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Thangamalai Ragasiyam (transl. Secret of the Golden mountain) is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language adventure film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari and Jamuna. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was released on 29 June 1957 and emerged a success.
Plot
Gajendran, a prince, is separated from his parents by his father's foe at a very young age. He grew up as a ferocious and vicious caveman. Then he meets Amutha, who by her word of love and affection turns Gajendran for good. Both set out to find the secret of Thangamalai to find and save Gajendran's parents.
Cast
Cast according to the song book and the opening credits of the film:
Uncredited roleC. L. Anandan as a dancer in the song "Veeradhi Veeran Sooraadhi Sooran"
Production
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was produced by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The original director was P. Neelakantan who left after directing a large portion of the film, resulting in Panthulu taking over direction. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was primarily shot in black-and-white, except for some sequences in Gevacolor. G. K. Ramu shot in black-and-white, and W. R. Subba Rao shot the colour sequences.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by T. G. Lingappa. Lyrics were by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam and Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy. The song "Amudhai Pozhiyum Nilave" was later used in the Malayalam film Mariakutty (1958) as "Karalil Kaniyum Rasamey".
Release and reception
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was released on 29 June 1957, and distributed by Meena Movies in Madras. The film was a commercial success.
References
External links
Thangamalai Ragasiyam at IMDb | composer | {
"answer_start": [
1311
],
"text": [
"T. G. Lingappa"
]
} |
Thangamalai Ragasiyam (transl. Secret of the Golden mountain) is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language adventure film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari and Jamuna. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was released on 29 June 1957 and emerged a success.
Plot
Gajendran, a prince, is separated from his parents by his father's foe at a very young age. He grew up as a ferocious and vicious caveman. Then he meets Amutha, who by her word of love and affection turns Gajendran for good. Both set out to find the secret of Thangamalai to find and save Gajendran's parents.
Cast
Cast according to the song book and the opening credits of the film:
Uncredited roleC. L. Anandan as a dancer in the song "Veeradhi Veeran Sooraadhi Sooran"
Production
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was produced by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The original director was P. Neelakantan who left after directing a large portion of the film, resulting in Panthulu taking over direction. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was primarily shot in black-and-white, except for some sequences in Gevacolor. G. K. Ramu shot in black-and-white, and W. R. Subba Rao shot the colour sequences.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by T. G. Lingappa. Lyrics were by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam and Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy. The song "Amudhai Pozhiyum Nilave" was later used in the Malayalam film Mariakutty (1958) as "Karalil Kaniyum Rasamey".
Release and reception
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was released on 29 June 1957, and distributed by Meena Movies in Madras. The film was a commercial success.
References
External links
Thangamalai Ragasiyam at IMDb | cast member | {
"answer_start": [
165
],
"text": [
"Sivaji Ganesan"
]
} |
Thangamalai Ragasiyam (transl. Secret of the Golden mountain) is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language adventure film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari and Jamuna. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was released on 29 June 1957 and emerged a success.
Plot
Gajendran, a prince, is separated from his parents by his father's foe at a very young age. He grew up as a ferocious and vicious caveman. Then he meets Amutha, who by her word of love and affection turns Gajendran for good. Both set out to find the secret of Thangamalai to find and save Gajendran's parents.
Cast
Cast according to the song book and the opening credits of the film:
Uncredited roleC. L. Anandan as a dancer in the song "Veeradhi Veeran Sooraadhi Sooran"
Production
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was produced by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The original director was P. Neelakantan who left after directing a large portion of the film, resulting in Panthulu taking over direction. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was primarily shot in black-and-white, except for some sequences in Gevacolor. G. K. Ramu shot in black-and-white, and W. R. Subba Rao shot the colour sequences.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by T. G. Lingappa. Lyrics were by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam and Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy. The song "Amudhai Pozhiyum Nilave" was later used in the Malayalam film Mariakutty (1958) as "Karalil Kaniyum Rasamey".
Release and reception
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was released on 29 June 1957, and distributed by Meena Movies in Madras. The film was a commercial success.
References
External links
Thangamalai Ragasiyam at IMDb | producer | {
"answer_start": [
134
],
"text": [
"B. R. Panthulu"
]
} |
Thangamalai Ragasiyam (transl. Secret of the Golden mountain) is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language adventure film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari and Jamuna. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was released on 29 June 1957 and emerged a success.
Plot
Gajendran, a prince, is separated from his parents by his father's foe at a very young age. He grew up as a ferocious and vicious caveman. Then he meets Amutha, who by her word of love and affection turns Gajendran for good. Both set out to find the secret of Thangamalai to find and save Gajendran's parents.
Cast
Cast according to the song book and the opening credits of the film:
Uncredited roleC. L. Anandan as a dancer in the song "Veeradhi Veeran Sooraadhi Sooran"
Production
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was produced by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The original director was P. Neelakantan who left after directing a large portion of the film, resulting in Panthulu taking over direction. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was primarily shot in black-and-white, except for some sequences in Gevacolor. G. K. Ramu shot in black-and-white, and W. R. Subba Rao shot the colour sequences.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by T. G. Lingappa. Lyrics were by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam and Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy. The song "Amudhai Pozhiyum Nilave" was later used in the Malayalam film Mariakutty (1958) as "Karalil Kaniyum Rasamey".
Release and reception
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was released on 29 June 1957, and distributed by Meena Movies in Madras. The film was a commercial success.
References
External links
Thangamalai Ragasiyam at IMDb | original language of film or TV show | {
"answer_start": [
79
],
"text": [
"Tamil"
]
} |
Thangamalai Ragasiyam (transl. Secret of the Golden mountain) is a 1957 Indian Tamil-language adventure film produced and directed by B. R. Panthulu. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, T. R. Rajakumari and Jamuna. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was released on 29 June 1957 and emerged a success.
Plot
Gajendran, a prince, is separated from his parents by his father's foe at a very young age. He grew up as a ferocious and vicious caveman. Then he meets Amutha, who by her word of love and affection turns Gajendran for good. Both set out to find the secret of Thangamalai to find and save Gajendran's parents.
Cast
Cast according to the song book and the opening credits of the film:
Uncredited roleC. L. Anandan as a dancer in the song "Veeradhi Veeran Sooraadhi Sooran"
Production
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was produced by B. R. Panthulu under Padmini Pictures. The original director was P. Neelakantan who left after directing a large portion of the film, resulting in Panthulu taking over direction. It was simultaneously made in Kannada as Rathnagiri Rahasya. The film was primarily shot in black-and-white, except for some sequences in Gevacolor. G. K. Ramu shot in black-and-white, and W. R. Subba Rao shot the colour sequences.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by T. G. Lingappa. Lyrics were by Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam and Ku. Sa. Krishnamoorthy. The song "Amudhai Pozhiyum Nilave" was later used in the Malayalam film Mariakutty (1958) as "Karalil Kaniyum Rasamey".
Release and reception
Thangamalai Ragasiyam was released on 29 June 1957, and distributed by Meena Movies in Madras. The film was a commercial success.
References
External links
Thangamalai Ragasiyam at IMDb | country of origin | {
"answer_start": [
72
],
"text": [
"India"
]
} |
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" is a 1966 R&B song by Motown Records group The Miracles, issued on Motown's Tamla Records subsidiary. Written by Motown staff songwriter Frank Wilson, it was one of only two singles the group released in 1966, taken from their album Away We A Go-Go.Although the group's billing on their singles remained "The Miracles" up to this point, their billing on the album was changed to "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles," their second album to receive this billing.
Lyrical and musical content
Despite this song's relatively mild success in 1966, "Whole Lot Of Shaking" was one of The Miracles' most dynamic, most propulsive recordings.
This up-tempo song featured rapid-fire vocal interplay between Smokey and the other Miracles, Bobby, Ronnie, Pete, and Claudette, accompanied by equally urgent horns and a hot Funk Brothers rhythm section. Smokey, as the song's narrator, portrays a man whose life has been completely changed by a passionate relationship with his new girl:
His friends also notice the change in him:
Song author Frank Wilson later co-wrote The Four Tops' 1970 hit "Still Water (Love)" with Robinson. He also went on to co-write The Temptations' 1967 Top 10 hit, "All I Need."
Cash Box described the song as a "hard-driving, fast-moving romantic thumper about a lucky lass who has finally met the guy of her dreams."
Personnel credits: The Miracles
Smokey Robinson – lead vocals
Claudette Robinson - background vocals
Marv Tarplin – guitar
Pete Moore - background vocals
Ronnie White - background vocals
Bobby Rogers - background vocals
Other credits
Writer–Producer: Frank Wilson
Other instruments: The Funk Brothers
Chart success
This song was not one of the group's more successful singles, and broke a string of Top 20 Pop hits by the group, only reaching #46 on the Billboard Pop charts, but the tune managed much better on the Billboard R&B listings, reaching the Top 20, peaking at #20.The Miracles, after a huge year in 1965, took a year off from touring during 1966, and this song's lack of promotion may have been a reason for its relative failure, but it has nevertheless been included in many Miracles "greatest hits" album and CD compilations.
Cover versions and accolades
"Whole Lot Of Shakin'" has inspired cover versions by The Hellacopters and Marv Johnson (for the Motown revival label Motorcity Records). Its flip side, "Oh Be My Love", like many Miracles "B" sides, was also popular, and has inspired cover versions by Barbara Lewis, The Supremes, and Barbara McNair.
The Huffington Post referred to this Miracles song as a "classic" and as one of "The 22 Lost Classics Of Motown that Deserve To Be Rediscovered"
The British "Northern Soul" website "Funky 16 Corners" referred to The Miracles' "Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart" as 'relentless", "A monster", and "first-class, floor-filling, spellbinding Motor City soul."
References
External links
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" (1966) - by The Miracles (1966) on YouTube
The Miracles - "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You) " (Special Extended Version)- from YouTube | instance of | {
"answer_start": [
227
],
"text": [
"single"
]
} |
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" is a 1966 R&B song by Motown Records group The Miracles, issued on Motown's Tamla Records subsidiary. Written by Motown staff songwriter Frank Wilson, it was one of only two singles the group released in 1966, taken from their album Away We A Go-Go.Although the group's billing on their singles remained "The Miracles" up to this point, their billing on the album was changed to "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles," their second album to receive this billing.
Lyrical and musical content
Despite this song's relatively mild success in 1966, "Whole Lot Of Shaking" was one of The Miracles' most dynamic, most propulsive recordings.
This up-tempo song featured rapid-fire vocal interplay between Smokey and the other Miracles, Bobby, Ronnie, Pete, and Claudette, accompanied by equally urgent horns and a hot Funk Brothers rhythm section. Smokey, as the song's narrator, portrays a man whose life has been completely changed by a passionate relationship with his new girl:
His friends also notice the change in him:
Song author Frank Wilson later co-wrote The Four Tops' 1970 hit "Still Water (Love)" with Robinson. He also went on to co-write The Temptations' 1967 Top 10 hit, "All I Need."
Cash Box described the song as a "hard-driving, fast-moving romantic thumper about a lucky lass who has finally met the guy of her dreams."
Personnel credits: The Miracles
Smokey Robinson – lead vocals
Claudette Robinson - background vocals
Marv Tarplin – guitar
Pete Moore - background vocals
Ronnie White - background vocals
Bobby Rogers - background vocals
Other credits
Writer–Producer: Frank Wilson
Other instruments: The Funk Brothers
Chart success
This song was not one of the group's more successful singles, and broke a string of Top 20 Pop hits by the group, only reaching #46 on the Billboard Pop charts, but the tune managed much better on the Billboard R&B listings, reaching the Top 20, peaking at #20.The Miracles, after a huge year in 1965, took a year off from touring during 1966, and this song's lack of promotion may have been a reason for its relative failure, but it has nevertheless been included in many Miracles "greatest hits" album and CD compilations.
Cover versions and accolades
"Whole Lot Of Shakin'" has inspired cover versions by The Hellacopters and Marv Johnson (for the Motown revival label Motorcity Records). Its flip side, "Oh Be My Love", like many Miracles "B" sides, was also popular, and has inspired cover versions by Barbara Lewis, The Supremes, and Barbara McNair.
The Huffington Post referred to this Miracles song as a "classic" and as one of "The 22 Lost Classics Of Motown that Deserve To Be Rediscovered"
The British "Northern Soul" website "Funky 16 Corners" referred to The Miracles' "Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart" as 'relentless", "A monster", and "first-class, floor-filling, spellbinding Motor City soul."
References
External links
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" (1966) - by The Miracles (1966) on YouTube
The Miracles - "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You) " (Special Extended Version)- from YouTube | performer | {
"answer_start": [
96
],
"text": [
"The Miracles"
]
} |
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" is a 1966 R&B song by Motown Records group The Miracles, issued on Motown's Tamla Records subsidiary. Written by Motown staff songwriter Frank Wilson, it was one of only two singles the group released in 1966, taken from their album Away We A Go-Go.Although the group's billing on their singles remained "The Miracles" up to this point, their billing on the album was changed to "Smokey Robinson and The Miracles," their second album to receive this billing.
Lyrical and musical content
Despite this song's relatively mild success in 1966, "Whole Lot Of Shaking" was one of The Miracles' most dynamic, most propulsive recordings.
This up-tempo song featured rapid-fire vocal interplay between Smokey and the other Miracles, Bobby, Ronnie, Pete, and Claudette, accompanied by equally urgent horns and a hot Funk Brothers rhythm section. Smokey, as the song's narrator, portrays a man whose life has been completely changed by a passionate relationship with his new girl:
His friends also notice the change in him:
Song author Frank Wilson later co-wrote The Four Tops' 1970 hit "Still Water (Love)" with Robinson. He also went on to co-write The Temptations' 1967 Top 10 hit, "All I Need."
Cash Box described the song as a "hard-driving, fast-moving romantic thumper about a lucky lass who has finally met the guy of her dreams."
Personnel credits: The Miracles
Smokey Robinson – lead vocals
Claudette Robinson - background vocals
Marv Tarplin – guitar
Pete Moore - background vocals
Ronnie White - background vocals
Bobby Rogers - background vocals
Other credits
Writer–Producer: Frank Wilson
Other instruments: The Funk Brothers
Chart success
This song was not one of the group's more successful singles, and broke a string of Top 20 Pop hits by the group, only reaching #46 on the Billboard Pop charts, but the tune managed much better on the Billboard R&B listings, reaching the Top 20, peaking at #20.The Miracles, after a huge year in 1965, took a year off from touring during 1966, and this song's lack of promotion may have been a reason for its relative failure, but it has nevertheless been included in many Miracles "greatest hits" album and CD compilations.
Cover versions and accolades
"Whole Lot Of Shakin'" has inspired cover versions by The Hellacopters and Marv Johnson (for the Motown revival label Motorcity Records). Its flip side, "Oh Be My Love", like many Miracles "B" sides, was also popular, and has inspired cover versions by Barbara Lewis, The Supremes, and Barbara McNair.
The Huffington Post referred to this Miracles song as a "classic" and as one of "The 22 Lost Classics Of Motown that Deserve To Be Rediscovered"
The British "Northern Soul" website "Funky 16 Corners" referred to The Miracles' "Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart" as 'relentless", "A monster", and "first-class, floor-filling, spellbinding Motor City soul."
References
External links
"Whole Lot Of Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" (1966) - by The Miracles (1966) on YouTube
The Miracles - "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You) " (Special Extended Version)- from YouTube | record label | {
"answer_start": [
75
],
"text": [
"Motown"
]
} |
Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT), also called skinny hedgehog homology in humans, is a human gene.The HHAT gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes N-terminal palmitoylation of sonic hedgehog. Mutations in HHAT produce a phenotype that is similar to loss of hedgehog function. Finally the HHAT protein shares a short but significant sequence similarity to membrane-bound O-acyltransferases.
References
External links
HHATL protein, human at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) | subclass of | {
"answer_start": [
92
],
"text": [
"gene"
]
} |
Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT), also called skinny hedgehog homology in humans, is a human gene.The HHAT gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes N-terminal palmitoylation of sonic hedgehog. Mutations in HHAT produce a phenotype that is similar to loss of hedgehog function. Finally the HHAT protein shares a short but significant sequence similarity to membrane-bound O-acyltransferases.
References
External links
HHATL protein, human at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) | instance of | {
"answer_start": [
92
],
"text": [
"gene"
]
} |
Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT), also called skinny hedgehog homology in humans, is a human gene.The HHAT gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes N-terminal palmitoylation of sonic hedgehog. Mutations in HHAT produce a phenotype that is similar to loss of hedgehog function. Finally the HHAT protein shares a short but significant sequence similarity to membrane-bound O-acyltransferases.
References
External links
HHATL protein, human at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) | HGNC gene symbol | {
"answer_start": [
26
],
"text": [
"HHAT"
]
} |
Hedgehog acyltransferase (HHAT), also called skinny hedgehog homology in humans, is a human gene.The HHAT gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes N-terminal palmitoylation of sonic hedgehog. Mutations in HHAT produce a phenotype that is similar to loss of hedgehog function. Finally the HHAT protein shares a short but significant sequence similarity to membrane-bound O-acyltransferases.
References
External links
HHATL protein, human at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) | encodes | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Hedgehog acyltransferase"
]
} |
Caroline Virginia Krout (1852–1931) was an American author.
She was born in Balhinch, near Crawfordsville, Indiana, 1852. She wrote several novels and a collection of short stories under the pen name Caroline Brown. In addition to being an author, she was a teacher at Crawfordsville High School and wrote articles for regional newspapers. She died in 1931.
Family
Her older sister Mary Hannah Krout was also a noted author and journalist.
Bibliography
Bold Robin and His Forest Rangers. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1905.
Dionis of the White Veil. Boston: L.C. Page, 1911.
Knights in Fustian: A War-Time Story of Indiana. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1900.
On the We-a Trail: A Story of the Great Wilderness. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1903.
== References == | given name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Caroline"
]
} |
Wendy Armoko, also known as Wendy Cagur (born May 8, 1979), is an Indonesian rapper, actor, presenter, and comedian. He is a member of band The Cagur Band, which was formed by members of the comedy group Cagur.
Career
He began his career when he joined the comedy group Cagur in 2001. In 2009, he starred in the film Pijat Atas Tekan Bawah, with Kiki Fatmala and Cagur. He hosted the shows Tarung Dangdut, WOWW, and @Show_Imah. He appeared on the Trans TV show Yuk Keep Smile in 2013-14.
In 2014, he was nominated in the category "Favorite Comedian" at the Panasonic Gobel Awards and the 2014 Nickelodeon Indonesia Kids' Choice Awards.
Filmography
Film
Television
TV Commercial
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Berita di Kroscek
Wendy Cagur on Twitter | country of citizenship | {
"answer_start": [
66
],
"text": [
"Indonesia"
]
} |
Wendy Armoko, also known as Wendy Cagur (born May 8, 1979), is an Indonesian rapper, actor, presenter, and comedian. He is a member of band The Cagur Band, which was formed by members of the comedy group Cagur.
Career
He began his career when he joined the comedy group Cagur in 2001. In 2009, he starred in the film Pijat Atas Tekan Bawah, with Kiki Fatmala and Cagur. He hosted the shows Tarung Dangdut, WOWW, and @Show_Imah. He appeared on the Trans TV show Yuk Keep Smile in 2013-14.
In 2014, he was nominated in the category "Favorite Comedian" at the Panasonic Gobel Awards and the 2014 Nickelodeon Indonesia Kids' Choice Awards.
Filmography
Film
Television
TV Commercial
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Berita di Kroscek
Wendy Cagur on Twitter | occupation | {
"answer_start": [
85
],
"text": [
"actor"
]
} |
Wendy Armoko, also known as Wendy Cagur (born May 8, 1979), is an Indonesian rapper, actor, presenter, and comedian. He is a member of band The Cagur Band, which was formed by members of the comedy group Cagur.
Career
He began his career when he joined the comedy group Cagur in 2001. In 2009, he starred in the film Pijat Atas Tekan Bawah, with Kiki Fatmala and Cagur. He hosted the shows Tarung Dangdut, WOWW, and @Show_Imah. He appeared on the Trans TV show Yuk Keep Smile in 2013-14.
In 2014, he was nominated in the category "Favorite Comedian" at the Panasonic Gobel Awards and the 2014 Nickelodeon Indonesia Kids' Choice Awards.
Filmography
Film
Television
TV Commercial
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Berita di Kroscek
Wendy Cagur on Twitter | given name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Wendy"
]
} |
Wendy Armoko, also known as Wendy Cagur (born May 8, 1979), is an Indonesian rapper, actor, presenter, and comedian. He is a member of band The Cagur Band, which was formed by members of the comedy group Cagur.
Career
He began his career when he joined the comedy group Cagur in 2001. In 2009, he starred in the film Pijat Atas Tekan Bawah, with Kiki Fatmala and Cagur. He hosted the shows Tarung Dangdut, WOWW, and @Show_Imah. He appeared on the Trans TV show Yuk Keep Smile in 2013-14.
In 2014, he was nominated in the category "Favorite Comedian" at the Panasonic Gobel Awards and the 2014 Nickelodeon Indonesia Kids' Choice Awards.
Filmography
Film
Television
TV Commercial
Awards and nominations
References
External links
Berita di Kroscek
Wendy Cagur on Twitter | languages spoken, written or signed | {
"answer_start": [
66
],
"text": [
"Indonesian"
]
} |
Lakhan Ghanghoriya is an Indian politician who was minister of Social Justice, Disabled and Scheduled Castes Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh from 2018 to 2020. He is Member of the legislative assembly from the Jabalpur East. He is member of legislative assembly. He represents the Jabalpur East constituency from where he has won twice.
Early life
Lakhan Ghanghoriya completed his B.Sc. from Govt. College R.D.V.V University Jabalpur in 1983 and L.L.B from Hitkarini Law College R.D.University in 2001.
== References == | country of citizenship | {
"answer_start": [
25
],
"text": [
"India"
]
} |
Lakhan Ghanghoriya is an Indian politician who was minister of Social Justice, Disabled and Scheduled Castes Welfare Department of Madhya Pradesh from 2018 to 2020. He is Member of the legislative assembly from the Jabalpur East. He is member of legislative assembly. He represents the Jabalpur East constituency from where he has won twice.
Early life
Lakhan Ghanghoriya completed his B.Sc. from Govt. College R.D.V.V University Jabalpur in 1983 and L.L.B from Hitkarini Law College R.D.University in 2001.
== References == | occupation | {
"answer_start": [
32
],
"text": [
"politician"
]
} |
Kózki [ˈkuski] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grębków, within Węgrów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Grębków, 16 km (10 mi) south of Węgrów, and 65 km (40 mi) east of Warsaw.
The village has a population of 174.
== References == | country | {
"answer_start": [
137
],
"text": [
"Poland"
]
} |
Kózki [ˈkuski] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grębków, within Węgrów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Grębków, 16 km (10 mi) south of Węgrów, and 65 km (40 mi) east of Warsaw.
The village has a population of 174.
== References == | located in the administrative territorial entity | {
"answer_start": [
62
],
"text": [
"Gmina Grębków"
]
} |
Kózki [ˈkuski] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Grębków, within Węgrów County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) east of Grębków, 16 km (10 mi) south of Węgrów, and 65 km (40 mi) east of Warsaw.
The village has a population of 174.
== References == | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
62
],
"text": [
"Gmina Grębków"
]
} |
Jiuxiang Scenic Region (Chinese: 九乡风景区) is located in Jiuxiang Yi and Hui Autonomous Township of Yiliang County 90 km away from central Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
It is famous for its caves, mountains, rivers, deep valleys, minority customs and cultures.
Jiuxiang Scenic Region consists of 5 major scenic spots:
Diehong Bridge (Chinese: 叠虹桥)
Sanjiao Cave
Dasha Dam
Alulong
Mingyue Lake.Diehong Bridge itself includes six major scenic spots: the Green Shady Valley, the White Elephant Cave, the Goddess Cave, the Lying Dragon Cave, the Bat Cave and the Tourist Cableway.
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20080516222412/http://www.kmtrip.net/en/city/kunming/attraction/jiuxiang.htm | located in the administrative territorial entity | {
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Jiuxiang Scenic Region (Chinese: 九乡风景区) is located in Jiuxiang Yi and Hui Autonomous Township of Yiliang County 90 km away from central Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.
It is famous for its caves, mountains, rivers, deep valleys, minority customs and cultures.
Jiuxiang Scenic Region consists of 5 major scenic spots:
Diehong Bridge (Chinese: 叠虹桥)
Sanjiao Cave
Dasha Dam
Alulong
Mingyue Lake.Diehong Bridge itself includes six major scenic spots: the Green Shady Valley, the White Elephant Cave, the Goddess Cave, the Lying Dragon Cave, the Bat Cave and the Tourist Cableway.
References
https://web.archive.org/web/20080516222412/http://www.kmtrip.net/en/city/kunming/attraction/jiuxiang.htm | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Jiuxiang Scenic Region"
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} |
Ida Caroline Gandy, née Hony (1885–1977), was an English social worker and author. She wrote children's books, plays, and books about rural life in Wiltshire and Shropshire.
Life
Ida Hony was born in 1885 in Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire, where her father, the Rev. Charles William Hony, was the vicar. Annie Elizabeth Lewin, her "somewhat unconventional" mother, was a writer. Hony moved to London to take up social work, working for the Workers' Educational Association. After moving to Peppard in Oxfordshire, she married the local GP, Thomas Gandy, in 1915. The couple had three children: the diplomat Christopher Gandy, the mathematician Robin Gandy and the physician Gillian Gandy.Ida Gandy wrote stage plays for the local amateur drama group, and published her first non-fiction book, A Wiltshire Childhood, in 1930. In 1930 she persuaded her husband to move to Clunbury in Shropshire. She was active in the local Women's Institute, and during World War II was the Billeting Officer for the Clun Valley. On her husband's retirement in 1945 the couple moved to Dorset. He died in 1948, and after his death Gandy returned to Wiltshire, settling in Aldbourne.She died in September 1977, and is buried in the churchyard of the Church of St Michael, Aldbourne.
Works
The deer stealers: a village play in three acts. London: Village Drama Society.
The gipsy Countess : a play founded on the old folk-song "The wraggle-taggle gipsies". Kelly: Village Drama Society, 1924.
Snowdrop and the dwarfs: a fairy play. London: Gowans & Gray, 1925.
The fairy fruit: a play for children. London: Gowans & Gray, 1927.
Three bold explorers : a story for children. London: Jarrolds, 1927.
A good shepherd: a one-act play. London: Joseph Williams, 1927.
Lardy cake: a comedy for village players. London: H. F. W. Deane, 1928.
The stranger: a comedy in one act. London: H. F. W. Deane & Sons, 1929.
Sunset Island. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Illustrated by Frank Adams.
A Wiltshire childhood. London: Allen & Unwin, 1929.
When the queen passed by : an outdoor play in three scenes. London: H. F. W. Deane & Sons, 1932.
The musical-box : a fantasy in one act. London: H. F. W. Deane & Sons, 1933.
He boxed her ears: a farce in rhyme. London: H. F. W. Deane & Sons, 1938.
Under the chestnut tree. London, Country Life Ltd., 1938. Illustrated by Clifford Webb.
Come to the fair: a comedy in one act. London: H. F. W. Deane & Sons, 1939.
Round about the little steeple; the story of a downland village and its parson in the seventeenth century. London: G. Allen & Unwin, 1960.
Staying with the aunts. London: Harvill Press, 1963.
An idler on the Shropshire borders. Shrewsbury: Wilding, 1970.
The heart of a village : an intimate history of Aldbourne. Bradford-on-Avon: Moonraker Press, 1975.
== References == | occupation | {
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369
],
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Nacimientos del Jague is a mountain in Argentina with an elevation of 5,826 metres (19,114 ft) metres.
Location
Nacimientos del Jague is within the following mountain ranges: Argentine Andes, Puna de Atacama. Its territory is within the Argentinean protection area of Catamarca High Andean and Puna Lakes Ramsar Site. It is on the border of two provinces: Argentinean provinces of La Rioja and Catamarca. Its slopes are within 2 cities: Argentinean cities of Vinchina and Fiambalá.
First Ascent
Nacimientos del Jague was first climbed by John Biggar and Gordon Biggar (Scotland) in November 12, 1996.
Elevation
Based on the elevation provided by the available Digital elevation models, SRTM filled with ASTER (5826 metres), TanDEM-X (5861 metrss), Nacimientos del Jague is about 5826 meters above sea level.The height of the nearest key col is 5242 meters, therefore its prominence is 584 meters. Nacimientos del Jague is listed as mountain, based on the Dominance system and its dominance is 10.02%. Its parent peak is Pissis and the Topographic isolation is 17.8 kilometers.
References
External links
Elevation information about Nacimientos del Jague
Weather Forecast at Nacimientos del Jague | country | {
"answer_start": [
39
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"text": [
"Argentina"
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} |
Nacimientos del Jague is a mountain in Argentina with an elevation of 5,826 metres (19,114 ft) metres.
Location
Nacimientos del Jague is within the following mountain ranges: Argentine Andes, Puna de Atacama. Its territory is within the Argentinean protection area of Catamarca High Andean and Puna Lakes Ramsar Site. It is on the border of two provinces: Argentinean provinces of La Rioja and Catamarca. Its slopes are within 2 cities: Argentinean cities of Vinchina and Fiambalá.
First Ascent
Nacimientos del Jague was first climbed by John Biggar and Gordon Biggar (Scotland) in November 12, 1996.
Elevation
Based on the elevation provided by the available Digital elevation models, SRTM filled with ASTER (5826 metres), TanDEM-X (5861 metrss), Nacimientos del Jague is about 5826 meters above sea level.The height of the nearest key col is 5242 meters, therefore its prominence is 584 meters. Nacimientos del Jague is listed as mountain, based on the Dominance system and its dominance is 10.02%. Its parent peak is Pissis and the Topographic isolation is 17.8 kilometers.
References
External links
Elevation information about Nacimientos del Jague
Weather Forecast at Nacimientos del Jague | instance of | {
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27
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"text": [
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Daphnia sinevi is a species of water fleas from the Russian Far East.
Description
Daphnia sinevi grows to a length of 1.73 millimetres (0.068 in).
Distribution and taxonomy
Daphnia sinevi is only known from a single pool, 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter at Avangard, near Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai, Russia. It was collected there in 2004 by A. Y. Sinev, and described in 2006 in the Journal of Plankton Research. The holotype, along with an allotype and a series of paratypes are held at the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. The closest relatives of D. sinevi are other species in the species group around D. curvirostris, especially Daphnia morsei.
== References == | instance of | {
"answer_start": [
166
],
"text": [
"taxon"
]
} |
Daphnia sinevi is a species of water fleas from the Russian Far East.
Description
Daphnia sinevi grows to a length of 1.73 millimetres (0.068 in).
Distribution and taxonomy
Daphnia sinevi is only known from a single pool, 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter at Avangard, near Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai, Russia. It was collected there in 2004 by A. Y. Sinev, and described in 2006 in the Journal of Plankton Research. The holotype, along with an allotype and a series of paratypes are held at the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. The closest relatives of D. sinevi are other species in the species group around D. curvirostris, especially Daphnia morsei.
== References == | taxon rank | {
"answer_start": [
20
],
"text": [
"species"
]
} |
Daphnia sinevi is a species of water fleas from the Russian Far East.
Description
Daphnia sinevi grows to a length of 1.73 millimetres (0.068 in).
Distribution and taxonomy
Daphnia sinevi is only known from a single pool, 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter at Avangard, near Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai, Russia. It was collected there in 2004 by A. Y. Sinev, and described in 2006 in the Journal of Plankton Research. The holotype, along with an allotype and a series of paratypes are held at the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. The closest relatives of D. sinevi are other species in the species group around D. curvirostris, especially Daphnia morsei.
== References == | parent taxon | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Daphnia"
]
} |
Daphnia sinevi is a species of water fleas from the Russian Far East.
Description
Daphnia sinevi grows to a length of 1.73 millimetres (0.068 in).
Distribution and taxonomy
Daphnia sinevi is only known from a single pool, 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter at Avangard, near Nakhodka, Primorsky Krai, Russia. It was collected there in 2004 by A. Y. Sinev, and described in 2006 in the Journal of Plankton Research. The holotype, along with an allotype and a series of paratypes are held at the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University. The closest relatives of D. sinevi are other species in the species group around D. curvirostris, especially Daphnia morsei.
== References == | taxon name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Daphnia sinevi"
]
} |
Cymolomia hartigiana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia, China, Korea and Japan.
The wingspan is 14–18 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Abies alba and Picea excelsa.
External links
Eurasian Tortricidae | parent taxon | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Cymolomia"
]
} |
Cymolomia hartigiana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia, China, Korea and Japan.
The wingspan is 14–18 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Abies alba and Picea excelsa.
External links
Eurasian Tortricidae | taxon name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Cymolomia hartigiana"
]
} |
Cymolomia hartigiana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia, China, Korea and Japan.
The wingspan is 14–18 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Abies alba and Picea excelsa.
External links
Eurasian Tortricidae | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Cymolomia hartigiana"
]
} |
Cymolomia hartigiana is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is found from northern and central Europe to eastern Russia, China, Korea and Japan.
The wingspan is 14–18 mm. Adults are on wing from May to August. There is one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Abies alba and Picea excelsa.
External links
Eurasian Tortricidae | host | {
"answer_start": [
264
],
"text": [
"Abies alba"
]
} |
Granulocystis is a genus of algae belonging to the family Oocystaceae.Species:
Granulocystis chlamydomonadoides Hindak
Granulocystis echinulata (Proshkina-Lavrenko) Hindák
Granulocystis exuviata Hindák
Granulocystis helenae Hindák
Granulocystis ruzickae (Reháková) Hindák
Granulocystis verrucosa (J.V.Roll) Hindák
== References == | taxon rank | {
"answer_start": [
19
],
"text": [
"genus"
]
} |
Granulocystis is a genus of algae belonging to the family Oocystaceae.Species:
Granulocystis chlamydomonadoides Hindak
Granulocystis echinulata (Proshkina-Lavrenko) Hindák
Granulocystis exuviata Hindák
Granulocystis helenae Hindák
Granulocystis ruzickae (Reháková) Hindák
Granulocystis verrucosa (J.V.Roll) Hindák
== References == | parent taxon | {
"answer_start": [
58
],
"text": [
"Oocystaceae"
]
} |
Granulocystis is a genus of algae belonging to the family Oocystaceae.Species:
Granulocystis chlamydomonadoides Hindak
Granulocystis echinulata (Proshkina-Lavrenko) Hindák
Granulocystis exuviata Hindák
Granulocystis helenae Hindák
Granulocystis ruzickae (Reháková) Hindák
Granulocystis verrucosa (J.V.Roll) Hindák
== References == | taxon name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Granulocystis"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | country | {
"answer_start": [
658
],
"text": [
"Mexico"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | capital | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"San Ignacio Río Muerto"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | located in the administrative territorial entity | {
"answer_start": [
131
],
"text": [
"Sonora"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
53
],
"text": [
"San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | native label | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"San Ignacio Río Muerto"
]
} |
San Ignacio Río Muerto is a small town surrounded by San Ignacio Río Muerto Municipality in the southwest of the Mexican state of Sonora.
Health and education
There were 54 schools and one small health clinic in 2000. [1]
Economic Activity
Agriculture covered 35,000 productive hectares (2000), most of which were irrigated. Main crops are wheat, garbanzo beans, cártamo, sorghum, watermelon, chile and melons. Agricultural production is transported to Ciudad Obregón for packing and export to the United States.
Cattle raising was carried out on a small scale and there were more than 6,000 head in 2000.
References
Enciclopedia de los Municipios de Mexico
INEGI
External links
San Ignacio Río Muerto, Ayuntamiento Digital (Official Website of San Ignacio Río Muerto, Sonora)
Gobierno de Sonora | capital of | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"San Ignacio Río Muerto"
]
} |
The 1992–93 Danish Superliga season was the 3rd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.
The tournament was held in two rounds. The first round was in the autumn of 1992, and the second in the spring of 1993. The teams placed first to eighth in the first round, and played in the second round. Their scores were reset to zero, and their mutual points were shorted to half.
The two teams placed ninth and tenth in the first round, played in the qualification league in the spring. They had respectively 8 and 7 points with.
The Danish champions qualified for the UEFA Champions League 1993-94 qualification, while the second and third placed teams qualified for the qualification round of the UEFA Cup 1993-94. The teams placed first and second in the qualification league promoted.
Autumn 1992
Table
Results
Spring 1993
Table
Results
Top goalscorers
See also
1992-93 in Danish football
External links
(in Danish) Peders Fodboldstatistik | edition number | {
"answer_start": [
10
],
"text": [
"3"
]
} |
The 1992–93 Danish Superliga season was the 3rd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.
The tournament was held in two rounds. The first round was in the autumn of 1992, and the second in the spring of 1993. The teams placed first to eighth in the first round, and played in the second round. Their scores were reset to zero, and their mutual points were shorted to half.
The two teams placed ninth and tenth in the first round, played in the qualification league in the spring. They had respectively 8 and 7 points with.
The Danish champions qualified for the UEFA Champions League 1993-94 qualification, while the second and third placed teams qualified for the qualification round of the UEFA Cup 1993-94. The teams placed first and second in the qualification league promoted.
Autumn 1992
Table
Results
Spring 1993
Table
Results
Top goalscorers
See also
1992-93 in Danish football
External links
(in Danish) Peders Fodboldstatistik | organizer | {
"answer_start": [
116
],
"text": [
"Danish Football Association"
]
} |
The 1992–93 Danish Superliga season was the 3rd season of the Danish Superliga league championship, governed by the Danish Football Association.
The tournament was held in two rounds. The first round was in the autumn of 1992, and the second in the spring of 1993. The teams placed first to eighth in the first round, and played in the second round. Their scores were reset to zero, and their mutual points were shorted to half.
The two teams placed ninth and tenth in the first round, played in the qualification league in the spring. They had respectively 8 and 7 points with.
The Danish champions qualified for the UEFA Champions League 1993-94 qualification, while the second and third placed teams qualified for the qualification round of the UEFA Cup 1993-94. The teams placed first and second in the qualification league promoted.
Autumn 1992
Table
Results
Spring 1993
Table
Results
Top goalscorers
See also
1992-93 in Danish football
External links
(in Danish) Peders Fodboldstatistik | sports season of league or competition | {
"answer_start": [
12
],
"text": [
"Danish Superliga"
]
} |
Natatolana lilliput is a species of crustacean in the family Cirolanidae, and was first described by Stephen John Keable in 2006. The species epithet, lilliput, is from the Lilliput of Gulliver's Travels, and refers to the specie's short antennae.It is a benthic species, living at depths of 3 - 25 m in temperate waters, and is found in waters of the Tasmanian Shelf Province. It is a scavenger.
References
External links
Natatolana lilliput occurrence data from GBIF | taxon rank | {
"answer_start": [
25
],
"text": [
"species"
]
} |
Natatolana lilliput is a species of crustacean in the family Cirolanidae, and was first described by Stephen John Keable in 2006. The species epithet, lilliput, is from the Lilliput of Gulliver's Travels, and refers to the specie's short antennae.It is a benthic species, living at depths of 3 - 25 m in temperate waters, and is found in waters of the Tasmanian Shelf Province. It is a scavenger.
References
External links
Natatolana lilliput occurrence data from GBIF | parent taxon | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Natatolana"
]
} |
Natatolana lilliput is a species of crustacean in the family Cirolanidae, and was first described by Stephen John Keable in 2006. The species epithet, lilliput, is from the Lilliput of Gulliver's Travels, and refers to the specie's short antennae.It is a benthic species, living at depths of 3 - 25 m in temperate waters, and is found in waters of the Tasmanian Shelf Province. It is a scavenger.
References
External links
Natatolana lilliput occurrence data from GBIF | taxon name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Natatolana lilliput"
]
} |
1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | follows | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | followed by | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | part of | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | Commons category | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | said to be the same as | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | Commons gallery | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | genre | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | language of work or name | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | country of origin | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | title | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | form of creative work | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | instance of | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | numeric value | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | KIT Linked Open Numbers ID | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | prime factor | {
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1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.
Events
January
January 1
United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the International Year of the Child. Many musicians donate to the Music for UNICEF Concert fund, among them ABBA, who write the song Chiquitita to commemorate the event.
The United States and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations.
Following a deal agreed during 1978, French carmaker Peugeot completes a takeover of American manufacturer Chrysler's European operations, which are based in Britain's former Rootes Group factories, as well as the former Simca factories in France.
January 7 – Cambodian–Vietnamese War: The People's Army of Vietnam and Vietnamese-backed Cambodian insurgents announce the fall of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the collapse of the Pol Pot regime. Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge retreat west to an area along the Thai border, ending large-scale fighting.
January 8 – Whiddy Island Disaster: The French tanker Betelgeuse explodes at the Gulf Oil terminal at Bantry, Ireland; 50 are killed.
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 16 – Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family, relocating to Egypt after a year of turmoil.
January 19 – Former U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell is released on parole after 19 months at a federal prison in Alabama.
January 22 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Mutukula: The Tanzanian military captures the Ugandan border town of Mutukula after a short battle.
January 25 – Pope John Paul II arrives in Mexico City for his first visit to Mexico, mainly for 1979's Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) or Conference of Puebla.
January 28 – Deng Xiaoping arrives in Washington, D.C., for the first visit of a paramount leader of the People's Republic of China to the United States.
February
February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.
February 3 – Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
February 7
Iranian Revolution: Supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini take over the Iranian law enforcement, courts, and government administration; the final session of the Iranian National Consultative Assembly is held.
Pluto moves inside Neptune's orbit for the first time since either was known to science.
Nazi criminal Josef Mengele suffers a stroke and drowns while swimming in Bertioga, Brazil. His remains are found in 1985.
February 10–11 – The Iranian Revolution ends with the Iranian army withdrawing to its barracks leaving power in the hands of Ayatollah Khomeini, ending the Pahlavi dynasty.
February 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Simba Hills: The Tanzanian military began its assault on the Simba Hills near the town of Kakuuto.
February 12 – Prime Minister Hissène Habré starts the Battle of N'Djamena in an attempt to overthrow Chad's President Félix Malloum.
February 13
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
The Guardian Angels are formed in New York City as an unarmed organization of young crime fighters.
February 14 – In Kabul, Muslim extremists kidnap the American ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, who is killed during a gunfight between his kidnappers and police.
February 15 – A suspected gas explosion in a Warsaw bank kills 49.
February 17 – The People's Republic of China invades northern Vietnam, launching the Sino-Vietnamese War.
February 18
The 1979 Daytona 500 is televised on CBS, the first ever full airing of a 500-mile race on US television, Richard Petty wins after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison battle for first place on the final lap and crash out, leading to a fist fight. This race brought NASCAR to a wider audience.
The Khomeini government in Iran cuts diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 21 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Gayaza Hills: A Tanzanian brigade successfully dislodged Ugandan forces from the Gayaza Hills. The battle is hard-fought, and the Tanzanians suffer their largest number of casualties in a single engagement of the war.
February 22 – Saint Lucia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
February 26
A total solar eclipse, the last visible from the continental United States until 2017, arcs over northwestern conterminous US and central Canada ending in Greenland. A partial solar eclipse is visible over almost all of North America and Central America including the eastern half of Alaska and the western half of the UK.
The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
February 27
The annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans is cancelled due to a strike called by the New Orleans Police Department.
The Soviet oil tanker Antonio Gramsci suffers a minor shipwreck in shallow waters shortly after leaving shore in Ventspils, resulting in a 5,000 ton oil spill, the largest that has ever occurred on the Baltic Sea.
March
March 1
Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes in favour of a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to failing a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal; in a Welsh devolution referendum, Wales votes against devolution.
Philips publicly demonstrate a prototype of an optical digital audio disc at a press conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
March 2 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: Ugandan rebels attack and capture the town of Tororo.
March 4
The U.S. Voyager 1 spaceprobe photos reveal Jupiter's rings.
Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Tororo: The Ugandan military retakes Tororo from rebels.
March 5 – Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter at 277,000 kilometres (172,000 mi).
March 7 – The largest Magnetar (Soft gamma repeater) event is recorded.
March 8
Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
Thousands of women participate in the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979 against the introduction of mandatory veiling during the Iranian revolution.
Images taken by Voyager I proved the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
March 10 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Ugandan military, a Libyan expeditionary force and allied Palestine Liberation Organisation militants begin a counter-offensive against Tanzanian troops in south-central Uganda. The Ugandan-led alliance retakes Lukaya after a short clash with the Tanzanian military.
March 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lukaya: The Tanzanian military counter-attacks at Lukaya, completely defeating the Ugandan-led alliance. This defeat permanently cripples the Ugandan military.
March 13 – Maurice Bishop leads a successful coup in Grenada. His government will be crushed by American intervention in 1983.
March 14 – In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing 31 people on the ground and injuring 200.
March 16
End of major hostilities in the Sino-Vietnamese War.
In his letter to the United Nations, Elisio De Figueiredo, the People's Republic of Angola's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, requests an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the question of South Africa's continuous acts of aggression in Angola.
March 17 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel in the UK collapses, killing two workers.
March 19 – C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.
March 18 – Ten miners die in a methane gas explosion at Golborne Colliery near Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.
March 22 – The NHL votes to approve its merger with the WHA, effective in the fall.
March 25 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the 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 an Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Michigan State University, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, defeats Larry Bird-led Indiana State 75–64 in the NCAA tournament championship game at Salt Lake City.
March 28
In Britain, James Callaghan's minority Labour government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a general election which is to be held on 3 May.
America's most serious nuclear power plant accident occurs, at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
March 29 – Sultan Yahya Petra of Kelantan, the 6th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Head of State) of Malaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang.
March 30 – Airey Neave, Conservative M.P. in the British House of Commons, is killed, presumably by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the car park for the Houses of Parliament.
March 31
The last British soldier (belonging to the Royal Navy) leaves the Maltese Islands, after 179 years of presence. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).
Milk and Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 for Israel, with the song Hallelujah.
April
April 1
Iran's government becomes an Islamic Republic by a 98% vote, overthrowing the Shah officially.
Nickelodeon launches from QUBE's Pinwheel experiment and begins airing on various Warner Cable systems beginning in Buffalo, New York, expanding its audience reach.
Dale Earnhardt Sr wins his first career NASCAR race at the 1979 Southeastern 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He would go on to win 76 races and seven championships during his career.
April 1–18 – Police lock Andreas Mihavecz in a holding cell in Bregenz, Austria and forget about him, leaving him there without food or drink.
April 2 – Sverdlovsk anthrax leak: A Soviet biowarfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock. It is a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention of 1972.
April 2 – In Japan, the channel of TV Asahi premieres Doraemon.
April 4 – Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is executed by hanging for the murder of a political opponent.
April 6 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
April 7 – In Japan, Yoshiyuki Tomino directs Mobile Suit Gundam, the first series of the metaseries of the same name.
April 10 – A tornado hits Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people (the most notable of 26 tornadoes that day).
April 11 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Fall of Kampala: Tanzanian troops take Kampala, the capital of Uganda; Idi Amin flees.
April 13 – The La Soufrière volcano erupts in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
April 14 – The Progressive Alliance of Liberia stages a protest, without a permit, against an increase in rice prices proposed by the government, with clashes between protestors and the police resulting over 70 deaths and over 500 injured.
April 15 – 1979 Montenegro earthquake: A 6.9 Mw shock affects Montenegro (then part of Yugoslavia) and parts of Albania, causing extensive damage to coastal areas and taking 136 lives; the old town of Budva is devastated.
April 17 – Schoolchildren in the Central African Republic are arrested (and around 100 killed) for protesting against compulsory school uniforms. An African judicial commission later determines that Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa "almost certainly" took part in the massacre.
April 22 – The Albert Einstein Memorial is unveiled at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
April 23 – Fighting breaks out in London between the Anti-Nazi League and the Metropolitan Police's Special Patrol Group; protester Blair Peach receives fatal injuries during the incident, now officially attributed to the SPG.
May
May 1 – Greenland is granted limited autonomy from Denmark, with its own Parliament sitting in Nuuk.
May 3 – The 1979 United Kingdom general election for the House of Commons takes place, giving the Conservatives a majority, and electing Margaret Thatcher as the nation's first woman prime minister, ending the rule of James Callaghan's Labour government.
May 8 – Ten shoppers die in a fire at the Woolworths department store in Manchester city centre in England.
May 9
The Salvadoran Civil War begins.
The Unabomber bomb injures Northwestern University graduate student John Harris.
May 10 – The Federated States of Micronesia becomes self-governing.
May 15 – Uganda–Tanzania War: Battle of Lira: Tanzania and its Uganda National Liberation Front allies capture Lira, Uganda, from the forces of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
May 21
Dan White is convicted of manslaughter, rather than murder, for the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after using what would become known as the "Twinkie defense" and persuading a jury that the crime was not premeditated. The maximum sentence is seven years imprisonment, with eligibility for early parole, prompting the "White Night riots" in the gay community.
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the New York Rangers four games to one to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
May 25
American Airlines Flight 191: In Chicago, a DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, killing all 271 on board and 2 people on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history.
John Spenkelink is executed in Florida, in the first use of the electric chair in America after the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1976.
Etan Patz, six years old, is kidnapped in New York. He is often referred to as the "Boy on the Milk Carton" and the investigation later sprouts into one of the most famous child abduction cases of all time. This is a cold case until 2010 when it is re-opened. In April 2017, Pedro Hernandez is convicted of the murder and kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment.
May 27 – Indianapolis 500: Rick Mears wins the race for the first time, and car owner Roger Penske for the second time.
June
June 1
The Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The first black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power, in succession to Ian Smith and under his power-sharing deal, in the unrecognized republic of Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
The Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship against the Washington Bullets.
June 2
Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on his first official, nine-day stay, becoming the first Pope to visit a Communist country. This visit, known as nine days that changed the world, brings about the solidarity of the Polish people against Communism, ultimately leading to the rise of the Solidarity movement.
Los Angeles' city council passes the city's first homosexual rights bill signed without fanfare by mayor Tom Bradley.
June 3
Ixtoc I oil spill: A blowout at the Ixtoc I oil well in the southern Gulf of Mexico causes at least 600,000 tons (176,400,000 gallons) of oil to be spilled into the waters, the worst oil spill to date. Some estimate the spill to be 428 million gallons, making it the largest unintentional oil spill until it is surpassed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
1979 Italian general election: The Italian Communist Party loses a significant number of seats.
June 4
Joe Clark becomes Canada's 16th and youngest Prime Minister.
Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings takes power in Ghana after a military coup in which General Fred Akuffo is overthrown.
Following the "Muldergate" Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
June 7 – 1979 European Parliament election: The first direct elections to the European Parliament begin, allowing citizens from across all nine (at this time) member states of the European Union to elect 410 MEPs. It is also the first international election in history.
June 12 – Bryan Allen flies the man-powered Gossamer Albatross across the English Channel.
June 15
McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal in the United States in a nationwide advertising campaign after testing the product since February in franchises in the U.S. state of Missouri.
The ecological horror-thriller Prophecy is released in the United States by Paramount Pictures.
June 18 – Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II agreement in Vienna.
June 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
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.
June 22
The Muppet Movie is released.
Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe was acquitted of conspiracy to murder Norman Scott, who had accused Thorpe of having a relationship with him.
June 23 – New South Wales Premier Neville Wran officially opens the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. It operates as a shuttle between Central and Bondi Junction until full integration with the Illawarra Line in 1980.
June 24 – The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal, an international opinion tribunal, is founded in Bologna at the initiative of Senator Lelio Basso.
June 25 – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Alexander Haig escapes an assassination attempt in Belgium by the Baader-Meinhof terrorist organization.
July
July 1
Sweden becomes the first country to outlaw corporal punishment in the home.
The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time in Japan.
July 3 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs the first directive for secret aid to the opponents of the pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan.
July 5 – Queen Elizabeth II attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man's Parliament, Tynwald.
July 8 – Los Angeles passes its gay and lesbian civil rights bill.
July 9 – A car bomb destroys a Renault owned by Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld at their home in France. A note purportedly from ODESSA claims responsibility.
July 11 – NASA's first orbiting space station, Skylab, begins falling back Earth as its orbit decays after more than six years.
July 12
The Gilbert Islands become fully independent of the United Kingdom as Kiribati.
A Disco Demolition Night publicity stunt goes awry at Comiskey Park, forcing the Chicago White Sox to forfeit their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Carmine Galante, boss of the Bonanno crime family, is assassinated in Brooklyn.
A fire at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain, leaves 72 dead, the worst hotel fire in Europe in decades.
July 15 – President Jimmy Carter addresses the nation in a televised speech talking about the "crisis of confidence in America today"; it would go on to be known as his "national malaise" speech.
July 16 – Iraqi President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam al-Tikriti, more commonly referred to in the Western press as "Saddam Hussein", replaces him.
July 17 – Nicaraguan president General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami.
July 21
The Sandinista National Liberation Front concludes a successful revolutionary campaign against the Somoza dynasty and assumes power in Nicaragua.
Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo becomes prime minister of Portugal.
Maritza Sayalero of Venezuela wins the Miss Universe pageant; the stage collapses after contestants and news photographers rush to her throne.
The disco music genre dominates and peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with the first six spots (beginning with Donna Summer's Bad Girls), and seven of the chart's top ten songs ending that week.
July 22 – 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge: Iraqi president Saddam Hussein arranges the arrest and later execution of nearly seventy members of his ruling Ba'ath Party.
July 28 – Morarji Desai resigns as India's prime minister and Charan Singh succeeds him.
August
August 3 – Dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is overthrown in a bloody coup d'état led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
August 4 – Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
August 5 – The Polisario Front signs a peace treaty with Mauritania. Mauritania withdraws from the Western Sahara territory it had occupied, and cedes it to the SADR.
August 6 - Bauhaus releases their debut single "Bela Lugosi's Dead", considered to be the first gothic rock release.
August 8 – Two American commercial divers, Richard Walker and Victor Guiel, die of hypothermia after their diving bell becomes stranded at a depth of over 160 metres (520 ft) in the East Shetland Basin. The legal repercussions of the accident will lead to important safety changes in the diving industry.
August 9 – Raymond Washington, co-founder of the Crips, today one of the largest, most notorious gangs in the United States, is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; the killers have not yet been identified.
August 10 – Michael Jackson releases his breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7× platinum album.
August 11
The former Mauritanian province of Tiris al-Gharbiyya in Western Sahara is annexed by Morocco.
The Machchu-2 dam in Morbi, India, collapses, killing between 1800 and 25000 people in one of the worst ever dam failures.
August 14 – A freak storm during the Fastnet Race results in the deaths of 15 sailors.
August 17 – The controversial religious satirical film Monty Python's Life of Brian premieres in the United States.
August 27 – The Troubles: Lord Mountbatten of Burma and two others are killed in a bombing on his boat in the Republic of Ireland by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). Mountbatten was a British admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh. On the same day, the Warrenpoint ambush occurs, killing 18 British soldiers. Doreen Knatchbull, Baroness Brabourne would die in a hospital the following day from injuries sustained in the bombing.
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 kilometres (13,000 mi).
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps is formed.
September 7 – The first cable sports channel, the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (better known as ESPN), is launched in the United States.
September 9 – The long-running comic strip For Better or For Worse begins its run, in Canada, before becoming syndicated elsewhere in North America and the world.
September 12 – Hurricane Frederic makes landfall at 10:00 p.m. on Alabama's Gulf Coast.
September 13 – South Africa grants independence to the "homeland" of Venda (not recognised outside South Africa).
September 16
East German balloon escape: Two families flee from East Germany by balloon.
The Sugarhill Gang release Rapper's Delight in the United States, the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 20 – French paratroopers help David Dacko to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic.
September 22 – Vela incident: The "South Atlantic Flash" is observed near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test conducted by South Africa and Israel.
September 29 – The overthrown dictator Francisco Macías Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is convicted of genocide and executed by firing squad.
September 30 – The Hong Kong MTR metro begins service with the opening of its Modified Initial System, the Kwun Tong Line.
October
October 1 – Nigeria terminates military rule, and the Second Nigerian Republic is established.
October 1–7 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States, starting in Boston.
October 1 – The MTR, the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong, opens.
October 2 – Pope John Paul II arrives in New York City for his first papal tour where he addresses the U.N. General Assembly against all forms of concentration camps and torture.
October 6 – Federal Reserve System changes from an interest rate target policy to a money supply target policy.
October 7 – Pope John Paul II ends his first U.S. papal visit in Washington, D.C., with his first-ever visit to the White House.
October 9 – Peter Brock wins the Bathurst 1000 by a record six laps, with a lap record on the last lap.
October 12
Near Guam, Typhoon Tip reaches a record intensity of 870 millibars, the lowest pressure recorded at sea level. This makes Tip the most powerful tropical cyclone in known world history.
Thorbjörn Fälldin returns as Prime Minister of Sweden, replacing Ola Ullsten who is named Foreign Minister of Sweden.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first novel by Douglas Adams, is published in the United Kingdom
October 14 – National March for gay rights takes place in Washington, D.C., involving tens of thousands of people.
October 15 – Black Monday events, in which members of a political group sack a newspaper office, unfold in Malta.
October 16 – A tsunami in Nice, France kills 23 people.
October 17 – The Pittsburgh Pirates become only the fourth MLB team (as well as the only MLB franchise to accomplish the feat twice) to recover from a 3-games-to-1 deficit to win the 1979 World Series.
October 19 – 13 U.S. Marines die in a fire at Camp Fuji, Japan as a result of Typhoon Tip.
October 20 – The first McDonald's in Singapore opens at Liat Towers in Orchard Road.
October 26 –
Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea, is assassinated by KCIA director Kim Jae-gyu.
The eradication of the smallpox virus is announced by the World Health Organization, making smallpox the first of only two human diseases that have been driven to extinction (rinderpest in 2011 being the other).
October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence from the UK.
October 31 – Western Airlines Flight 2605 crashes upon landing at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72 occupants plus one on the ground; 16 people on board survive.
November
November 1
Military coup in Bolivia.
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
French police shoot gangster Jacques Mesrine in Paris.
Assata Shakur (née Joanne Chesimard), a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, escapes from a New York prison to Cuba, where she remains under political asylum.
November 3 – 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: 500 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 5
All Saints' Massacre: The military junta in Bolivia initiates a violent crack-down on its opponents.
The radio news program Morning Edition premieres on National Public Radio in the United States.
November 6 – At Montevideo, Uruguay, the International Olympic Committee adopts a resolution, whereby Taiwan Olympic and sports teams will participate with the name Chinese Taipei in future Olympic Games and international sports tournaments and championships.
November 7 – U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy announces that he will challenge President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
November 9
The Carl Bridgewater murder trial ends in England with all four men found guilty. James Robinson, 45, and 25-year-old Vincent Hickey are sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended 25-year minimum for murder. 18-year-old Michael Hickey is also found guilty of murder and sentenced to indefinite detention. Patrick Molloy, 53, is found guilty on a lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Nuclear false alarm: the NORAD computers and the Alternate National Military Command Center in Fort Ritchie, Maryland, detect an apparent massive Soviet nuclear strike. After reviewing the raw data from satellites and checking the early-warning radars, the alert is cancelled.
November 10 – 1979 Mississauga train derailment: A 106-car Canadian Pacific freight train carrying explosive and poisonous chemicals from Windsor, Ontario, Canada derails in Mississauga, just west of Toronto, causing a massive explosion and the largest peacetime evacuation in Canadian history and one of the largest in North American history.
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.
Süleyman Demirel, of the Justice Party (AP) forms the new government of Turkey (43rd government, a minority government).
November 13 – Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
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 15 – British art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures Anthony Blunt's role as the "fourth man" of the 'Cambridge Five' double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom; she gives further details on November 21.
November 16 – Bucharest Metro Line One is opened, in Bucharest, Romania (from Timpuri Noi to Semanatoarea stations, 8.63 kilometres (5.36 mi)).
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 20 – Grand Mosque seizure: A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaybi militants occupy Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, the holiest place in Islam. They are driven out by Saudi military forces after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
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, and disturbing Pakistan–United States relations.
November 23 – The Troubles: In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten of Burma in August. He was released in 1998 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
November 25 – The last cargo of phosphate was shipped from Banaba Island in Kiribati in the South Pacific Ocean, bringing an end to the island's chief industry.
November 28 – Air New Zealand Flight 901: an Air New Zealand DC-10 crashes into Mount Erebus in Antarctica on a sightseeing trip, killing all 257 people on board.
November 30 – The Wall, a rock opera and concept album by Pink Floyd, is first released.
December
December 3
The Who concert disaster: Eleven fans are killed during a crowd crush for unreserved seats before The Who rock concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.
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.
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
December 4 – The Hastie fire in Kingston upon Hull, England, leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK's most prolific killer.
December 5 – Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; he is succeeded by Charles Haughey.
December 6 – The world premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
December 12
The NATO Double-Track Decision: is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979, to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle-range nuclear weapons in Western Europe, following the so-called "Euromissile Crisis".
The 8.2 Mw Tumaco earthquake shakes Colombia and Ecuador with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 300–600, and generating a large tsunami.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: South Korean Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan orders the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Jeong Seung-hwa without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, alleging involvement in the assassination of ex-President Park Chung Hee.
The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
December 13 – The government of Canada falls in a non-confidence motion.
December 15 – The directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki, The Castle of Cagliostro based on the manga series Lupin III is released in Japan.
December 21 – A ceasefire for Rhodesia is signed at London.
December 23 – The highest aerial tramway in Europe, the Klein Matterhorn, opens.
December 24
The Soviet Union covertly launches its invasion of Afghanistan - 3 days later, PDPA general secretary Hafizullah Amin is executed in Operation Storm-333 and Babrak Karmal replaces him, beginning the war.
The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
December 26 – In Rhodesia, 96 Patriotic Front guerrillas enter the capital Salisbury to monitor a ceasefire that begins December 28.
Date unknown
The One-child policy is introduced in China – it contributes to the country's sex-ratio imbalance. It was loosened in 2013.
Hànyǔ Pīnyīn is widely adopted as the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, leading to changes in Western spelling of Chinese toponyms.
VisiCalc becomes the first commercial spreadsheet program.
The first usenet experiments are conducted by Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis of Duke University.
Worldwide per capita oil production reaches a historic peak.
The remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of the Romanovs are discovered and exhumed near Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg).
NBC introduces a new version of its famous peacock, used in conjunction with the 1975-style N, for the Fall season.
Onde Tem Bruxa Tem Fada, book is published.
China International Trust Investment Group (CITIC) founded.
Births
January
January 1
Brody Dalle, Australian singer
Vidya Balan, Indian actress
Gisela, Spanish pop singer and voice actress
January 2
Erica Hubbard, American actress
Jagmeet Singh, Canadian politician, leader of the New Democratic Party
January 3
Koit Toome, Estonian singer and musical actor
Rie Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
January 4 – Kevin Kuske, German Olympic bobsledder
January 6
Christina Chanée, Danish-Thai pop singer
Bernice Liu, Hong Kong actress
January 7
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Aloe Blacc, American singer and rapper
Christian Lindner, German politician
January 8
Seol Ki-hyeon, South Korean footballer
Adrian Mutu, Romanian footballer
Stipe Pletikosa, Croatian football goalkeeper
Sarah Polley, Canadian actress, writer, director, producer and political activist
January 9
Tomiko Van, Japanese singer (Do As Infinity)
Bipasha Basu, Indian actress and model
Hannah Yeoh, Malaysian politician
January 10 – Francesca Piccinini, Italian volleyball player
January 11
Terence Morris, American basketball player
Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian singer
January 12
Marián Hossa, Slovak ice hockey player
Lee Bo-young, South Korean actress and model
Grzegorz Rasiak, Polish footballer
January 13
María de Villota, Spanish racing driver (d. 2013)
Yang Wei, Chinese badminton player
January 15
Drew Brees, American football player
Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
January 16 – Aaliyah, American R&B singer and actress (d. 2001)
January 17
Sharon Chan, Hong Kong actress
Masae Ueno, Japanese judoka
January 18
Jay Chou, Taiwanese singer, song producer and actor
Paulo Ferreira, Portuguese footballer
Roberta Metsola, Maltese politician
Leo Varadkar, 14th Taoiseach of Ireland
January 19 – Svetlana Khorkina, Russian artistic gymnast
January 20
Rob Bourdon, American drummer (Linkin Park)
Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol
Will Young, English singer
January 21
Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby union player
Inul Daratista, Indonesian dangdut singer
Johann Hari, Scot-Swiss Journalist and author
January 23 – Larry Hughes, American basketball player
January 24
Tatyana Ali, American actress
Christine Lakin, American actress
January 25 – Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, American politician and businesswoman
January 26
ACM Neto, Brazilian lawyer and politician
Sara Rue, American actress
January 27
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand cricketer
January 29 – Christina Koch, American engineer and NASA astronaut
January 31 – Jenny Wolf, German speed skater
February
February 1
Mahek Chahal, Norwegian actress and model
Valentín Elizalde, Mexican singer (d. 2006)
Peter Fulton, New Zealand cricketer
Juan, Brazilian football player and coach
Rachelle Lefevre, Canadian actress
Clodoaldo Silva, Brazilian paralympian swimmer
February 2
Fani Chalkia, Greek athlete
Mayer Hawthorne, American soul singer
Christine Lampard, Northern Irish television presenter
Shamita Shetty, Indian actress and interior designer
February 4
Andrei Arlovski, Belarusian mixed martial artist
Jodi Shilling, American actress
Tabitha Brown, American actress
February 5
Paulo Gonçalves, Portuguese rally racing motorcycle rider (d. 2020)
Ilaria Salvatori, Italian fencer
February 7
Cerina Vincent, American actress and writer
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni politician, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
February 8
Josh Keaton, American actor
Aleksey Mishin, Russian wrestler
February 9
Ânderson Polga, Brazilian footballer
Irina Slutskaya, Russian figure skater
Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and model
February 10 – Paul Waggoner, American guitarist (Between the Buried and Me)
February 11 – Brandy Norwood, African-American singer and actress
February 12 – Jesse Spencer, Australian actor
February 13
Anders Behring Breivik, Norwegian far-right terrorist responsible for the 2011 Norway attacks
Mena Suvari, American actress
Rafael Márquez, Mexican footballer
February 14
Wesley Moodie, South African tennis player
Jocelyn Quivrin, French actor (d. 2009)
February 16
Valentino Rossi, Italian seven-time MotoGP world champion
Eric Mun, leader of Korean boy-band Shinhwa
February 17 – Cara Black, Zimbabwean tennis player
February 19
Mariana Ochoa, Mexican singer and actress
Vitas, Ukrainian and Russian singer and actor
February 20 – Song Chong-gug, South Korean footballer
February 21
Maria Annus, Estonian actress
Carly Colón, Puerto Rican professional wrestler
Nathalie Dechy, French tennis player
Jennifer Love Hewitt, American actress and singer
Jordan Peele, American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer
February 25 – László Bodnár, Hungarian footballer
February 26
Corinne Bailey Rae, British singer-songwriter and guitarist
Susana Diazayas, Mexican actress
Ngô Thanh Vân, Norwegian-Vietnamese actress, singer and model
February 28
Michael Bisping, British mixed martial artist
Sébastien Bourdais, French racing driver
Sander van Doorn, Dutch DJ and electronic music producer
Ivo Karlović, Croatian tennis player
March
March 4
Ben Fouhy, New Zealand flatwater canoeist
Geoff Huegill, Australian swimmer
March 5
Martin Axenrot, Swedish metal drummer
Riki Lindhome, American actress and comedian
Tang Gonghong, Chinese weightlifter
March 6
Érik Bédard, Canadian pitcher
Tim Howard, American soccer player
March 7
Stephanie Anne Mills, Canadian voice actress
Ricardo Rosselló, Puerto Rican politician, Governor of Puerto Rico
March 8
Jasmine You, Japanese musician (d. 2009)
Tom Chaplin, British singer (Keane)
March 9
Oscar Isaac, Guatemalan-American actor
Melina Perez, American professional wrestler
March 12 – Pete Doherty, British singer and guitarist (The Libertines, Babyshambles)
March 13 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan baseball player
March 14
Nicolas Anelka, French footballer
Gao Ling, Chinese badminton player
Chris Klein, American actor
Michele Riondino, Italian actor
March 16 – Adriana Fonseca, Mexican actress and dancer
March 17 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
March 18
Shola Ama, English singer
Adam Levine, American singer (Maroon 5)
March 19
Emil Dimitriev, Macedonian politician, Prime Minister
Ivan Ljubičić, Croatian tennis player and coach
Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkish basketball player
March 20
Freema Agyeman, British actress
Daniel Cormier, American retired mixed martial artist
Bianca Lawson, American actress
Silvia Navarro, Spanish handball player
March 23
Mark Buehrle, American baseball player
Bryan Fletcher, American football player
Misty Hyman, American swimmer
March 24 – Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter
March 25
Lee Pace, American actor
Gorilla Zoe, American rapper
March 26 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress and model
March 28 – Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, producer, singer, film organiser and media personalities
March 29 – Estela Giménez, Spanish gymnast
March 30
Daniel Arenas, Colombian-Mexican actor
Jose Pablo Cantillo, American actor
Norah Jones, American musician
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian football player and coach
April
April 1 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper and politician
April 2
Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
Jesse Carmichael, American musician (Maroon 5)
April 3
Živilė Balčiūnaitė, Lithuanian long-distance runner
Grégoire, French singer-songwriter
Sasa Ognenovski, Australian footballer
April 4
Heath Ledger, Australian actor and music video director (d. 2008)
Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
April 5 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
April 8
Mohamed Kader, Togolese footballer
Alexi Laiho, Finnish musician (Children of Bodom) (d. 2020)
David Petruschin, American drag queen
April 9
Sebastián Silva, Chilean director, actor, screenwriter, painter and musician
Keshia Knight Pulliam, African-American actress
Mario Matt, Austrian alpine skier
April 10
Ryan Agoncillo, Filipino actor and TV personality
Rachel Corrie, American activist and diarist (d. 2003)
Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese entertainer (KinKi Kids)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, British singer
April 11
Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer and musician
Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
Josh Server, American actor
April 12
Claire Danes, American actress
Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
Jennifer Morrison, American actress
April 13 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
April 14
Pedro Andrade, Brazilian journalist and model
Rebecca DiPietro, American model
Pierre Roland, Indonesian actor
April 15
Karen David, Indian born-Canadian actress and singer
Luke Evans, Welsh actor and singer
April 17 – Sung Si-kyung, South Korean singer
April 18
Michael Bradley, American basketball player
Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
Yusuke Kamiji, Japanese actor
Kourtney Kardashian, American reality television star
April 19
Kate Hudson, American actress and co-founder of Fabletics
Antoaneta Stefanova, Bulgarian chess player
April 20 – Teoh Beng Hock, Malaysian journalist (d. 2009)
April 21
Cindy Kurleto, Filipina-Austrian model and TV personality
James McAvoy, Scottish actor
Karin Rask, Estonian actress
April 22 – Daniel Johns, Australian musician (Silverchair)
April 23
Yana Gupta, Indian actress of Czech origin
Jaime King, American actress
Joanna Krupa, Polish-born American model and actress
April 24
Laurentia Tan, Singaporean Paralympic equestrienne
Avey Tare, American musician
Adam Andretti, American race car driver
April 25
Andreas Küttel, Swiss ski jumper
Andrea Osvárt, Hungarian actress
April 27 – Travis Meeks, American musician (Days of the New)
April 28 – Bahram Radan, Iranian actor
April 29
Jo O'Meara, English singer (S Club 7)
April 30 – Shelley Calene-Black, American voice actress
May
May 1
Roman Lyashenko, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2003)
Lars Berger, Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier
Mauro Bergamasco, Italian rugby union player
May 2 – Jason Chimera, Canadian ice hockey player
May 3
Danny Foster, English singer (Hear'Say)
Ingrid Isotamm, Estonian actress
May 4
Lance Bass, American singer (NSYNC)
Wes Butters, English broadcaster
May 5 – Vincent Kartheiser, American actor
May 6
Mark Burrier, American cartoonist
Kerry Ellis, English stage actress and singer
Gerd Kanter, Estonian discus thrower
Jon Montgomery, Canadian former skeleton racer and television personality; host of The Amazing Race Canada
May 8 – Wendy Armoko, Indonesian singer, actor, presenter and comedian
May 9
Pierre Bouvier, Canadian musician
Rosario Dawson, American actress
May 10
Marieke Vervoort, Belgian athlete (d. 2019)
Lee Hyori, South Korean entertainer
May 12 – Adrian Serioux, Canadian soccer player
May 13
Mickey Madden, American musician (Maroon 5)
Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
May 14
Urijah Faber, WEC Featherweight Champion
Carlos Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
May 15 – James Mackenzie, Scottish actor and TV presenter
May 16
Brandon Lee, Filipino-American gay pornographic film actor
Jessica Morris, American actress
Barbara Nedeljáková, Slovak actress
May 18
Mariusz Lewandowski, Polish footballer
Michal Martikán, Slovak slalom canoeist
Jens Bergensten, Swedish game designer and co-founder of the game company Mojang
May 19
Andrea Pirlo, Italian footballer
Diego Forlán, Uruguayan football player
May 20 – Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician
May 21 – Sonja Vectomov, Czech-Finnish electronic musician and composer
May 22
Maggie Q, American actress
Nazanin Boniadi, Iranian-British-American actress
May 23 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player (d. 2018)
May 24
Frank Mir, American mixed martial artist
Tracy McGrady, American basketball player
May 25 – Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby union player
May 26
Ashley Massaro, American professional wrestler and model (d. 2019)
Elisabeth Harnois, American actress
May 27 – Michael Buonauro, American comic creator
May 28 – Jesse Bradford, American actor
May 29 – Brian Kendrick, American wrestler
May 30
Clint Bowyer, American race car driver
Fabian Ernst, German footballer
Rie Kugimiya, Japanese voice actress and singer
June
June 1
TheFatRat, German musician and producer
Markus Persson, Swedish video game programmer, designer and creator of Minecraft
Rhea Santos, Filipina journalist based in Canada
June 2
Choirul Huda, Indonesian professional footballer and civil servant (d. 2017)
Morena Baccarin, Brazilian actress
June 3 – Pierre Poilievre, Canadian politician
June 4 – Naohiro Takahara, Japanese football player and coach
June 5
François Sagat, French male gay porn film actor, model and director
Pete Wentz, American musician, lyricist and bassist (Fall Out Boy)
June 6
Solenne Figuès, French swimmer
Shanda Sharer, American murder victim (d. 1992)
June 7
Anna Torv, Australian actress
Kevin Hofland, Dutch footballer
June 8
Pete Orr, Canadian baseball player
Eddie Hearn, British promoter
June 9 – Émilie Loit, French tennis player
June 10 – Lee Brice, American country music singer-songwriter
June 12
Robyn, Swedish singer-songwriter
Amandine Bourgeois, French singer
Diego Milito, Argentine football player
June 13
Nila Håkedal, Norwegian beach volleyball player
Ágnes Csomor, Hungarian actress
June 14 – Paradorn Srichaphan, Thai tennis player
June 15 – Yulia Nestsiarenka, Belarusian athlete
June 16 – Ari Hest, American singer-songwriter
June 17
Young Maylay, American actor, record producer and rapper
Nick Rimando, American soccer player
June 18
Yumiko Kobayashi, Japanese voice actress
Chris Neil, Canadian ice hockey player
Pini Balili, Israeli-Turkish footballer and manager
Ivana Wong, Hong Kong singer-songwriter
June 19
José Kléberson, Brazilian football player and coach
Kate Tsui, Hong Kong actress
June 21
Chris Pratt, American actor
Makasini Richter, Tongan rugby league player
June 22
Sandra Klösel, German tennis player
Jai Rodriguez, American actor and musician
June 23
Marilyn Agliotti, Dutch field hockey player
LaDainian Tomlinson, American football player
June 24
Petra Němcová, Czech model
Joaquín de Orbegoso, Peruvian actor
Craig Shergold, British cancer patient
Mindy Kaling, American actress, comedian and author
June 25
Busy Philipps, American film actress
June 26
Ryan Tedder, American singer (OneRepublic), songwriter and producer
Julia Benson, Canadian actress
June 27
Cazwell, American rapper and songwriter
Scott Taylor, American politician
Fabrizio Miccoli, Italian professional footballer
June 28
Felicia Day, American actress, writer, director, violinist and singer
Randy McMichael, American football player
June 29
Lee Hee-joon, South Korean actor
Abz Love, English singer (5ive)
Marleen Veldhuis, Dutch swimmer
Yehuda Levi, Israeli actor and male model
Liliana Castro, Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress
Artur Avila, Brazilian and French mathematician
June 30
Rick Gonzalez, American actor
Ed Kavalee, Australian comedian, actor, radio and television host
Faisal Shahzad, Pakistani-American bomber
Matisyahu, Jewish-American reggae vocalist, beatboxer and alternative rock musician
Nelson Lucas, Seychellois sprinter
Christopher Jacot, Canadian actor
Andy Burrows, English songwriter and musician
July
July 1
Forrest Griffin, American mixed martial arts fighter
Patrik Baboumian, German-Iranian strongman competitor, strength athlete and bodybuilder
July 2
Diana Gurtskaya, Georgian singer
Sam Hornish Jr., American race car driver
July 3
Sayuri Katayama, Japanese actress, singer and lyricist
Ludivine Sagnier, French model and actress
July 5
Shane Filan, Irish singer (Westlife)
Amélie Mauresmo, French tennis player
July 6
Mohsen Bengar, Iranian footballer
Kevin Hart, American actor, comedian, writer and producer
July 7
Pat Barry, American kickboxer and mixed martial artist
Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwean cricketer
July 9
Gary Chaw, Malaysian Chinese singer
Ella Koon, Hong Kong actress
July 10 – Gong Yoo, South Korean actor
July 11
Marina Gatell, Spanish actress
Im Soo-jung, South Korean actress
July 13
Laura Benanti, American actress and singer
Ladyhawke, New Zealand singer-songwriter
July 14
Axel Teichmann, German cross-country skier
Scott Porter, American actor and singer
July 15
Travis Fimmel, Australian fashion model and actor
Alexander Frei, Swiss footballer
July 16
Jim Banks, American politician
Kinya Kotani, Japanese singer
Kim Rhode, American double trap and skeet shooter
Landy Wen, Taiwanese singer
July 17 – Mike Vogel, American actor
July 19
Malavika, Indian actress
David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese actor, director, scriptwriter and martial artist
Bruno Cabrerizo, Brazilian football player, model and actor
July 20
Claudine Barretto, Filipino film actress, television actress, entrepreneur and product endorser
Marcos Mion, Brazilian TV host, actor, voice actor and businessman
Milan Nikolić, Serbian accordionist
Adam Rose, South African professional wrestler
Amr Shabana, Egyptian squash player
July 21
Tamika Catchings, American basketball player
Andriy Voronin, Ukrainian footballer
July 23 – Michelle Williams, American singer and actress
July 24 – Rose Byrne, Australian actress
July 25
Juan Pablo Di Pace, Argentinian actor and singer
Ali Carter, English snooker player
July 26
Johnson Beharry, British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Tamyra Gray, American singer
Derek Paravicini, British pianist
Yūko Sano, Japanese volleyball player
Mageina Tovah, American actress
July 27
Marielle Franco, Brazilian politician (d. 2018)
Jorge Arce, Mexican boxer
Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler
July 30
Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rican basketball player
Show Lo, Taiwanese singer
Graeme McDowell, Northern Irish professional golfer
Maya Nasser, Syrian journalist (d. 2012)
July 31 – B. J. Novak, American actor, director and producer
August
August 1
Jason Momoa, American actor
Junior Agogo, Ghanaian footballer (d. 2019)
Honeysuckle Weeks, British actress
August 3
Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress and author of children's literature
Maria Haukaas Mittet, Norwegian recording artist
August 4 – Patryk Dominik Sztyber, Polish rock musician
August 5 – David Healy, Northern Irish footballer
August 7
Miguel Llera, Spanish footballer
Gangsta Boo, American rapper (d. 2023)
August 10
JoAnna Garcia, American actress
Ted Geoghegan, American screenwriter
August 11
Drew Nelson, Canadian actor and voice actor
Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
August 12
Peter Browngardt, American cartoonist
Cindy Klassen, Canadian speed skater
August 13 – Taizō Sugimura, Japanese politician
August 15
Carl Edwards, American race car driver
Peter Shukoff, American comedian, musician and personality
August 16
Sarah Balabagan, Filipina prisoner and singer
August 19 – Oumar Kondé, Swiss footballer
August 20 – Jamie Cullum, English jazz pianist and singer
August 22
Matt Walters, American football player
Angelu de Leon, Filipina actress
August 23
Mulan Jameela, Indonesian singer and politician
Ritchie Neville, English singer (5ive)
August 24
Elva Hsiao, Taiwanese singer
Michael Redd, American basketball player
August 25 – Andrew Hussie, American artist
August 26
Jamal Lewis, American football player
Cristian Mora, Ecuadorian footballer
Erik Valdez, American actor
August 27
Giovanni Capitello, American filmmaker and actor
Tian Liang, Chinese diver
Aaron Paul, American actor
August 28
Robert Hoyzer, German football referee
Yuki Maeda, Japanese singer
Shane Van Dyke, American actor
August 29 – Justine Pasek, Miss Universe 2002
August 30
Leon Lopez, British actor, film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model
Tavia Yeung, Hong Kong actress
Niki Chow, Hong Kong actress
August 31
Mickie James, American professional wrestler
Simon Neil, Scottish musician (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter), Biffy Clyro Marmaduke Duke
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
September
September 1
Neg Dupree, British comedian
Margherita Granbassi, Italian fencer
September 2
Ron Ng, Hong Kong actor
Łukasz Żygadło, Polish volleyball player
September 3 – Júlio César, Brazilian football goalkeeper
September 4 – Maxim Afinogenov, Russian ice hockey player
September 5
John Carew, Norwegian footballer
Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
September 7 – Nathan Hindmarsh, Australian rugby league player
September 8 – Pink, American singer and actress
September 10
Mustis, Norwegian pianist
Laia Palau, Spanish basketball player
September 11
Eric Abidal, French footballer
Cameron Richardson, American actress and model
David Pizarro, Chilean footballer
September 12
Michelle Dorrance, American tap dancer
Jay McGraw, American author, son of TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw
September 13 – Ivan Miljković, Serbian volleyball player
September 14
Chris John, Indonesian former featherweight boxing champion
Ivica Olić, Croatian footballer
September 15
Dave Annable, American actor
Amy Davidson, American actress
Edna Ngeringway Kiplagat, Kenyan long-distance runner
Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player
September 16
Fanny, French singer
Flo Rida, African-American rapper
Soo Ae, South Korean actress
September 17
Akin Ayodele, American football player
Chuck Comeau, Canadian drummer
September 18
Junichi Inamoto, Japanese footballer
Alison Lohman, American actress
September 19 – Noémie Lenoir, French supermodel
September 20 – Lars Jacobsen, Danish footballer
September 21 – Chris Gayle, Jamaican cricketer
September 22 – MyAnna Buring, Swedish-English actress
September 23 – Lote Tuqiri, Fijian-Australian rugby player
September 24
Justin Bruening, American actor and model
Erin Chambers, American actress
Julia Clarete, Filipina actress
September 25
Rashad Evans, American retired mixed martial artist
Michele Scarponi, Italian road bicycle racer (d. 2017)
September 26
Naomichi Marufuji, Japanese professional wrestler
Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of Estonia
September 27
Zoltán Horváth, Hungarian basketball player (d. 2009)
Shinji Ono, Japanese football player
Nathan Foley, Australian performer
September 28
Bam Margera, American skateboarder
Anndi McAfee, American actress and voice actress
September 29
Gaitana, Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Ukrainian and Congolese descent
Artika Sari Devi, Putri Indonesia 2004
September 30
Mike Damus, American actor
Vince Chong, Malaysian singer
Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish film director and screenwriter
October
October 1
Rudi Johnson, American football player
Senit, Italian singer of Eritrean descent
Marko Stanojevic, English-born Italian rugby union player
October 2 – Brianna Brown, American actress
October 3
Josh Klinghoffer, American musician (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
John Morrison, American professional wrestler
October 4
Caitriona Balfe, Irish model and actress
Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress
Adam Voges, Australian cricketer
October 5 – Gao Yuanyuan, Chinese actress
October 6 – Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean football player and coach
October 7
Aaron Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Shawn Ashmore, Canadian film and television actor
Simona Amânar, Romanian gymnast
Tang Wei, Chinese actress
October 8 – Kristanna Loken, American actress and model
October 9
Csézy, Hungarian singer
Chris O'Dowd, Irish actor and comedian
Brandon Routh, American actor
Gonzalo Sorondo, Uruguayan footballer
October 10
Wu Chun, Bruneian actor, model and singer
Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
Mýa, American singer and actress
October 11
Bae Doona, South Korean actress
Gabe Saporta, Uruguayan singer (Cobra Starship)
October 13
Wes Brown, English footballer
Mamadou Niang, Senegalese footballer
October 14 – Stacy Keibler, American actress and model
October 15 – Jaci Velasquez, American Christian singer
October 17 – Kimi Räikkönen, Finnish 2007 Formula 1 world champion
October 18 – Ne-Yo, African-American singer and songwriter
October 20
John Krasinski, American actor
Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby union player
Anna Boden, American filmmaker
October 23
Jorge Solís, Mexican professional boxer
Prabhas, Indian actor
October 25 – Sarah Thompson, American actress
October 28
Glover Teixeira, Brazilian-American mixed martial artist
Jawed Karim, German and Bangladeshi-American software engineer, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of YouTube
Martin Škoula, Czech ice hockey player
October 30 – Yukie Nakama, Japanese actress
October 31 – Raziq Khan, Pakistani cricketer
November
November 1
Coco Crisp, American baseball player
Atsuko Enomoto, Japanese voice actress
Milan Dudić, Serbian footballer
November 2
Marián Čišovský, Slovak footballer (d. 2020)
Erika Flores, American actress
November 3
Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
Tim McIlrath, American rock singer, songwriter (Rise Against)
November 4 – Audrey Hollander, American porn actress
November 5
Leonardo Nam, Australian actor
Tarek Boudali, French actor
Patrick Owomoyela, German Footballer of Nigerian descent
November 6
Lamar Odom, African-American retired basketball player
Myolie Wu, Hong Kong actress
November 7 – Jon Peter Lewis, American singer and songwriter
November 8
Aaron Hughes, Northern Irish footballer
Dania Ramirez, Dominican actress
Dash Berlin, Dutch DJ and music producer
Salvatore Cascio, Italian actor
November 9
Cory Hardrict, American actor
Darren Trumeter, American actor and comedian
Caroline Flack, English television and radio presenter and actress (d. 2020)
November 12
Matt Cappotelli, American professional wrestler (d. 2018)
Cote de Pablo, Chilean actress
Matt Stevic, Australian rules football umpire
November 13
Henry Wolfe, American actor and musician
Metta World Peace, American basketball player
November 14
Mavie Hörbiger, German actress
Olga Kurylenko, Ukrainian model and actress
Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999
Osleidys Menéndez, Cuban javelin thrower
November 17 – Matthew Spring, English footballer
November 18 – Neeti Mohan, Indian playback singer
November 19
Barry Jenkins, American film director, producer, and screenwriter
Larry Johnson, American football player
Michelle Vieth, American born Mexican actress and model
November 20 – Ericson Alexander Molano, Colombian gospel singer
November 21
Kim Dong-wan, South Korean singer and actor
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Italian footballer
November 22
Chris Doran, Irish singer
Scott Robinson, English singer (5ive)
Njabuliso Simelane, Swaziland international footballer
November 23
Kelly Brook, English actress and model
Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
Ivica Kostelić, Croatian alpine skier
November 24 – Carmelita Jeter, American sprinter
November 25 – Joel Kinnaman, Swedish-American actor
November 26 – Deborah Secco, Brazilian actress
November 27
Ricky Carmichael, American motorcycle and stock car racer
Hilary Hahn, American violinist
November 28
Dane Bowers, English singer-songwriter (Another Level)
Jamie Korab, Canadian curler
Hakeem Seriki, African-American rapper (Chamillionaire)
Daniel Henney, American actor and model
November 29
Simon Amstell, English comedian and writer
Jayceon Taylor, American rapper (The Game)
November 30
Diego Klattenhoff, Canadian actor
Andrés Nocioni, Argentinian basketball player
December
December 2
Sabina Babayeva, Azerbaijani singer
Yvonne Catterfeld, German singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality
December 3
Daniel Bedingfield, English pop singer and songwriter
Rock Cartwright, American football player
Tiffany Haddish, American actress and comedian
December 5 – Matteo Ferrari, Italian footballer
December 6 – Tim Cahill, Australian footballer
December 7
Eric Bauza, Canadian comedian and voice actor
Sara Bareilles, American singer, songwriter and pianist
Ayako Fujitani, Japanese actress
Jennifer Carpenter, American actress
December 8 – Ingrid Michaelson, American indie pop singer-songwriter
December 10 – Keiko Nemoto, Japanese voice actress
December 11 – Rider Strong, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
December 12
Emin Agalarov, Azerbaijani-Russian singer-songwriter and businessman
Barulaganye Bolofete, Botswana footballer
December 14
Chris Cheng, American sport shooter
Michael Owen, English footballer
December 15
Adam Brody, American actor
Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
Lee Carr, African-American singer and songwriter
December 16
Trevor Immelman, South African golfer
Brodie Lee, American professional wrestler (d. 2020)
Daniel Narcisse, French handball player
Mihai Trăistariu, Romanian singer and musician
December 17
Jaimee Foxworth, American actress and model
Erion Veliaj, Albanian politician, Mayor of Tirana
December 19
Kevin Devine, American songwriter and musician
Paola Rey, Colombian actress and model
Tara Summers, English actress
December 20
Flávio, Angolan footballer
Ramon Rodriguez, Puerto Rican actor
December 22
Eleonora Lo Bianco, Italian volleyball player
Petra Majdič, Slovene cross-country skier
December 23
Jacqueline Bracamontes, Mexican actress and beauty contest winner (Nuestra Belleza México 2000)
Kenny Miller, Scottish football player
December 25 – Ferman Akgül, vocalist of Turkish nu-metal band maNga
December 26
Chris Daughtry, American singer and guitarist
Dimitry Vassiliev, Russian ski jumper
December 28
James Blake, American tennis player
André Holland, American actor
Bree Williamson, Canadian actress
Robert Edward Davis, German-American rapper
Zach Hill, American drummer (Death Grips)
December 29 - Diego Luna, Mexican actor
December 30
Flávio Amado, Angolan footballer
Milana Terloeva, Chechen journalist and author
Yelawolf, American rapper
December 31
Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance)
Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress
Josh Hawley, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-MO) from 2019
Deaths
January
January 3 – Conrad Hilton, American hotelier (b. 1887)
January 4 – Vincent Korda, Hungarian art director (b. 1897)
January 5
Billy Bletcher, American actor (b. 1894)
Charles Mingus, American musician (b. 1922)
January 11 – Jack Soo, Japanese-born American actor (b. 1917)
January 13 – Donny Hathaway, American musician (b. 1945)
January 15 – Charles W. Morris, American philosopher and semiotician (b. 1901)
January 16 – Ted Cassidy, American actor (b. 1932)
January 22 – Ali Hassan Salameh, Palestinian Leader of Black September and mastermind of the 1972 Munich Massacre (b. 1940)
January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice President of the United States (b. 1908)
January 27 – Victoria Ocampo, Argentine publisher, writer and critic (b. 1890)
February
February 1
William H. Brockman Jr., United States Navy admiral (b. 1904)
Abdi İpekçi, Turkish journalist and human rights activist (b. 1929)
February 2
Issa Pliyev, Soviet general (b. 1903)
Sid Vicious, English musician (b. 1957)
February 7 – Josef Mengele, German officer and physician (b. 1911)
February 10
Edvard Kardelj, Slovene general, economist, and politician, 2nd Foreign Minister of Yugoslavia (b. 1910)
Karl von Eberstein, German politician (b. 1894)
February 12 – Jean Renoir, French film director and actor (b. 1894)
February 14 – Reginald Maudling, British politician (b. 1917)
February 17 – William Gargan, American actor (b. 1905)
February 20 – Nereo Rocco, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
February 25 – Henrich Focke, German aviation pioneer (b. 1890)
March
March 1
Mustafa Barzani, Iraqi Kurdish politician (b. 1903)
Dolores Costello, American actress (b. 1903)
March 15 – Léonide Massine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1896)
March 16 – Jean Monnet, French political economist, diplomat and a founding father of the European Union (b. 1888)
March 18 – Marjorie Daw, American actress (b. 1902)
March 19 – Richard Beckinsale, British actor (b. 1947)
March 22 – Ben Lyon, American actor (b. 1901)
March 24 – Yvonne Mitchell, English actress (b. 1915)
March 26 – Jean Stafford, American writer (b. 1915)
March 29 – Yahya Petra of Kelantan, Sultan of Kelantan and 6th King of Malaysia (b. 1917)
March 30
Airey Neave, British politician (assassinated) (b. 1916)
José María Velasco Ibarra, Ecuadorian politician, 24th President of Ecuador (b. 1893)
April
April 4
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan and 4th President of Pakistan (executed) (b. 1928)
Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
April 10 – Nino Rota, Italian composer (b. 1911)
April 11 – Hassan Pakravan, Iranian diplomat (b. 1911)
April 19 – Wilhelm Bittrich, German Waffen SS general (b. 1894)
April 23 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born, British teacher (b. 1946)
April 24 – John Carroll, American actor (b. 1906)
April 27 – Phan Huy Quát, 4th Prime Minister of South Vietnam (b. 1908)
May
May 1 – Morteza Motahhari, Iranian cleric and politician (b. 1919)
May 2 – Giulio Natta, Italian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
May 6 – Milton Ager, American songwriter (b. 1893)
May 8 – Talcott Parsons, American sociologist (b. 1902)
May 11
Joan Chandler, American actress (b. 1923)
Barbara Hutton, American socialite (b. 1912)
May 13 – Predrag Đajić, Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav footballer (b. 1922)
May 14 – Jean Rhys, Dominican novelist (b. 1890)
May 16 – A. Philip Randolph, African-American civil rights activist (b. 1889)
May 27 – Ahmed Ould Bouceif, Mauritanian military officer, second Prime Minister of Mauritania (b. 1934)
May 29 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress and producer (b. 1892)
June
June 1
Ján Kadár, Czechoslovakian film director (b. 1918)
Jack Mulhall, American actor (b. 1887)
June 2 - Jim Hutton, American actor (b. 1934)
June 5 – Heinz Erhardt, German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet (b. 1909)
June 6 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1897)
June 8 - Reinhard Gehlen, German general, 20 July Plotter (b. 1902)
June 9 - Cyclone Taylor, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1884)
June 11
John Wayne, American Academy Award-winning actor and film director (b. 1907)
Loren Murchison, American Olympic athlete (b. 1898)
June 13 – Darla Hood, American actress (b. 1931)
June 16 – Nicholas Ray, American film director, screenwriter and actor (b. 1911)
June 17 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player (b. 1888)
June 19 – Paul Popenoe, American eugenicist (b. 1888)
June 22 – Louis Chiron, Monacan Grand Prix driver (b. 1899)
June 25 – Dave Fleischer, American animator (b. 1894)
June 26 – Akwasi Afrifa, Ghanaian soldier and politician, Head of state (1969–1970) (b. 1936)
June 28 – Philippe Cousteau, French diver and cinematographer (b. 1940)
June 29 – Lowell George, American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer (b. 1945)
July
July 2 – Carlyle Smith Beals, Canadian astronomer (b. 1899)
July 3 – Louis Durey, French composer (b. 1888)
July 4 – Theodora Kroeber, American writer and anthropologist (b. 1897)
July 6
Antonio María Barbieri, Uruguay Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1892)
Van McCoy, American musician noted for his 1975 hit "The Hustle" (b. 1940)
July 8
Elizabeth Ryan, American 30 Grand Slam (tennis) Tennis Champion (b. 1892)
Shin'ichirō Tomonaga, Japanese physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
Michael Wilding, English actor (b. 1912)
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 15
Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, Mexican politician, 49th President of Mexico, 1964-1970 (b. 1911)
Juana de Ibarbourou, Uruguayan poet (b. 1892)
July 16 – Alfred Deller, English countertenor (b. 1912)
July 17 – Edward Akufo-Addo, Ghanese politician and lawyer, 5th President of Ghana (b. 1906)
July 20 – Sir Herbert Butterfield, English philosopher and historian (b. 1900)
July 22 – Sándor Kocsis, Hungarian footballer (b. 1929)
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
Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician, founder and leader of APRA party (b. 1895)
Thurman Munson, American baseball player (b. 1947)
August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and Liberal politician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (b. 1899)
August 6 – Feodor Lynen, German biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1911)
August 9 – Walter O'Malley, American baseball executive (b. 1903)
August 10
Dick Foran, American actor (b. 1910)
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi, Afghan politician, 9th Prime Minister of Afghanistan (b. 1921)
August 12 – Ernst Chain, German-born British biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
August 16 – John Diefenbaker, 13th Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1895)
August 17 – Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
August 19 – Saad Jumaa, Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1916)
August 21 – Stuart Heisler, American film and television director (b. 1896)
August 24
Ahmad Daouk, Lebanese politician, 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1892)
Hanna Reitsch, German aviator (b. 1912)
August 25 – Stan Kenton, American jazz pianist (b. 1911)
August 26
Alvin Karpis, American criminal (b. 1907)
Mika Waltari, Finnish author (b. 1908)
August 27 – Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, British Viceroy of India (assassinated) (b. 1900)
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 2 – Felix Aylmer, British actor (b. 1889)
September 5 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1884)
September 9 – Norrie Paramor, British music producer (b. 1914)
September 10 – Agostinho Neto, Angolan poet and politician, 1st President of Angola (b. 1922)
September 16
Giò Ponti, Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer and artist (b. 1891)
Rob Slotemaker, Indonesian-born, Dutch Formula 1 racing car driver (b. 1929)
September 20
Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, Sultan of Terengganu and 4th King of Malaysia (b. 1907)
Ludvík Svoboda, 8th President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
September 22
Abul A'la Maududi, Pakistani journalist and philosopher (b. 1903)
Otto Robert Frisch, Austrian-born British physicist (b. 1904)
September 24 – Carl Laemmle Jr., American film studio executive (b. 1908)
September 25 – Yury Kovalyov, Soviet footballer (b. 1934)
September 26
John Cromwell, American film director and actor (b. 1887)
Arthur Hunnicutt, American actor (b. 1910)
September 27
Gracie Fields, British actress (b. 1898)
Jimmy McCulloch, Scottish guitarist (Paul McCartney & Wings) (b. 1953)
September 29
Francisco Macías Nguema, 1st President of Equatorial Guinea (executed) (b. 1924)
Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Russian composer (b. 1893)
October
October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, American film director (b. 1897)
October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (b. 1911)
October 9 – Nur Muhammad Taraki, Afghan revolutionary communist politician, journalist and writer (b. 1917)
October 13 – Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (b. 1886)
October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, American army general (b. 1887)
October 16 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (b. 1902)
October 18 – Virgilio Piñera, Cuban author, playwright and poet (b. 1912)
October 22 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
October 23 – Antonio Caggiano, Argentine cardinal (b. 1889)
October 25
Maphevu Dlamini, 2nd Prime Minister of Swaziland (b. 1922)
Gerald Templer, British field marshal (b. 1898)
October 26 – Park Chung Hee, Korean politician, 3rd President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) (assassinated) (b. 1917)
October 27 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-born American priest and controversial conservative radio show commentator (b. 1891)
October 30
Barnes Wallis, British aeronautical engineer (b. 1887)
Rachele Mussolini, Italian, wife of Benito Mussolini (b. 1890)
November
November 1
Albert Préjean, French actor (b. 1894)
Mamie Eisenhower, 34th First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
November 2 – Jacques Mesrine, French criminal; known as the "French Robin Hood" (b. 1936)
November 5
Al Capp, American cartoonist (b. 1909)
Amedeo Nazzari, Italian actor (b. 1907)
November 8 – Yvonne de Gaulle, French political wife of former President of France Charles de Gaulle (b. 1900)
November 11 – Dimitri Tiomkin, Russian film composer (b. 1894)
November 17 – Immanuel Velikovsky, Russian author and psychiatrist (b. 1895)
November 23
Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
Judee Sill, American singer and songwriter (b. 1944)
November 26 – Marcel L'Herbier, French movie-maker (b. 1888)
November 30 – Zeppo Marx, American actor and comedian (b. 1901)
December
December 3 – Dhyan Chand, Indian hockey player (b. 1905)
December 5 – Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (b. 1885)
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, American actress (b. 1911)
December 11 – James J. Gibson, American psychologist and academic (b. 1904)
December 13 – Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
December 15 – Ethel Lackie, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1907)
December 16 – Vagif Mustafazadeh, Azerbaijani jazz musician (b. 1940)
December 21 – Ermindo Onega, Argentine footballer (b. 1940)
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 24 – Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (b. 1940)
December 25
Joan Blondell, American actress (b. 1906)
Lee Bowman, American actor (b. 1914)
December 26 – Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (b. 1898)
December 27 – Hafizullah Amin, 2nd General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (b. 1929)
December 28 – Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1904)
December 30 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
Nobel Prizes
Physics – Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg
Chemistry – Herbert C. Brown, Georg Wittig
Medicine – Allan MacLeod Cormack, Godfrey Hounsfield
Literature – Odysseas Elytis
Peace – Mother Teresa
Economics – Theodore Schultz, W. Arthur Lewis
Media
The Doctor Who story City of Death is set in 1979, its year of broadcast.
The events of the 2011 science fiction film Super 8 take place during 1979.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday, an interactive drama video game released in 2016, based on the events of the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
References
Further reading
Caryl, Christian, Strange Rebels: 1979 and the Birth of the 21st Century (2013), 1979 as worldwide turning point; excerpt and text search
Facts on File. Facts on File Yearbook: 1979 (1980) weekly factual report on events worldwide.
Hodson, H.V. Annual Register of World Events 1979 (1980), in-depth coverage of major countries
Paxton, John, ed. Statesman's Yearbook 1978–1979 (1980), statistical details on all countries | number of decimal digits | {
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The Khamenei family (Persian: خاندان خامنهای) or Khamenei dynasty is among the Iranian Azeri Sayyid families who claim to be descendants of the fourth Imam of Shia Islam, Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (Persian/Arabic: علی بن حسین، زین العابدین) (known as Imam Sajjad) — according to the "Khamenei family tree". Their dwelling place(s) were/are in Azerbaijan (Iran), Najaf, Tafresh, etc.
Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is the most powerful member of the Khamenei political family. His descent, known as "Sadat-e Hosseini", is likewise connected to the third Shia Imam, Hussain ibn Ali. An Al-Manar TV documentary broadcast in March 2020 claimed that Khamenei is the 38th descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad by his son Hussain Asghar, a son of Imam Sajjad.Seyyed Ali Khamenei's father was Seyyed Javad Khamenei, and his paternal grandfather was Seyyed Hussein, who was buried in Najaf, Iraq (in the Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery). Seyyed Hussein's father was Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Tafresshi, who was considered a Sayyid of Aftasi, whose family tree was connected to Sultan-al-Ulama Ahmad (also known as Seyyed Ahmad).Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Tafreshi Khamenei Tabrizi (Persian: سید محمد حسینی تفرشی خامنهای تبریزی) was the son of Seyyed Mohamad Taghi, who was the son of Mirza Ali-Akbar, who was the son of Seyyed Fakhr-al-Din Tafreshi. The descendants of Seyyed Fakhr-al-Din (also known as Mir-Fakhra) are called Mir-Fakhrayi.
See also
Islamic articles
Sayyid
Family tree of Ali
Ali Khamenei
Javad Khamenei
Mohammad Khiabani
Related
Kim family (North Korea)
Politics of Iran
== References == | instance of | {
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Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part of British Columbia.
Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when the Crowsnest Highway was routed into the Kootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins at Castlegar, where it leaves Highway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast to South Slocan, where Highway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) to Nelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake. A ferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south through Crawford Bay, Boswell, and Wynndel to Creston, where it rejoins Highway 3.The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway
A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Subaru Ironman held each August in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as Challenge Penticton Triathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event to Whistler. The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton. Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, past Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Richter Pass Highway
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is now Highway 3 was designated as Highway 3A The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965
See also
Crowsnest Highway
Glass House (British Columbia) — a roadside attraction on highway 3A
References
External links
Media related to British Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia by British Columbia Driving & Transportation | country | {
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Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part of British Columbia.
Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when the Crowsnest Highway was routed into the Kootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins at Castlegar, where it leaves Highway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast to South Slocan, where Highway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) to Nelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake. A ferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south through Crawford Bay, Boswell, and Wynndel to Creston, where it rejoins Highway 3.The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway
A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Subaru Ironman held each August in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as Challenge Penticton Triathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event to Whistler. The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton. Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, past Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Richter Pass Highway
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is now Highway 3 was designated as Highway 3A The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965
See also
Crowsnest Highway
Glass House (British Columbia) — a roadside attraction on highway 3A
References
External links
Media related to British Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia by British Columbia Driving & Transportation | instance of | {
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Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part of British Columbia.
Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when the Crowsnest Highway was routed into the Kootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins at Castlegar, where it leaves Highway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast to South Slocan, where Highway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) to Nelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake. A ferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south through Crawford Bay, Boswell, and Wynndel to Creston, where it rejoins Highway 3.The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway
A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Subaru Ironman held each August in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as Challenge Penticton Triathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event to Whistler. The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton. Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, past Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Richter Pass Highway
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is now Highway 3 was designated as Highway 3A The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965
See also
Crowsnest Highway
Glass House (British Columbia) — a roadside attraction on highway 3A
References
External links
Media related to British Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia by British Columbia Driving & Transportation | located in the administrative territorial entity | {
"answer_start": [
81
],
"text": [
"British Columbia"
]
} |
Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part of British Columbia.
Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when the Crowsnest Highway was routed into the Kootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins at Castlegar, where it leaves Highway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast to South Slocan, where Highway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) to Nelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake. A ferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south through Crawford Bay, Boswell, and Wynndel to Creston, where it rejoins Highway 3.The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway
A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Subaru Ironman held each August in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as Challenge Penticton Triathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event to Whistler. The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton. Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, past Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Richter Pass Highway
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is now Highway 3 was designated as Highway 3A The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965
See also
Crowsnest Highway
Glass House (British Columbia) — a roadside attraction on highway 3A
References
External links
Media related to British Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia by British Columbia Driving & Transportation | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
4336
],
"text": [
"British Columbia Highway 3A"
]
} |
Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part of British Columbia.
Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when the Crowsnest Highway was routed into the Kootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins at Castlegar, where it leaves Highway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast to South Slocan, where Highway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) to Nelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake. A ferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake to Kootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south through Crawford Bay, Boswell, and Wynndel to Creston, where it rejoins Highway 3.The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Central Kootenay Regional District.
Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway
A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Subaru Ironman held each August in the Okanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as Challenge Penticton Triathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event to Whistler. The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton. Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, past Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
Major intersections
The entire route is in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.
Richter Pass Highway
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is now Highway 3 was designated as Highway 3A The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965
See also
Crowsnest Highway
Glass House (British Columbia) — a roadside attraction on highway 3A
References
External links
Media related to British Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons
Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia by British Columbia Driving & Transportation | connects with | {
"answer_start": [
4336
],
"text": [
"British Columbia Highway 3"
]
} |
Idalus ochreata is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by William Schaus in 1905. It is found in French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela.
References
Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul. "Search results Family: Arctiidae". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London. | parent taxon | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Idalus"
]
} |
Idalus ochreata is a moth of the family Erebidae. It was described by William Schaus in 1905. It is found in French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela.
References
Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul. "Search results Family: Arctiidae". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London. | taxon name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Idalus ochreata"
]
} |
Tallinn Legends (Estonian: Tallinna Legendid) is a tourist attraction in a form of theatrical and interactive museum in Tallinn, Estonia. The museum recreates historical events and legends that have contributed to the folklore of medieval Tallinn. It uses a mixture of storytelling, live performances and special effects.
Overview
Tallinn Legends is located at Kullassepa St. No 7, next to the oldest town hall building in Tallinn, Estonia. It occupies 600 square meters of underground space featuring 9 separate rooms with 360° themed sets and 7 actors. The museum also organizes free street shows with some of the most popular sets. Visitors are invited to enter in pre-formed groups of 15 or more with carrying capacity of more than 540 people per day. Tallinn Legends is open every day from 11 am till 20 pm and is available in the English, Estonian, Russian and Finnish languages.
Format
Tallinn Legend’s exhibitions contain both entertaining and educational value, as it takes visitors through 9 centuries of Estonian history in the form of theatrical performance. It recreates historical events and medieval legends associated with the city of Tallinn by making use of special lightning and sound effects, along with live performances by professional actors and mechanical dolls, video installations, and storytelling.The show incorporates events such as the Black Plague, Execution of Johann von Uexkull and construction of St. Olaf’s Church. Visitors are escorted by the actors as they move from one room to another and are encouraged to participate in the 40-minute-long show.
Sets
Saint Olaf’s Church (The Elevator)
Maiden Tower
The Black Plague
Denunciation
The Alchemist
The Mermaid
Execution of Johann von Uexkull
References
External links
Official website | country | {
"answer_start": [
17
],
"text": [
"Estonia"
]
} |
Tallinn Legends (Estonian: Tallinna Legendid) is a tourist attraction in a form of theatrical and interactive museum in Tallinn, Estonia. The museum recreates historical events and legends that have contributed to the folklore of medieval Tallinn. It uses a mixture of storytelling, live performances and special effects.
Overview
Tallinn Legends is located at Kullassepa St. No 7, next to the oldest town hall building in Tallinn, Estonia. It occupies 600 square meters of underground space featuring 9 separate rooms with 360° themed sets and 7 actors. The museum also organizes free street shows with some of the most popular sets. Visitors are invited to enter in pre-formed groups of 15 or more with carrying capacity of more than 540 people per day. Tallinn Legends is open every day from 11 am till 20 pm and is available in the English, Estonian, Russian and Finnish languages.
Format
Tallinn Legend’s exhibitions contain both entertaining and educational value, as it takes visitors through 9 centuries of Estonian history in the form of theatrical performance. It recreates historical events and medieval legends associated with the city of Tallinn by making use of special lightning and sound effects, along with live performances by professional actors and mechanical dolls, video installations, and storytelling.The show incorporates events such as the Black Plague, Execution of Johann von Uexkull and construction of St. Olaf’s Church. Visitors are escorted by the actors as they move from one room to another and are encouraged to participate in the 40-minute-long show.
Sets
Saint Olaf’s Church (The Elevator)
Maiden Tower
The Black Plague
Denunciation
The Alchemist
The Mermaid
Execution of Johann von Uexkull
References
External links
Official website | instance of | {
"answer_start": [
110
],
"text": [
"museum"
]
} |
Tallinn Legends (Estonian: Tallinna Legendid) is a tourist attraction in a form of theatrical and interactive museum in Tallinn, Estonia. The museum recreates historical events and legends that have contributed to the folklore of medieval Tallinn. It uses a mixture of storytelling, live performances and special effects.
Overview
Tallinn Legends is located at Kullassepa St. No 7, next to the oldest town hall building in Tallinn, Estonia. It occupies 600 square meters of underground space featuring 9 separate rooms with 360° themed sets and 7 actors. The museum also organizes free street shows with some of the most popular sets. Visitors are invited to enter in pre-formed groups of 15 or more with carrying capacity of more than 540 people per day. Tallinn Legends is open every day from 11 am till 20 pm and is available in the English, Estonian, Russian and Finnish languages.
Format
Tallinn Legend’s exhibitions contain both entertaining and educational value, as it takes visitors through 9 centuries of Estonian history in the form of theatrical performance. It recreates historical events and medieval legends associated with the city of Tallinn by making use of special lightning and sound effects, along with live performances by professional actors and mechanical dolls, video installations, and storytelling.The show incorporates events such as the Black Plague, Execution of Johann von Uexkull and construction of St. Olaf’s Church. Visitors are escorted by the actors as they move from one room to another and are encouraged to participate in the 40-minute-long show.
Sets
Saint Olaf’s Church (The Elevator)
Maiden Tower
The Black Plague
Denunciation
The Alchemist
The Mermaid
Execution of Johann von Uexkull
References
External links
Official website | location | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Tallinn"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | name in native language | {
"answer_start": [
487
],
"text": [
"Max Burns"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | place of birth | {
"answer_start": [
509
],
"text": [
"Millen"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | educated at | {
"answer_start": [
605
],
"text": [
"Georgia Institute of Technology"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | member of political party | {
"answer_start": [
129
],
"text": [
"Republican Party"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | occupation | {
"answer_start": [
62
],
"text": [
"politician"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | military branch | {
"answer_start": [
843
],
"text": [
"United States Army Reserve"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | family name | {
"answer_start": [
13
],
"text": [
"Burns"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | given name | {
"answer_start": [
7
],
"text": [
"Max"
]
} |
Othell Maxie Burns Jr. (born November 8, 1948) is an American politician and academic from the state of Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, Burns has represented the 23rd district in the Georgia State Senate since January 2021. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005, representing Georgia's 12th congressional district. From 2012 to 2017 he was the president of Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia.
Early life and education
Max Burns was born in Millen, Georgia. Burns received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration in information systems from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Career
Burns also served as a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1973 to 1981. He served as a member of the Screven County Commission from 1993 to 1998 and as chairman towards the end of his tenure.
Prior to his tenure in Congress, he was a professor of information systems at Georgia Southern University's College of Business Administration in Statesboro, Georgia. Burns was also a Senior Fulbright Scholar, teaching Corporate Information Management in Sweden. He has also taught in Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
Burns has also worked as a consultant to Gulfstream Aerospace and Grinnell Mechanical Products. He also developed the Southern Suppliers' Network to connect Southeast Georgia's small business suppliers to major manufacturers. Earlier in his professional career, the Congressman served in information management positions with Oxford Industries and the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
After leaving Congress, Burns was dean of the Mike Cottrell Business School at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, Georgia.
After his final bid to regain his congressional seat, Burns served as senior policy adviser at Thelen, Reid and Priest, LLP in Washington, D.C. He also served as associate dean and chair of the business administration department at the Cottrell School of Business at North Georgia College & State University. In 2011, he was appointed as president of Gordon College. He served in that role until his retirement on December 31, 2017.
Elections
2002
Burns won the Republican primary for the 12th district, one of two Georgia gained after the 2000 Census. He defeated Barbara Dooley, the wife of University of Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley.
Initially, Burns was thought to be a significant underdog in the general election. The 12th had been drawn as a Democratic stronghold. Additionally, Burns ran on a very conservative platform. However, the Democratic candidate, Augusta businessman Charles "Champ" Walker, Jr., son of state Senate majority leader Charles Walker, Sr., was dogged by ethical questions and began losing ground during the summer. Eventually, Burns won by a surprising 10-point margin, taking 55% to Walker's 45 percent.
2004
Burns was elected president of the Republican freshman class, but was a top Democratic target in the 2004 elections. His 2004 Democratic opponent was Athens-Clarke County Commissioner John Barrow, who beat Burns 52% to 48%.
2006
In May 2005, Burns announced that he would seek a rematch against Barrow in 2006. The state legislature, now controlled by Republicans, had conducted a highly controversial mid-decade redistricting. In the process, they drew Barrow's home in Athens out of the district and moved several Republican-leaning Savannah suburbs from the 1st District. Although the result was to make the 12th about five points more African-American than its predecessor, it was also slightly less Democratic.
Barrow narrowly defeated Burns, 50.3% to 49.7%, the closest margin for a Democratic incumbent in the cycle. While Burns won 14 of the district's 22 counties, he lost in the two largest counties, Chatham and Richmond, home to Savannah and Augusta respectively. President George W. Bush made two personal appearances campaigning on behalf of former Representative Burns. The first appearance by President Bush was in Savannah, Georgia and the second in Statesboro, Georgia. This was the second time a sitting president has visited Savannah Georgia and first time a sitting president has visited Statesboro Georgia.
Electoral history
References
External links
Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Appearances on C-SPAN
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" — The Rothenberg Political Report | work location | {
"answer_start": [
2022
],
"text": [
"Washington, D.C."
]
} |
Phủ Thông is a township (Thị trấn) and capital town of Bạch Thông District, Bắc Kạn Province, in Vietnam. | country | {
"answer_start": [
97
],
"text": [
"Vietnam"
]
} |
Phủ Thông is a township (Thị trấn) and capital town of Bạch Thông District, Bắc Kạn Province, in Vietnam. | located in the administrative territorial entity | {
"answer_start": [
55
],
"text": [
"Bạch Thông"
]
} |
Northern Air Charter is a small airline based in Peace River, Alberta, Canada. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic it provided scheduled services to Edmonton International Airport and Calgary International Airport. The airline provides charter services throughout North America
Destinations
As of February 2023, Northern Air serves the following destinations in Alberta:
Calgary (Calgary International Airport)
Bonnyville (Bonnyville Airport)
Fleet
Current
As of 26 February 2023, Northern Air Charter has the following aircraft registered with Transport Canada.
Historical
Aircraft previously operated by Northern Air Charter not included above:
Beechcraft Queen Air (Model 65)
Beechcraft King Air (Model 100)
Beechcraft 1900
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander
Cessna 150
Cessna 172
Cessna 185 Skywagon
Cessna 208
Cessna 210 Centurion
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
Piper PA-23
Piper PA-28 Cherokee
Piper PA-31 Navajo
References
External links
Northern Air | instance of | {
"answer_start": [
32
],
"text": [
"airline"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | country of citizenship | {
"answer_start": [
53
],
"text": [
"Australia"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | occupation | {
"answer_start": [
91
],
"text": [
"rower"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | sport | {
"answer_start": [
280
],
"text": [
"rowing"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | family name | {
"answer_start": [
8
],
"text": [
"Nesbitt"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | given name | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Georgia"
]
} |
Georgia Nesbitt (born 8 May 1992, in Tasmania) is an Australian representative lightweight rower. She is an eight-time national champion (winning three titles at the 2019 Australian Championships) and she won a silver medal at the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
Club and state rowing
Nesbitt's senior rowing has been from the Huon Rowing Club in southern Tasmania.
Nesbitt first made state selection for Tasmania in 2011 in the women's lightweight quad scull contesting the Victoria Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made five consecutive Victoria Cup appearances for Tasmania from 2011 to 2015, was in victorious Tasmanian quads in 2014 and 2015 and she stroked the 2014 crew. Tasmania did not enter a Victoria Cup quad in 2017 but in 2018 Nesbitt was back in the stroke seat for their third placing at the Interstate Regatta. In 2022 she again stroked the Tasmania women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory.
At the Australian Championships in 2015 she won the national lightweight single sculls title. At the 2019 Australian Championships she won three national titles - the women's lightweight single scull, the lightweight double scull (with her Huon clubmate Eve Mure) and she stroked the Tasmanian lightweight women's quad to victory for the Interstate Championship. In 2021 she again stroked the Tasmanian women's lightweight quad to a Victoria Cup victory and also won an Australian Championship title in the open lightweight women's single scull.
International representative rowing
Nesbitt made her Australian representative debut in 2013 in an U23 lightweight double scull. She rowed with Georgia Miansarow to a fifth place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Linz. That same year with Miansarow, Hannah Clarke and Alex Hayes she was selected in the Australian senior lightweight quad scull which raced at 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju to fifth place.In 2014 still paired with Miansarow she raced in the lightweight double scull at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne to fifth place. Then at the 2014 World Rowing U23 Championships in Varese the two Georgias rowed the double to a bronze medal.In 2015 she competed at the World Championships in Aiguebelette in a single scull where she finished in eight place.Nesbitt was back in Australian representative contention in 2017. She rowed in the lightweight double at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan to sixth place and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Amy James, Alice Arch and Miansarow they raced in both the lightweight and the heavyweight quad events, winning the lightweight. They were in ready form for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota where they rowed to a second placing and a silver medal.That crew stayed together into 2018. They raced as two doubles at the WRC II in Linz where the Georgias finished 14th and then at the WRC III in Lucerne with Arch changed out for Sarah Pound, they placed fifth. In. 2019 Nesbitt was again selected in Australia's lightweight sculling squad for the 2019 international season. She rowed to success in the single scull at the two World Rowing Cups in Europe, winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup II in Poznan and then silver at WRC III in Rotterdam. Nesbitt was then selected to race Australia's lightweight double scull with Sarah Pound at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria. The double were looking for a top seven finish at the 2019 World Championships to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. They placed third in the B-final for an overall ninth-place finish and failed to qualify the boat for Tokyo 2020. Before those delayed Tokyo Olympics at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland in May 2021 and again paired with Pound, she raced an Australian representative lightweight double, again attempting to qualify that boat. They made their final, finished in 6th place and missed the Olympic cut-off.In March 2022 Nesbitt was selected in the Australian training team to prepare for the 2022 international season and the 2022 World Rowing Championships. She rowed the lightweight women's single scull at both of the World Rowing Cups in June and July 2022, winning a silver medal at WRC III. At the 2022 World Rowing Championships at Racize, Nesbitt represented as Australia's lightweight women's single sculler, made the C final and finished the regatta in overall seventeenth place.
Administration
A qualified solicitor, in 2023 Nesbitt was appointed to the board of Rowing Tasmania.
References
Georgia Nesbitt at World Rowing | name in native language | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Georgia Nesbitt"
]
} |
Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chișinău – February 5, 1859 in Iași), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist.
Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Miorița. He was also a contributor to the Iași periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852.
He also wrote Iașii și locuitorii lui în 1840 ("Iași and its inhabitants in 1840"), a glimpse into Moldavian society during the Organic Statute administration, and two travel accounts (better described as folklore studies), Piatra Teiului and Stânca Corbului.
Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir, and for the prose poem Cântarea României. Both these works appeared in 1855 in Vasile Alecsandri's literary magazine, România Literară.
He died shortly before the age of 40. His cause of death is recorded as troahnă, usually denoting influenza, but sometimes a euphemism for tuberculosis. He was buried with great pomp at the Bărboi Church, in Iași.
Presence in anthologies
The Bessarabia of my Soul / Basarabia Sufletului meu. A collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova, bilingual English & Romanian, Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews, MediaTon, Toronto, Canada, 2018. ISBN 978-1-7751837-9-2
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions:Alecu Russo | place of birth | {
"answer_start": [
33
],
"text": [
"Chișinău"
]
} |
Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chișinău – February 5, 1859 in Iași), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist.
Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Miorița. He was also a contributor to the Iași periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852.
He also wrote Iașii și locuitorii lui în 1840 ("Iași and its inhabitants in 1840"), a glimpse into Moldavian society during the Organic Statute administration, and two travel accounts (better described as folklore studies), Piatra Teiului and Stânca Corbului.
Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir, and for the prose poem Cântarea României. Both these works appeared in 1855 in Vasile Alecsandri's literary magazine, România Literară.
He died shortly before the age of 40. His cause of death is recorded as troahnă, usually denoting influenza, but sometimes a euphemism for tuberculosis. He was buried with great pomp at the Bărboi Church, in Iași.
Presence in anthologies
The Bessarabia of my Soul / Basarabia Sufletului meu. A collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova, bilingual English & Romanian, Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews, MediaTon, Toronto, Canada, 2018. ISBN 978-1-7751837-9-2
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions:Alecu Russo | place of death | {
"answer_start": [
64
],
"text": [
"Iași"
]
} |
Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chișinău – February 5, 1859 in Iași), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist.
Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Miorița. He was also a contributor to the Iași periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852.
He also wrote Iașii și locuitorii lui în 1840 ("Iași and its inhabitants in 1840"), a glimpse into Moldavian society during the Organic Statute administration, and two travel accounts (better described as folklore studies), Piatra Teiului and Stânca Corbului.
Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir, and for the prose poem Cântarea României. Both these works appeared in 1855 in Vasile Alecsandri's literary magazine, România Literară.
He died shortly before the age of 40. His cause of death is recorded as troahnă, usually denoting influenza, but sometimes a euphemism for tuberculosis. He was buried with great pomp at the Bărboi Church, in Iași.
Presence in anthologies
The Bessarabia of my Soul / Basarabia Sufletului meu. A collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova, bilingual English & Romanian, Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews, MediaTon, Toronto, Canada, 2018. ISBN 978-1-7751837-9-2
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions:Alecu Russo | field of work | {
"answer_start": [
1192
],
"text": [
"poetry"
]
} |
Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chișinău – February 5, 1859 in Iași), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist.
Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Miorița. He was also a contributor to the Iași periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852.
He also wrote Iașii și locuitorii lui în 1840 ("Iași and its inhabitants in 1840"), a glimpse into Moldavian society during the Organic Statute administration, and two travel accounts (better described as folklore studies), Piatra Teiului and Stânca Corbului.
Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir, and for the prose poem Cântarea României. Both these works appeared in 1855 in Vasile Alecsandri's literary magazine, România Literară.
He died shortly before the age of 40. His cause of death is recorded as troahnă, usually denoting influenza, but sometimes a euphemism for tuberculosis. He was buried with great pomp at the Bărboi Church, in Iași.
Presence in anthologies
The Bessarabia of my Soul / Basarabia Sufletului meu. A collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova, bilingual English & Romanian, Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews, MediaTon, Toronto, Canada, 2018. ISBN 978-1-7751837-9-2
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions:Alecu Russo | occupation | {
"answer_start": [
96
],
"text": [
"writer"
]
} |
Alecu Russo (March 17, 1819 near Chișinău – February 5, 1859 in Iași), was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist.
Russo is credited with having discovered one of the most elaborate forms of the Romanian national folk ballad Miorița. He was also a contributor to the Iași periodical Zimbrul, in which he published one of his best-known works, Studie Moldovană ("Moldovan Studies"), in 1851–1852.
He also wrote Iașii și locuitorii lui în 1840 ("Iași and its inhabitants in 1840"), a glimpse into Moldavian society during the Organic Statute administration, and two travel accounts (better described as folklore studies), Piatra Teiului and Stânca Corbului.
Russo is also notable for his Amintiri ("Recollections"), a memoir, and for the prose poem Cântarea României. Both these works appeared in 1855 in Vasile Alecsandri's literary magazine, România Literară.
He died shortly before the age of 40. His cause of death is recorded as troahnă, usually denoting influenza, but sometimes a euphemism for tuberculosis. He was buried with great pomp at the Bărboi Church, in Iași.
Presence in anthologies
The Bessarabia of my Soul / Basarabia Sufletului meu. A collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova, bilingual English & Romanian, Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews, MediaTon, Toronto, Canada, 2018. ISBN 978-1-7751837-9-2
Notes
External links
Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions:Alecu Russo | Commons category | {
"answer_start": [
0
],
"text": [
"Alecu Russo"
]
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