Photo copyright © 2002 by Steven Butler. Used with permission.

Architect I.M. Pei designed the new Dallas City Hall (pictured, left), which opened in 1978.

1971 - Dallas commercial construction tops $366 million, with 52 office complexes built. Dallasite Lee Trevino wins both the U.S. and British Open golf championships.

1972 - Dallas Cowboys win first of two Super Bowl titles. North Texas acquires a major league baseball team, the Texas Rangers. Eddie Bernice Johnson becomes the first African-American woman elected to public office in Dallas County when she is elected to the Texas House of Representatives.

1973 - Dallas Convention Center is completed. Swiss Avenue is declared Dallas' first Historic District. Lucy Patterson becomes the first African-American woman elected to the Dallas City Council.

1974 - Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport opens as the world's largest airport.

1976 - City Park is renamed Old City Park as Dallas' first Bicentennial project. Mayor Pro-Tem Adlene Harrison becomes Dallas' first woman Mayor when she succeeds Wes Wise, who resigns to run for Congress.

1978 - CBS introduces the weekly television series, "Dallas." Dallas' new City Hall opens.

1979 - Bryan Place, pioneer development of downtown housing, opens.

1980 - Dallas Mavericks basketball team is created. Highest recorded temperatures (113 degrees) occur during 42-days of 100-plus temperatures. Federal census finds Dallas the nation's 7th largest city, with 904,078 residents.