1979 in the United States

1979 in the United States
Events from the year 1979 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal government
President: Jimmy Carter (D-Georgia)
Vice President: Walter Mondale (D-Minnesota)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Tip O'Neill (D-Massachusetts)
Senate Majority Leader: Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
Congress: 95th (until January 3), 96th (starting January 3)
Events
January
January 1 – The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
January 4 – The State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of those who were dead or injured from the Kent State shootings.
January 9 – The Music for UNICEF Concert is held at the United Nations General Assembly to raise money for UNICEF and promote the Year of the Child. It is broadcast the following day in the United States and around the world. Hosted by The Bee Gees, other performers include Donna Summer, ABBA, Rod Stewart and Earth, Wind & Fire. A soundtrack album is later released.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 21 – Super Bowl XIII: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 35–31 at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
January 29 – Brenda Ann Spencer opens fire at a school in San Diego, California, killing two faculty members and wounding eight students. Her response to the action, “I don’t like Mondays,” inspired the Boomtown Rats to make a song of the same name.
January 1 to 31:
Averaged over the contiguous United States, this is the coldest month since at least 1880 with a mean temperature of as against an 1895 to 1974 mean of .
The maximum temperature at is also the coldest on record for any month and the only occasion when the area-averaged contiguous US mean maximum has fallen below freezing.
February
February 13 – The intense February 13, 1979 Windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1/2-mile-long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is later killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 20 – This Old House premieres on PBS.
February 26 – A total solar eclipse occurred in North America.
February 27 – The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Louisiana is canceled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
February 1 to 28 – With a statewide water-equivalent precipitation average of only , this is Alaska’s driest month since records began in 1925, and first driest month since being admitted to statehood in 1959.
March
March 4 – The U.S. Voyager I space probe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, to be prepared for its first launch.
March 26 – In a ceremony at the White House, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel sign the Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty.
March 29 – America's most serious nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
April
April 1 – Nickelodeon debuts on cable television, playing children's television shows 24 hours a day. Pinwheel, which first premiered on the channel C-3 in 1977, was one of the first shows to be broadcast on the channel.
April 2 – Major League Baseball umpires go on strike, forcing replacements from the minor leagues, college and high school to be used for the first seven weeks of the season. Union umpires return to work May 18.
April 9 – The 51st Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Johnny Carson, is held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter wins five awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cimino. The film is also tied with Warren Beatty and Buck Henry's Heaven Can Wait in receiving nine nominations each. The ceremony marks the final public appearances of actors Jack Haley and John Wayne; they would both die two months later.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42.
April 20 – President Jimmy Carter is attacked by a swamp rabbit while fishing in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC.
May
May – The unemployment rate drops to 5.6%, the low point for the late 1970s business cycle and the lowest since July 1974.
May 9 – A Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 21
In San Francisco, gay people riot after hearing the verdict for Dan White, assassin of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers 4 games to 1 in the best-of-seven series, winning the Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing 271 on board and 2 people on the ground. It is the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of death penalty in 1976.
Six-year-old Etan Patz disappears in New York City. The incident helps spark the missing children's movement.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June – McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal, there was no toy as seen from the commercial.
June 1 – The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 20 – A Nicaraguan National Guard soldier kills ABC TV news correspondent Bill Stewart and his interpreter Juan Espinosa. Other members of the news crew capture the killing on tape.
July
July 2 – The Susan B. Anthony dollar is introduced in the U.S.
July 3 – President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station Skylab begins its return to Earth, after being in orbit for 6 years and 2 months.
July 12 – A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers. Local Rock Radio station WLUP attended the event
July 15 – President Carter speaks to Americans about ‘’a crisis of confidence.’’ The speech will come to be known as ‘’the malaise speech,’’ though Carter never used the word ‘’malaise.’’
July 17 – Nicaraguan dictator General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami, Florida.
July 19 – The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the U.S.-backed Somoza dictatorship and assumes power in Nicaragua.
August
August 2 – New York Yankees catcher and team captain Thurman Munson is killed in an airplane crash at age 32 during touch-and-go landings in Canton, Ohio.
August 6 – The 5.7 Coyote Lake earthquake affected the South Bay and Central Coast areas of California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong), causing 16 injuries and $500,000 in damage.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is shot and killed 5 months after his arrest for quadruple murder (his killers have not yet been identified).
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his first breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7x platinum album.
August 29 – A national referendum is held in which Somali voters approve a new liberal constitution, promulgated by President Siad Barre to placate the United States.
September
September 1 – The U.S. Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to visit Saturn, when it passes the planet at a distance of 21,000 km.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 16 – The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 23 – The largest anti-nuclear demonstration to date is held in New York City, where almost 200,000 people attend.
October
October 1–6 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States.
October 14 – A major gay rights march in the United States takes place in Washington, D.C., involving many tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – The 6.4 Imperial Valley earthquake affected Southern California and northern Baja California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing 91 injuries and $30 million in damage.
October 17
President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education.
1979 World Series: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 3, to win their 5th World Series Title.
November
November 1 – Iran hostage crisis: Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urges his people to demonstrate on November 4 and to expand attacks on United States and Israeli interests.
November 2 – Assata Shakur (ne' Joanne Chesimard), a former member of Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, is liberated from a Clinton, New Jersey prison and soon shuttled off to Cuba where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – Greensboro massacre in Greensboro, North Carolina, five members of the Communist Workers Party are shot to death and seven are wounded by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis, during a "Death to the Klan" rally.
November 4 – Iran hostage crisis begins: 3,000 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are American). They demand that the United States send the former Shah of Iran back to stand trial.
November 6 – Kentucky Fried Chicken magnate and former Boston Celtics owner John Y. Brown Jr. is elected Governor of Kentucky.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9 – Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland detected purported massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early warning radars, the alert was cancelled.
November 12 – Iran hostage crisis: In response to the hostage situation in Tehran, U.S. President Jimmy Carter orders a halt to all oil imports into the United States from Iran.
November 14 – Iran hostage crisis: U.S. President Jimmy Carter issues Executive Order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets in the United States and U.S. banks in response to the hostage crisis.
November 17 – Iran hostage crisis: Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini orders the release of 13 female and African American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
November 21 – After false radio reports from the Ayatollah Khomeini that the Americans had occupied the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan is attacked by a mob and set afire, killing four (see Foreign relations of Pakistan).
December
December 3
Eleven fans are killed during a stampede for seats before a The Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The United States dollar exchange rate with the Deutsche Mark falls to 1.7079 DM, the all-time low so far; this record is not broken until November 5, 1987.
December 6 – The world premiere for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 8 – U.S. Representative David C. Treen is elected Governor of Louisiana, becoming Louisiana's first Republican elected Governor in over 100 years.
December 21 – Chrysler receives government loan guarantees upon the request of CEO Lee Iacocca.
Undated
North American Communications direct mail service provider is founded.
Railcar Management LLC, an independent provider of rail transport information services is founded in Atlanta.
December 1, 1978 to February 28, 1979
This is the coldest winter over the contiguous US since at least 1895 with a mean temperature of as against an 1895/1896 to 1973/1974 seasonal mean of . Except for normally frigid upstate Maine, all of the United States was below average for the winter, an occurrence previously seen only in 1898/1899 and 1909/1910.
Both the contiguous US winter mean maximum temperature at (1895/1896 to 1973/1974 mean ) and the minimum temperature at (1895/1896 to 1973/1974 mean ) are the coldest since at least 1895
Ongoing
Cold War (1947–1991)
Détente (c. 1969–1979)
1970s energy crisis (1973–1980)
Iran hostage crisis (1979–1981)
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist for The Distillers
Ian Fowles, guitarist
Skyler Stone, actor and television host
January 2
Micah Albert, photojournalist
Erica Hubbard, actress
January 6 – Cristela Alonzo, actress and comedian
January 7 – Reggie Austin, actor
January 8
Melvin Carter, politician, mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota
Windell Middlebrooks, actor (d. 2015)
January 9
Jake Shields, mixed martial artist
Joshua Harto, actor
January 11
Wyatt Allen, Olympic rower
Terence Morris, basketball player
Jeanne Sagan, bassist for Crossing Rubicon, All That Remains (2006–2015), and The Acacia Strain (2003)
January 13
Nick Agallar, mixed martial artist
Jill Wagner, actress and television personality
January 14
Chris Albright, soccer player
Angela Lindvall, model
January 15 – Drew Brees, football player
January 16
Aaliyah, R&B singer/actress (d. 2001)
Adam Larson, television personality
January 19
Coral Smith, television personality
Spider Loc, rapper and actor
January 20 – Rob Bourdon, drummer for Linkin Park
January 22 – Saheed Aderinto, Nigerian-born professor and historian
January 23 – Larry Hughes, basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, actress
Kyle Brandt, actor and television personality
January 25
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, politician
Christine Lakin, actress
January 26
Natasha Cornett, criminal sentenced to life imprisonment for the Lillelid murders
Sara Rue, actress
January 29
Jedediah Bila, television host and author
B. J. Flores, boxer
April Scott, model, actress, and producer
January 30 – Jorge Alves, ice hockey player
January 31 – Melanie Stansbury, politician
February
February 1
Julie and Nancy Augustyniak Goffi, soccer players and twin sisters
February 2 – Mayer Hawthorne, soul singer
February 4
Rebecca Alexander, psychotherapist and author
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian-born mixed martial artist
Tabitha Brown, actress
Ben Lerner, writer
Jodi Shilling, actress
February 5 – Gil McKinney, actor
February 7
Andy Akiho, composer
Dan Kaminsky, computer security expert (d. 2021)
Cerina Vincent, actress and writer
February 8
Emmanuel Akah, British-born football player
Josh Keaton, actor
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, guitarist for Between the Buried and Me
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, singer and actress
February 12 – Antonio Chatman, football player
February 13
D'Angelo 'D Roc' Holmes, rapper and member of Ying Yang Twins
Mena Suvari, American actress
February 17
Eva Gardner, bassist for The Mars Volta
Bear McCreary, musician and composer
Conrad Ricamora, actor and singer
Josh Willingham, baseball player
February 21
Tituss Burgess, actor and singer
Jennifer Love Hewitt, actress and singer
Jordan Peele, actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 23
Chris Aguila, baseball player
S. E. Cupp, journalist and author
February 25 – Jennifer Ferrin, actress
February 28
Geoffrey Arend, actor
Chris Hayes, journalist
March
March 1
Kate Bolz, politician
Éowyn, singer-songwriter
March 5 – Riki Lindhome, actress, comedian and musician
March 6
Khalid Abdullah, football player
Tim Howard, football player
X1, rapper (d. 2007)
March 7 – Julia DeMato, singer
March 8
Apathy, rapper
Geoff Rickly singer/songwriter and frontman for Thursday
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-born actor
Melina Perez, wrestler
March 10
Josh Altman, real estate agent, investor, and television personality
Edi Gathegi, Kenyan-born actor
David Holt, politician, mayor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2018-present)
Danny Pudi, actor and comedian
Jimmy Williams, football player (d. 2022)
March 11
Alex Aragon, golfer
Benji Madden, singer and guitarist for Good Charlotte
Joel Madden, singer and frontman for Good Charlotte
Justin Wilson, politician, mayor of Alexandria, Virginia
March 12 – Rhys Coiro, actor
March 14
Dan Avidan, musician/Youtuber
Chris Klein, actor
March 15
Jason Crow, politician
Pollyanna McIntosh, Scottish-born actress
Kevin Youkilis, baseball player
March 16
Tyler Arnason, ice hockey player
Felisha Terrell, actress
March 17
Coco Austin, television personality and actress
Stormy Daniels, pornographic actress and director
Samoa Joe, wrestler
March 18
Danneel Ackles, actress and model
Adam Levine, singer and frontman for Maroon 5
March 19 – Josh Gallion, politician
March 20
Daniel Cormier, mixed martial artist
Molly Jenson, musician
Bianca Lawson, actress
March 21 – Jimenez Lai, architect
March 22 – Zulay Henao, Colombian-born actress
March 23
Mark Buehrle, baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, football player
March 24 – Adam Andretti, stock car racing driver
March 25
Lee Pace, actor
Traxamillion, producer and rapper (d. 2022)
Gorilla Zoe, rapper
March 26 – Kevin Drake, musician
March 27
Mac Schneider, politician
Robert Teet, wrestler
March 28 – Rayshawn Askew, football player
March 29 – De'Angelo Wilson, actor and rapper
March 30
Norah Jones, musician
Jose Pablo Cantillo, actor
March 31 – Ken Floyd, drummer for Eighteen Visions (1995-2007)
April
April 2
Derick Armstrong, football player
Jesse Carmichael, keyboard player for Maroon 5
April 4 – Natasha Lyonne, actress
April 6 – Clay Travis, writer, lawyer, radio host, and television analyst
April 8 – David Petruschin, drag queen
April 9
Keith Nobbs, actor
Keshia Knight Pulliam, actress
Stephen Brodsky, guitarist
April 10 – Rachel Corrie, activist and diarist (d. 2003)
April 11
Gillian Murphy, ballerina
Josh Server, actor
April 12
Claire Danes, actress
Jennifer Morrison, actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, basketball player
April 14 – Rebecca DiPietro, model
April 15 – Anthony Grundy, basketball player (d. 2019)
April 17
Jamel Ashley, sprinter
Michael Treanor, actor and martial artist
April 18
Michael Bradley, basketball player
Kourtney Kardashian, reality television star
Frank LaRose, politician
April 19
Chad Anderson, politician
Kate Hudson, actress, author and fashion designer
April 21 – Anwar Robinson, singer
April 23
Jaime King, actress
Ryan Sinn, bassist for The Distillers
April 24
Adam Andretti, race car driver
Avey Tare, musician
April 25
Giuseppe Andrews, actor, screenwriter, director, and singer/songwriter
Khalid El-Amin, basketball player
April 26 – Joanne Aluka, basketball player
April 27 – Travis Meeks, frontman and guitarist for Days of the New
April 29 – Diego Ayala, tennis player
April 30
Shelley Calene-Black, voice actress
Sean Mackin, violinist for Yellowcard
May
May 4
Bárbara Almaraz, American-born Mexican soccer player
Lance Bass, singer and member of 'N Sync
Zach Nunn, politician
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, actor
May 6 – Mark Burrier, cartoonist
May 7 – Betsy Rue, actress and model
May 9
Aaron Alexis, spree killer (d. 2013)
Rosario Dawson, actress, singer, producer, comic book writer and political activist
Matt Morris, American singer-songwriter and actor
Brandon Webb, American baseball player
Andrew W.K., singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
May 11 – Laphonza Butler, politician and lobbyist, president of EMILY's List (2021-2023)
May 12
Andre Carter, American football player
Steve Smith Sr., American football player
Aaron Yoo, actor
May 13 – Mickey Madden, bassist for Maroon 5
May 14 – Dan Auerbach, singer/songwriter, record producer, and frontman for The Black Keys
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-born gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, actress
May 22
Maggie Q, actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-born British-American actress
May 23 – Matt Flynn, drummer for Maroon 5
May 24
Greg Amsinger, sportscaster
Frank Mir, mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, basketball player
May 25
Corbin Allred, actor
Felix G. Arroyo, politician
May 26
Marques Anderson, football player
Elisabeth Harnois, actress
Ashley Massaro, wrestler and model (d. 2019)
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, wrestler
May 30
Brett Anderson, singer and vocalist for The Donnas
Clint Bowyer, race car driver
June
June 2
Imran Awan, Pakistani-born cricketer
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian-born actress
Dallas Clark, football player
June 4 – Christopher Dorner, serial killer
June 5
Mark Anelli, football player
Pete Wentz, musician, lyricist and bassist for Fall Out Boy
June 6
Jeremy Affeldt, baseball player
Paul Amorese, drummer
Shanda Sharer, murder victim (d. 1992)
June 8
Lauren K. Alleyne, Trinidadian-born poet and writer
Rob Holliday, singer/songwriter and bass player
Derek Trucks, guitarist and songwriter
June 9 – Jason Anderson, baseball player
June 10
Lee Brice, country music singer/songwriter
Francys Johnson, civil rights attorney, pastor, educator, and political candidate
June 13 – Cory Aldridge, baseball player
June 14
Alton Sterling, victim of police shooting (d. 2016)
Roosh V, pickup artist, blogger, MGTOW activist, and writer
June 16 – Ari Hest, singer/songwriter
June 17
Tyson Apostol, television personality
Young Maylay, actor, record producer, and rapper
June 19
Pete Aguilar, politician
Josh Brecheen, politician
Jade Cole, fashion model
Quentin Jammer, football player
June 21 – Chris Pratt, actor
June 22
Brad Hawpe, baseball player
Jai Rodriguez, actor and musician
June 23
Ryan Clark, singer and frontman for Demon Hunter
LaDainian Tomlinson, football player
June 24 – Mindy Kaling, actress, comedian and author
June 25
La La Anthony, television personality and actress
Busy Philipps, film actress
June 26 – Ryan Tedder, singer and frontman for OneRepublic
June 27
Cazwell, rapper and songwriter
Lauren Michelle Hill, model and actress
Scott Taylor, politician and Navy SEAL
June 28
Felicia Day, actress, writer, director, violinist, and singer
Tim McCord, bassist and guitarist for Evanescence and The Revolution Smile (2000-2004)
Randy McMichael, football player
June 30
Luke Bronin, politician, mayor of Hartford, Connecticut (2016-present)
Rick Gonzalez, actor
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-born bomber
Matisyahu, reggae vocalist, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician
July
July 1 – Forrest Griffin, mixed martial artist
July 2
Sam Hornish Jr., race car driver
Ayiesha Woods, singer
July 4
Kevin Thoms, actor and voice actor
Ben Walsh, politician, mayor of Syracuse, New York
July 6
Matthew Barnson, viola player and composer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Robert Atkins, comic artist
Pat Barry, kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Tricia Brock, Christian singer/songwriter, lead vocalist for Superchick
July 8 – Ben Jelen, Scottish-born singer/songwriter
July 12
Ryan Anderson, baseball player
Otis Anthony II, politician
Omid Abtahi, Iranian-born actor
Justin Rockefeller, venture capitalist and political activist
July 14 – Scott Porter, actor and singer
July 15
Laura Benanti, actress and singer
Philipp Karner, actor, writer and director
July 16
Jim Banks, politician
Jayma Mays, actress and singer
Kim Rhode, Olympic double trap and skeet shooter
July 17
Damien Anderson, football player
Brendan James, piano-based singer/songwriter
Mike Vogel, actor
July 18
Rick Baxter, politician
Jason Weaver, actor and singer
July 19 – Rick Ankiel, baseball player
July 21 – David Carr, football player
July 22 – Parvesh Cheena, actor
July 23
Michelle Williams, singer and actress
Joal Stanfield, tennis coach and educator (d. 2014)
Peter Rosenberg, radio and WWE personality
July 24 – Stat Quo, rapper
July 26
Tamyra Gray, singer
Mageina Tovah, actress
July 27 – Shannon Moore, wrestler
July 29 – James Lynch, musician, guitarist, and vocalist for Dropkick Murphys
July 30 – Joseph Afful, Ghanaian-born soccer player
July 31 – B. J. Novak, actor, director, and producer
August
August 1
Romie Adanza, Muay Thai kickboxer
Jason Momoa, actor
August 4 – Edward Byers, Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient
August 7
Omar Bah, Gambian-born psychologist, author, journalist, refugee, and global survivor
Gangsta Boo, rapper for Three 6 Mafia (d. 2023)
Jamey Jasta, singer/songwriter and frontman for Hatebreed and Kingdom of Sorrow
Abigail Spanberger, politician
August 8 – William Avery, basketball player
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, actress
Ted Geoghegan, screenwriter
Ryan Hoyt, convicted murderer
August 11 – Bubba Crosby, baseball player
August 12 – Peter Browngardt, cartoonist
August 15
Carl Edwards, race car driver
Matt Pinnell, politician, 17th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
Peter Shukoff, comedian, musician and personality
August 19
Jen Adams, lacrosse player and coach
Dave Douglas, singer/songwriter and drummer
August 21 – Kelis, singer/songwriter and chef
August 22
Brandon Adams, actor
Matt Walters, football player
August 24
Kaki King, guitarist and composer
Michael Redd, basketball player
August 25
Curtis Allgier, white supremacist and convicted murderer
Andrew Hussie, artist
August 26
Erik Apple, mixed martial artist
James Hart, singer and frontman for Eighteen Visions
Jamal Lewis, football player
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, filmmaker and actor
Aaron Paul, actor
August 28 – Shane Van Dyke, actor
August 29 – Nick Freitas, politician
August 31 – Mickie James, wrestler
September
September 3 – Tomo Miličević, Bosnian-born guitarist for 30 Seconds to Mars (2003-2018)
September 4
Max Greenfield, actor
Granger Smith, country singer/songwriter and minister
September 5 – Kelly Tshibaka, politician
September 6 – Brandon Silvestry, wrestler
September 8 – Pink, singer
September 11
Steve Hofstetter, comedian, journalist, and author
Ariana Richards, actress
Cameron Richardson, actress and model
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, tap dancer
Jay McGraw, author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Jamel Holley, politician
September 15
Dave Annable, actor
Amy Davidson, actress
September 16 – Flo Rida, rapper
September 17
Akin Ayodele, football player
Billy Miller, actor (d. 2023)
September 18
Jason Armstead, football player
Alison Lohman, actress
Amna Nawaz, journalist
September 20 – Ryan Fleck, filmmaker
September 21
Bradford Anderson, actor
Mark Burns, evangelical minister, televangelist, conspiracy theorist, and political candidate
September 22
Emilie Autumn, singer/songwriter, poet, author, and violinist
Swin Cash, basketball player
Peggy Flanagan, politician, 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
September 24
Justin Bruening, actor and model
Erin Chambers, actress
Ross Matthews, television host and personality
September 25 – Rashad Evans, mixed martial artist
September 26
Christina Nolan, politician
September 28
Bam Margera, skateboarder, actor, and reality star
Anndi McAfee, actress and voice actress
September 30
Mike Damus, actor
Steve Klein, songwriter and guitarist for New Found Glory (1997-2014)
October
October 1
Curtis Axel, wrestler
Rudi Johnson, football player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, actress
October 3
Matt Davis, comedian
Josh Klinghoffer, musician and guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers
John Hennigan, wrestler
October 4
Brandon Barash, actor
Rachael Leigh Cook, actress
October 8
Eric Genrich, politician, mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin (2019-present)
Kristanna Loken, actress and model
October 9
Vernon Fox, football player
Alex Greenwald, producer, actor, and singer/songwriter for Phantom Planet and JJAMZ
DJ Rashad, electronic musician, producer, and DJ (d. 2014)
Brandon Routh, actor
October 10 – Mýa, singer and actress
October 11 – Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan-born singer, frontman for Cobra Starship (2016-2015) and Midtown
October 12 – Jordan Pundik, singer/songwriter and frontman for New Found Glory
October 13 – Shawn Milke, musician, guitarist, keyboardist, and co-frontman for Alesana
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, wrestler, actress, and model
October 15
Blue Adams, football player
Stephanie Quayle, singer/songwriter
Jaci Velasquez, Christian singer
October 16
Andre J., entertainer and party promoter
Erin Brown, actress
October 18 – Ne-Yo, singer/songwriter
October 19 – Habib Azar, director
October 20
Junior Adams, football player and coach
Nika Agiashvili, Georgian-born writer and producer
Anna Boden, filmmaker
John Krasinski, actor
October 22
DJ Abilities, hip hop producer
Tony Denman, actor
October 23 – Charlie Adams, football player
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, actress
October 26
Jonathan Chase, actor
Josh Portman, bassist for Yellowcard
October 27 – Susie Castillo, actress, television host, model, and beauty pageant titleholder, Miss USA 2003
October 28
Brett Dennen, folk/pop singer/songwriter
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-born mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German-born software engineer, Internet entrepreneur, and co-founder of YouTube
October 30 – Kristina Anapau, actress and writer
October 31 – Nicholas Angell, ice hockey player
November
November 1 – Coco Crisp, baseball player
November 2 – Erika Flores, actress
November 3 – Tim McIlrath, rock singer/songwriter and frontman for Rise Against
November 4
Trishelle Cannatella, actress, model, and television personality
Audrey Hollander, porn actress
November 5 – Jackson Andrews, wrestler
November 6 – Lamar Odom, basketball player
November 7
Quincy Allen, convicted murderer
Jon Peter Lewis, singer/songwriter
Joey Ryan, professional wrestler and promoter
November 8 – Dania Ramirez, Dominican-born actress
November 9
Emily Compagno, attorney, podcaster, and television host
Cory Hardrict, actor
Darren Trumeter, actor and comedian
November 11 – James Allen, football player
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, wrestler (d. 2018)
Crown J, rapper
Cote de Pablo, Chilean-born actress
November 13
Henry Wolfe, actor and musician
Metta World Peace, basketball player
November 15 – Brooks Bollinger, football player and coach
November 18 – Michael Anestis, clinical psychologist and professor
November 19
Keith Buckley, singer and frontman for Every Time I Die and The Damned Things
Barry Jenkins, film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, football player
Michelle Vieth, American-born Mexican actress and model
November 20
Ruben Gallego, politician
Jacob Pitts, actor
November 22 – Keith Adams, football player
November 23
Yashar Ali, journalist
Tim Chiou, actor
Jonathan Sadowski, actor
November 24 – Scotty Anderson, football player
November 25
Jerry Ferrara, actor
Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-born actor
November 26 – B. J. Averell, actor
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, violinist
November 28
Chamillionaire, rapper
Daniel Henney, actor and model
November 29 – The Game, rapper
November 30 – Lisa Aguilera, sprinter
December
December 2 – Melissa Archer, actress
December 3
Rock Cartwright, football player
Robby Mook, political campaign strategist and campaign manager
Tiffany Haddish, actress and comedian
Sean Parker, entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founder of Napster
Seth Petruzelli, mixed martial artist, kickboxer, wrestler, and entrepreneur
December 5 – Nick Stahl, actor
December 6 – Luke Letlow, congressman-elect (d.2020)
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian-born voice actor, animator, and comedian
Sara Bareilles, singer/songwriter and pianist
Jennifer Carpenter, actress
December 8
Paul Dalio, filmmaker and mental health advocate
Ingrid Michaelson, indie pop singer-songwriter
December 11 – Rider Strong, actor
December 12 – Garrett Atkins, baseball player
December 14
Tony Arnerich, baseball coach
Chris Cheng, sport shooter
December 15 – Adam Brody, actor
December 16 – Brodie Lee, wrestler and actor (d. 2020)
December 17
40 Cal., rapper
Jaimee Foxworth, actress and model
William Green, football player
Lil Rel Howery, actor and comedian
Ryan Key, singer/songwriter, rhythm guitarist, and frontman for Yellowcard
Matt Murley, hockey player
December 18 – Amy Grabow, actress
December 19
Chip Ambres, baseball player
Kevin Devine, songwriter and musician
December 20
David DeJesus, baseball player
Bob Lee, businessman (d. 2023)
December 21 – Rutina Wesley, actress
December 22
Amanda Baker, actress
Liam Wilson, bassist for The Dillinger Escape Plan
December 23
Summer Altice, model and actress
Holly Madison, model and television personality
Morgan McGarvey, politician
December 26
Angela Angel, politician
Chris Daughtry, singer and guitarist
December 27
Melissa Anelli, author and webmistress
Carson Palmer, football player
December 28
James Blake, tennis pro
André Holland, actor
Robert Edward Davis, American-born German rapper
Zach Hill, drummer for Death Grips
December 30
Catherine Taber, voice, film and television actress
Yelawolf, rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, drummer for My Chemical Romance
Josh Hawley, politician
Full date unknown
Kim Abbott, politician
Omid Abtahi, Iranian-born actor
Amir AghaKouchak, Iranian-born engineer
Atif Akin, Turkish-born artist
Matthew Alan, actor
Bianca Allaine, actress, host, and model
Linas Alsenas, author and illustrator
Ashley Altadonna, filmmaker, musician, author, and LGBT activist
Amateur Gourmet, food writer and blogger
Kasey Anderson, singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, and musician
Meghan Andrews, actress and singer
Jones Angell, radio announcer
Lesley Arfin, writer and author
Dave Atchison, musician
Brian Avery, anti-war activist
Rob Laakso, musician, guitarist, singer, record producer, and engineer (d. 2023)
Kelvin Yu, actor and writer
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 8 – Sara Carter, American singer-songwriter and harp player (b. 1898)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 14 – Thomas DeSimone, American gangster (b. 1950)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st vice president of the United States (b. 1908)
February
February 2 – Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 9 – Allen Tate, poet and essayist (born 1899)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
March
March 1 – Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 11 – Victor Kilian, American actor (b. 1891)
March 14 – Will Mastin, American vaudevillian (b. 1878)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 28 – Emmett Kelly, American clown (born 1898)
April
April 4 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
May
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 –
Lillian La France, motorcycle stunt rider.
Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African American labor union leader (b. 1889)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1 – Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1898)
June 11
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
John Wayne, American actor and film director (b. 1907)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
July
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6 – Van McCoy, American accomplished musician; noted for his 1975 hit The Hustle (b. 1940)
July 7 – Morris Talpalar, sociologist (b. 1900)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
July 10 – Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (Boston Pops) (b. 1894)
July 12 – Minnie Riperton, American rhythm and blues singer (Lovin' You) (b. 1947)
July 13 – Corinne Griffith, American actress and author (b. 1894)
July 28 – George Seaton, American screenwriter and director (b. 1911)
July 29 – Herbert Marcuse, German-American philosopher, sociologist and political theorist (b. 1898)
August
August 2 – Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10 – Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
August 16 – F. Ryan Duffy, American judge and politician (b. 1888)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 22 – James T. Farrell, American novelist (b. 1904)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26 – Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
August 30 (body found on September 8) – Jean Seberg, American actress (b. 1938)
August 31 – Sally Rand, American dancer (b. 1904)
September
September 1 – Doris Kenyon, American actress (b. 1897)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 29 – Rudy Lavik, sports coach and administrator (b. 1892)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 13 – Rebecca Helferich Clarke, British-born viola player and composer, (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, U.S. Army general (b. 1887)
October 27 – Charles Coughlin, Canadian-American priest (b. 1891)
November
November 1 – Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 5 – Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
November 9 – Louise Thaden, American aviation pioneer (b. 1905
November 23 – Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 7 – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, British-born American astronomer and astrophysicist (b. 1900)
December 9 – Fulton J. Sheen, American Roman Catholic bishop and venerable (b. 1895)
December 10 – Ann Dvorak, actress (b. 1912)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Murray Gurfein, judge of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (b. 1907)
December 22 – Darryl F. Zanuck, American film producer (b. 1902)
December 23
Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
Ernest B. Schoedsack, American film producer and director (b. 1893)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
See also
1979 in American television
List of American films of 1979
Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)
Notes
References
External links
1970s in the United States
United States
United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States