “Three's Company”