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Free printable kitTurning 53 in 2026

Born in 1973: fun facts, prices and a free printable 53rd birthday party kit

Turning 53 in 2026? Here is their birth year, from Skylab to Secretariat, plus a free printable party kit.

By InviteBird

Published

Reviewed

15 min read

The short answer

In 1973 NASA launched Skylab, America's first space station, and Secretariat won the Triple Crown with a 31-length Belmont. Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, the Sydney Opera House opened, and the first handheld cell phone call was made. The Sting took Best Picture for 1973.

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Born in 1973 lettered in dark green among cartoon icons of a space station, a racehorse, a tennis racket and a birthday cake
Digital illustration. Born in 1973, with a space station, a racehorse, a tennis racket and a birthday cake.

Anyone born in 1973 arrived in the year America put its first space station in orbit. The first handheld cell phone call was made in April, Skylab launched in May and Secretariat won the Triple Crown in June.

Below are the year's biggest headlines, what a dozen eggs and a gallon of gas cost, famous birthdays, and what people watched, heard and cheered for. Party ideas and a free printable kit of trivia and games, available to signed-in visitors, close the page.

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What’s in the free printable Born in 1973 party kit?

28 printable pages in 3 PDFs for the 53rd birthday party: 12 games, a host guide with every answer, and table cards. Print it at home, hand out pens and let the stories start.

Free printable PDFs with an InviteBird account: 3 files, each in US Letter and A4.

A look inside the kit

  • Game 1: Meet & mingle bingo

  • Game 2: The 1973 headline quiz

  • Game 3: What did it cost in 1973?

  • Game 4: The 1973 birthday club

  • Game 5: Movies & music of 1973

  • Game 7: Timeline shuffle

  • The host guide: every answer, explained

  • Table cards: the 1973 history card, welcome sign and place cards

How do you play the 53rd birthday party games in the kit?

Here is what each game asks of your guests, how to play it and why it lands, so you can pick the ones that suit your crowd before you print.

  1. Meet & mingle bingo

    Find a guest for every square. The perfect icebreaker.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 3

    You need

    • One card per guest
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive.
    2. Mingle! When a guest fits a square, ask them to sign their name in it.
    3. Each guest can sign your card only once. The guest of honor may sign twice.
    4. First to fill a row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" and the host checks the names.

    Why it’s fun: Strangers become friends in minutes, and everyone ends up swapping stories about the guest of honor.

    The 1973 twist: The 1973 card has squares like “Can name a hit song from 1973” and “Has watched a Super Bowl”.

  2. The 1973 headline quiz

    Ten questions about the year it all began.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 4

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Split into teams and pick a team name.
    2. Read each question aloud, or let teams work through the sheet at their own pace.
    3. Fill in one bubble per question. Changed your mind? Cross it out clearly.
    4. Swap sheets to mark them: one point per right answer. Answers are in the host guide.

    Why it’s fun: Big moments from 1973, with answers that spark "I remember that!" stories.

    Play it on this page, no sign-in

  3. What did it cost in 1973?

    Everyday prices from 1973: guess what they cost.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 5

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Every price is a real 1973 figure; the host guide says where each one comes from.
    2. Write your best guess in dollars and cents on each tag.
    3. The host reveals the real prices one at a time, for maximum gasps.
    4. The closest guess on each tag wins a point. For extra drama, play closest without going over.

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has an opinion about prices, and the real 1973 numbers always get a reaction.

  4. The 1973 birthday club

    Eight of these stars were born in 1973. Can you spot them?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 6

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each famous name.
    2. Decide whether they were born before 1973, in 1973, or after 1973.
    3. Fill in one bubble for each person.
    4. One point per right answer. Watch out for the close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Quick to play and full of surprises: it is hard to believe some of these stars share the guest of honor's birth year.

  5. Movies & music of 1973

    Match the films to their stars and the hits to their singers.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 7

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Match each film to a famous name from the box, writing the letter beside it.
    2. Do the same for each 1973 hit song and its artist.
    3. Each letter is used once per side.
    4. One point per match, plus a bonus point for naming the song that was No. 1 on Cash Box magazine's 1973 year-end chart.

    Why it’s fun: It turns into a sing-along. Play the songs as you reveal the answers.

  6. Before or after 1973?

    Toys, games and gadgets: did each arrive before or after 1973?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 8

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each milestone.
    2. Fill in the bubble on the left for before 1973, or on the right for after 1973.
    3. None of these happened in 1973 itself.
    4. One point per right answer. Some of them are very close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has a memory of these, and the close calls start friendly arguments.

  7. Timeline shuffle

    Put eight milestones in order around the 1973 card.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 9

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Scissors
    • A table to lay the cards on

    How to play

    1. Before the party, cut out one set of cards per team along the dashed lines.
    2. Each team lays the 1973 card in the middle of their table.
    3. Place the other eight cards in order from earliest to latest, around the 1973 card.
    4. The host reads out the right order: one point for each card in the right spot.

    Why it’s fun: Hands-on and loud: teams debate, shuffle and change their minds right up to the reveal.

  8. Who knows them best?

    How well do you really know the guest of honor?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 11

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens
    • The guest of honor's answers

    How to play

    1. Before the party, ask the guest of honor to answer the questions privately.
    2. Teams write down what they think the guest of honor said.
    3. The guest of honor reveals each answer, with the story behind it.
    4. One point per match. The host decides on close answers.

    Why it’s fun: The reveals are the best part: every answer comes with a story.

    The 1973 twist: Add a 1973 bonus question: which hit from that year would they pick as their theme song, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” or “Delta Dawn”?

  9. Two truths & a tall tale

    Two true stories and one invention. Spot the tall tale.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 12

    You need

    • One slip per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Write three short statements about yourself: two true, one made up.
    2. Fill in the bubble for your tall tale, then fold that corner over to hide it.
    3. Take turns reading your three statements aloud.
    4. Everyone guesses the tall tale. Fool the room and you win a point.

    Why it’s fun: Guests learn surprising things about each other, and the guest of honor's turn is always a highlight.

    The 1973 twist: Guests may swap one statement for a fact from 1973, like “A perfect season” (January 14), and the room decides whether it really happened that year.

  10. Toasts & memory prompts

    Twelve prompts that turn shy guests into storytellers.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time, 10 minutes or more
    In the kit
    Page 13

    You need

    • One sheet, cut into cards
    • A bowl or hat

    How to play

    1. Cut the cards apart along the dashed lines and put them in a bowl.
    2. When it is time for toasts, pass the bowl around.
    3. Draw a card and finish the sentence, out loud, to the guest of honor.
    4. Raise a glass after each one. No points, just good stories.

    Why it’s fun: Nobody has to prepare a speech, yet everyone ends up saying something lovely.

    The 1973 twist: One card is all 1973: “If 1973 had a headline about your arrival, it would say…”

  11. Wishes for the next chapter

    A keepsake card for every guest to fill in.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time
    In the kit
    Page 14

    You need

    • One card per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens
    • A box or envelope to collect them

    How to play

    1. Cut each sheet in half along the dashed line.
    2. Put the cards out on a table with pens, or hand them out at the start.
    3. Guests write a wish, a memory and their name.
    4. Collect them in a box for the guest of honor to read later.

    Why it’s fun: The one thing from the party the guest of honor will keep for years.

    The 1973 twist: Set the 1973 history card beside the wish box, so guests can tie a wish to a moment like “Skylab goes up” (May 14).

Can you beat the 1973 headline quiz?

This is game 2 from the kit, playable right here with no sign-in. Tap an answer to see whether you got it, and why. At the party, teams play it on paper and the host guide holds the answers.

  1. On May 14, 1973, NASA launched America's first space station. What was it called?

  2. Which racehorse won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths on June 9, 1973?

  3. Who beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes on September 20, 1973?

  4. Which film won Best Picture at the Oscars honoring 1973 movies?

  5. Who opened the Sydney Opera House on October 20, 1973?

  6. Martin Cooper made the first handheld cell phone call in 1973. Which company did he work for?

  7. Which team finished 17-0 by winning Super Bowl VII?

  8. Which spacecraft was the first to fly past Jupiter, in December 1973?

  9. Who made his first appearance as James Bond in Live and Let Die?

  10. Which song topped Cash Box's 1973 year-end singles chart?

10 questions about 1973. Tap an answer to check it.

How do you run the kit at a 53rd birthday party?

Example: a 90-minute 53rd birthday party for 16 guests, born-in-1973 style, in four teams of four. Swap games in or out to suit your crowd; the host guide has every answer.

Before the party, print

  • 16 bingo cards, one per guest
  • 4 copies each of the headline quiz, the price game, the birthday club, Movies & music and Before or after
  • 4 timeline sheets, cut into cards
  • 8 two-truths sheets and 8 wish-card sheets (two per sheet)
  • The toast prompts, the scorecard and the host guide
  • The table cards: the 1973 history card, the welcome sign and four sheets of place cards
  1. 0:00
    Guests arrive: Meet & mingle bingo

    Hand each guest a bingo card and a pen at the door, so the mingling starts before the coats are off.

  2. 0:15
    Welcome and teams

    Say a few words about the guest of honor, then split the room into four teams of four, mixing generations.

  3. 0:20
    Round one: The 1973 headline quiz and What did it cost in 1973?

    Read the quiz aloud, then reveal the real prices one at a time and let the gasps do the work.

  4. 0:40
    Round two: The 1973 birthday club and Movies & music of 1973

    Play a few seconds of each song while teams match the hits to their singers.

  5. 0:55
    Cake break: The 1973 word search and Wishes for the next chapter

    Leave the word search and the wish cards on the tables while everyone eats.

  6. 1:05
    Round three: Before or after 1973? and Timeline shuffle

    Hand each team its set of timeline cards and give them five minutes to argue.

  7. 1:20
    All about them: Who knows them best? and Two truths & a tall tale

    Reveal the guest of honor's private answers, then let them read their two truths last.

  8. 1:30
    Toasts and winners: Toasts & memory prompts

    Pass the bowl of toast prompts, add up the scorecard and crown the winning team.

What happened in 1973?

The biggest events of 1973, each with the source it comes from.

A cartoon timeline of 1973: a space station in orbit, a racehorse crossing a finish line, a tennis match under a domed stadium, a sail-roofed opera house and a handheld phone
Digital illustration. 1973 in five moments: Skylab, Secretariat, the Battle of the Sexes, the Sydney Opera House and the first handheld phone call.
  1. January 14

    Super Bowl VII and a perfect season

    The Miami Dolphins beat Washington 14-7 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and finished 17-0, the NFL's only perfect season. Safety Jake Scott was named MVP.

    Source: HISTORY: Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL's only perfect season
  2. January 27

    The Paris Peace Accords are signed

    All parties to the Vietnam War signed the Paris Peace Accords, officially ending the conflict.

    Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia): Richard Nixon, Key Events
  3. April 3

    The first handheld cell phone call

    Martin Cooper of Motorola made a call from a New York sidewalk on a portable phone that weighed less than three pounds. He rang his counterpart at AT&T's Bell Labs.

    Source: IEEE Spectrum: First Portable Telephone Call Made 40 years Ago Today
  4. May 14

    Skylab reaches orbit

    America's first space station lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on the last Saturn V rocket ever flown. The first crew followed on May 25, ten days later than planned, while engineers troubleshot the damage.

    Source: NASA: 50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America's First Space Station
  5. June 9

    Secretariat wins the Triple Crown

    Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths in 2:24 for a mile and a half. He became the ninth Triple Crown winner and the first in 25 years.

    Source: NYRA: Secretariat | 1973
  6. June 13

    A freeze on prices

    President Nixon declared a sixty-day freeze on prices, excluding raw agricultural products and rents.

    Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia): Richard Nixon, Key Events
  7. July 16

    The Oval Office tapes come to light

    Former White House aide Alexander Butterfield told the Senate Watergate Committee that an Oval Office taping system existed.

    Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia): Richard Nixon, Key Events
  8. September 20

    The Battle of the Sexes

    Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 at the Houston Astrodome for a winner-take-all prize of $100,000. About 50 million people watched in the US.

    Source: Battle of the Sexes Tennis Match | Billie Jean King
  9. October 10-12

    Gerald Ford is nominated for vice president

    Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned on October 10. Two days later Gerald Ford was nominated as vice president, and after Congress confirmed him he was sworn in on December 6.

    Source: Miller Center (University of Virginia): Richard Nixon, Key Events
  10. Autumn

    The oil embargo and the energy crisis

    During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Arab members of OPEC imposed an oil embargo against the United States, and the price of oil per barrel first doubled, then quadrupled. Fuel shortages and a national 55-mile-per-hour speed limit followed.

    Source: Office of the Historian: Oil Embargo, 1973-1974
  11. October 20

    The Sydney Opera House opens

    Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the building on a blustery spring day in Sydney, almost a month after the Opera Hall staged its first production, Prokofiev's War and Peace.

    Source: Sydney Opera House: 50 years of extraordinary moments
  12. December 4

    Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter

    NASA's Pioneer 10 made its closest approach to Jupiter at 02:26 UT on December 4, which was the evening of December 3 across the continental US. It was the first spacecraft to fly past the giant planet.

    Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 10
  13. December 28

    The Endangered Species Act becomes law

    President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act, bipartisan legislation credited with helping save hundreds of species from extinction.

    Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Act Turns 40 on December 28

How much did things cost in 1973?

A snapshot of the cost of living in 1973, from a stamp to a pound of coffee. Every price is a US figure from a government source, shown next to what that money is worth in September 2026.

Cartoon groceries from the 1970s on a table: milk, bread, eggs, a coffee can and bananas, with a postage stamp, coins and a toy gas pump
Digital illustration. Milk, bread, eggs, coffee, bananas, a stamp and gas: the everyday prices in the table below.
ItemPrice in 1973Worth todayGood to know
First-class stamp8¢$0.61Rate for the first ounce from May 16, 1971, until March 2, 1974. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
Federal minimum wage$1.60 an hour$12.14 an hourThe rate for jobs covered before 1966, in place since February 1, 1968. The next increase, to $2.00, came on May 1, 1974. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates, 1938-2009
Gallon of regular gas39¢ (leaded)$2.96 (leaded)Average US retail price for the year (38.8 cents). EIA lists no unleaded average for 1973. Source: EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 5.24: Retail Motor Gasoline and On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices
Loaf of white bread (1 lb)28¢$2.12Average US price for 1973 (27.6 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Half gallon of milk65¢$4.93Fresh milk at the grocery store. Average US price for 1973 (65.4 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Dozen large eggs78¢$5.92Grade A. Average US price for 1973 (78.1 cents), up from 52.4 cents in 1972. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Pound of hamburger96¢$7.29Average US price for 1973 (95.7 cents), up from 74.4 cents in 1972. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Pound of sliced bacon$1.33$10.09Average US price for 1973 (132.5 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Pound of coffee$1.04$7.89Vacuum-pack can. Average US price for 1973 (104.0 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)
Pound of bananas17¢$1.29Average US price for 1973 (16.5 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)

Worth today: each 1973 price scaled up by the rise in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items) from its 1973 average to September 2026, the newest month published. It shows what that money is worth now, not what the item costs today. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CPIAUCNS).

What was popular in 1973?

Cartoon items from 1973: a portable radio, a vinyl record, a television with rabbit-ear antennas, a drive-in movie screen, a hot rod and a box of popcorn
Digital illustration. A radio, a record, a TV and a drive-in screen: 1970s entertainment in one picture.

Movies

  • The Sting

    Paul Newman and Robert Redford led this comedy, which opened in New York and Los Angeles on December 25. Marvin Hamlisch adapted Scott Joplin's ragtime, and the film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

    Source: AFI Catalog: The Sting (1973)
  • American Graffiti

    George Lucas's comedy about teenagers and their cars came out in August on a budget of $780,000. Its soundtrack runs on 42 rock and roll songs from 1955 to 1962.

    Source: AFI Catalog: American Graffiti (1973)
  • Paper Moon

    Peter Bogdanovich's black-and-white film opened in New York on May 16. Ryan O'Neal and his daughter Tatum starred, and Tatum won Best Supporting Actress, the youngest winner in Academy history.

    Source: AFI Catalog: Paper Moon (1973)
  • Live and Let Die

    Roger Moore made his first appearance as James Bond when this film opened on June 27. Paul and Linda McCartney wrote the title song, performed by Wings, and it earned an Oscar nomination.

    Source: AFI Catalog: Live and Let Die (1973)
  • Enter the Dragon

    Bruce Lee's last completed feature opened in New York on August 17. It grossed close to $14 million.

    Source: AFI Catalog: Enter the Dragon (1973)

Music

TV shows

Sport

Computers

Which famous people were born in 1973?

A few familiar faces who share the birth year, all born in 1973.

What are some fun facts about 1973?

  1. At about 170,000 pounds, Skylab was by far the heaviest spacecraft of its day.

    Source: NASA: 50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America's First Space Station

  2. About 63 seconds into Skylab's launch, airflow tore off its micrometeoroid shield. Debris from the shield jammed one solar array and the station began overheating, so the first crew's launch was held back by ten days.

    Source: NASA: 50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America's First Space Station

  3. Pioneer 10 was also the first spacecraft to use all-nuclear electrical power, and the first placed on a path to leave the solar system.

    Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 10

  4. American Graffiti was shot mostly at night, from 9 p.m. to sunrise for twenty-eight days. About a tenth of its $780,000 budget went on music rights.

    Source: AFI Catalog: American Graffiti (1973)

  5. Paper Moon has no original score. Period songs and radio programs supply all the music.

    Source: AFI Catalog: Paper Moon (1973)

  6. The Sting's main theme comes from Scott Joplin's 1902 rag "The Entertainer."

    Source: AFI Catalog: The Sting (1973)

  7. A dozen eggs averaged 78 cents in 1973, up from 52 cents the year before.

    Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1974, Table 673: average retail prices of selected foods, 1973 (BLS data)

  8. The Sydney Opera House's Opera Hall staged its first production, Prokofiev's War and Peace, on September 28. That was almost a month before the Queen opened the building.

    Source: Sydney Opera House: 50 years of extraordinary moments

  9. Martin Cooper's phone was called the DynaTAC. Its name stood for Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage.

    Source: IEEE Spectrum: First Portable Telephone Call Made 40 years Ago Today

  10. Enter the Dragon was predicted to earn $2 million in the Far East. It grossed close to $14 million.

    Source: AFI Catalog: Enter the Dragon (1973)

Can you answer these 1973 trivia questions?

Tap a question to see the answer. The party kit has a full round of 1973 trivia ready to print.

  1. Which racehorse won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths on June 9, 1973?

    Answer: Secretariat, who became the ninth Triple Crown winner. Source: NYRA: Secretariat | 1973

  2. What was the name of the space station launched on May 14, 1973?

    Answer: Skylab, America's first space station. Source: NASA: 50 Years Ago: The Launch of Skylab, America's First Space Station

  3. Who beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes on September 20, 1973?

    Answer: Billie Jean King, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, at the Houston Astrodome. Source: Battle of the Sexes Tennis Match | Billie Jean King

  4. Which film won Best Picture at the Oscars honoring 1973 movies?

    Answer: The Sting. Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 46th Academy Awards (1974), honoring 1973 films

  5. Which actor first played James Bond in Live and Let Die?

    Answer: Roger Moore. Source: AFI Catalog: Live and Let Die (1973)

  6. Which song topped Cash Box's 1973 year-end singles chart?

    Answer: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando & Dawn. Source: Cash Box magazine archive: Top 100 singles of 1973 (year-end chart)

  7. How much did it cost to mail a first-class letter in 1973?

    Answer: 8 cents for the first ounce. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863

  8. Which team finished 17-0 by winning Super Bowl VII?

    Answer: The Miami Dolphins, 14-7 over Washington. Source: HISTORY: Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl VII to cap NFL's only perfect season

  9. Which spacecraft was the first to fly past Jupiter, in December 1973?

    Answer: Pioneer 10. Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 10

  10. Who opened the Sydney Opera House on October 20, 1973?

    Answer: Queen Elizabeth II. Source: Sydney Opera House: 50 years of extraordinary moments

  11. Which young actor won an Oscar for Paper Moon?

    Answer: Tatum O'Neal, for Best Supporting Actress. Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 46th Academy Awards (1974), honoring 1973 films

How do you throw a 1973-themed 53rd birthday party?

Cartoon friends cheering around a table at a birthday party, comparing answers on printed trivia sheets beside a cake with candles
Digital illustration. Friends playing a pen-and-paper trivia game at a 1973-themed birthday party.

  • Spin the 1973 chart toppers

    Build the playlist from songs near the top of Cash Box's 1973 chart: "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," "Delta Dawn," "Crocodile Rock," "You're So Vain" and "Let's Get It On." Close the night with "Killing Me Softly with His Song."

  • Tie a ribbon round the room

    Borrow the year's biggest song for decorations. Knot yellow ribbons on the gate, the porch rail and the backs of the chairs, then hang a "1973" banner above the cake.

  • Derby-day hat contest

    Secretariat's Triple Crown happened in their birth year, so give a prize for the best hat. Play the Belmont finish on a laptop and let guests guess the winning margin before you reveal it: 31 lengths.

  • Drive-in movie night

    Project American Graffiti, The Sting or Paper Moon on a sheet in the yard. Serve popcorn in paper boxes and invite guests to park their classic cars out front.

  • Mission Control trivia

    Set the table up like a Skylab control room with a countdown clock. Start every trivia round with a ten-second count and a "liftoff" shout.

  • A friendly Battle of the Sexes

    Run a mini tournament of table tennis or lawn tennis with mixed teams, and let the winning pair take the whole prize pot, as Billie Jean King did in Houston. Keep the trash talk playful.

  • Dress code: 1973

    Invite guests to arrive as something from the year: wide collars, platform shoes, a detective in a long coat, a tennis outfit or a racetrack hat.

  • Baby photos and headlines

    Hang their baby pictures along a clothesline next to printouts of the year's headlines: Skylab, Secretariat and the Opera House. Add a current photo at the end of the line.

  • Price-is-right guessing

    Write a stamp, a dozen eggs, a pound of coffee and a gallon of gas on index cards. Guests guess the 1973 price, and the prices section on this page has every answer.

Which invitations and cards fit a 53rd birthday?

Born in 1973 means turning 53 in 2026. These designs follow the calendar: next year this page shows 54th birthday picks instead.

Online cards for turning 53

Milestone birthday cards

What else do people ask about 1973?

How old is someone born in 1973?

Someone born in 1973 turns 53 in 2026. Until their birthday comes around, they are one year younger.

What generation is someone born in 1973?

Generation X. Pew Research Center defines Gen X as people born from 1965 through 1980.

What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 1973?

The Ox (Water Ox). The Year of the Ox began on February 3, 1973. Anyone born from January 1 to February 2, 1973, is a Rat.

What happened in 1973?

NASA launched Skylab, Secretariat won the Triple Crown, and Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs. The Sydney Opera House opened, an oil embargo started an energy crisis, and Martin Cooper made the first handheld cell phone call.

What was the No. 1 song of 1973?

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando & Dawn topped Cash Box's 1973 year-end singles chart. Jim Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" was second.

How much did things cost in 1973?

A first-class stamp cost 8 cents and the federal minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. Regular leaded gas averaged 39 cents a gallon. A dozen large eggs averaged 78 cents and a loaf of white bread about 28 cents.

Which famous people were born in 1973?

Jim Parsons, Larry Page, Pharrell Williams, Neil Patrick Harris, Sergey Brin, Kristen Wiig, Dave Chappelle, Seth MacFarlane and Tyra Banks were all born in 1973.

What movies came out in 1973?

The Sting, American Graffiti, Paper Moon, Live and Let Die and Enter the Dragon all came out in 1973. The Sting won the Oscar for Best Picture.

What games can you play at a 1973 birthday party?

The free kit includes twelve printable games, among them Meet & mingle bingo, a 1973 headline quiz, What did it cost in 1973? and a word search. A host guide with all the answers and table cards are in the download, which signed-in visitors can grab from this page.

Where do these facts come from?

The party kit lists the sources behind its games and answers at the back of its host guide.