On July 15, 1979, amid inflation and long lines at the gas pump, Jimmy Carter made an economic plea to the American people.

So, in July 1979, the nation was in a deep, Carter-induced funk. And Carter's reaction was to ... blame the nation. That was the theme of the "malaise" speech.

In symbolism and substance, President Carter displayed an obsessive attention to energy. He famously installed solar panels on the roof of the White House, but more consequentially, he created the Department of Energy, and allocated what remains a record amount of funding into energy research and development.