1979

**MCMLXXIX**

* UK Prime Minister: James Callaghan, succeeded by Margaret Thatcher from 04 May
* FA Cup Winners: Arsenal (beat Man Utd. 3-2)
* Christmas Number One: Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall Pt.2
* Eurovision Song Contest: Jerusalem, Israel, 31 March
	+ Contest Winner: Milk and Honey - Hallelujah (Israel)
	+ UK Eurovision Entry: Black Lace - Mary Ann (position 7th)

* Blue Peter Team: Lesley Judd (until 12 April), Simon Groom and Christopher Wenner, Tina Heath from 05 April
* Doctor Who: Tom Baker (S16/17)
* Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: DLT
* Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: *The Sting*

## Main events

* Jan.: 'Winter of Discontent' continues, public-workers, train drivers and lorry drivers' all strike.
* Feb.: Trevor Francis first first £1 million footballer; Sid Vicious found dead; TUC / UK Govt. "Saint Valentine's Day Concordat"
* March: General Election announced
* April
* May: Jubilee line inaugurated; UK General Election won by the Conservative Party. Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman PM; Liverpool win Football League First Division, Notts. Forest win European Cup
* June: first direct election to the European Parliament (07 June);
* July:
* August: ITV network technicians strikes begin; Lord Mountbatten assassinated;
* Sept.: Man City pay £1,450,000 for Wolves midfielder Steve Daley; Central Milton Keynes shopping centre opened by M Thatcher
* Oct.: Video Killed the Radio Star at no.1

TV
--

### New series

* BBC One: *Blankety Blank* (18 Jan.), *Mainstream* (09 Oct.), *Antiques Roadshow*, *The Paul Daniels Magic Show*, *Rolf Harris Cartoon Time*, *To the Manor Born*, *Terry and June*
* BBC Two: *Life on Earth*, *Not the Nine O'Clock News*
* ITV: *Dick Turpin*, *The Jim Davidson Show*, *Worzel Gummidge*, *Tales of the Unexpected*, *The Mallens*, *Minder, Sapphire & Steel*

### New seasons:

* *Doctor Who* (S17, 01 Sept.), *Fawlty Towers*, *Last of the Summer Wine* (S5, 18 September 1979)
* *Wish You Were Here...?*

### Shows ending

* BBC: *The Liver Birds* (05 Jan. (revived 1996), *Sykes*
* ITV: *George and Mildred* (25 December 1979), *Celebrity Squares* (revived 1993), *Return of the Saint*

### Other TV events

* ITV strike - ten weeks starting August. Programmes begin again on 24 October.

## Radio

* BBC Radio 1 begins its delayed weeknight mid-evening programme with Andy Peebles (Jan.)
* Tony Blackburn takes over from Simon Bates as host of Radio 1's Top 40 show.(Sep.)

## Music

* Top 40 debuts: The Buggles, The Police, Tubeway Army/Gary Numan, XTC, Lene Lovich, The Skids

* Best selling singles and albums (*Record Mirror, Jan 1980)*

1. Art Garfunkel - Bright Eyes, 2.Blondie - Heart of Glass, 3. Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore.1. Blondie - *Parallel Lines*, 2. ELO - *Discovery*, 3. Leo Sayer - *The Very Best Of*.
* Debut albums: The Human League - *Reproduction*, Adam and The Ants - *Dirk Wears White Socks*, Pat Benatar - *In the heat of the Night*, Simple Minds - *Life in a Day*, Madness - *One Step Beyond...*, Gary Numan - *The Pleasure Principle*, the Mekons - *The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen*. Toyah - *Sheep Farming in Barnet*, Joy Division - *Unknown Pleasures*
	+ Eponymous debut albums: Landscape, Chelsea, The Flying Lizards, Pretenders, Saxon, Sky, The Specials, The Tourists, The Undertones

## Films

*UK premiere or general release*

* *Alien, Moonraker*
* *Apocalypse Now, The Tin Drum* (both winners of Palme d'Or)
* *The Concorde ... Airport '79, Escape from Alcatraz, The Kids Are Alright, Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan, Monty Python's Life of Brian, The Muppet Movie, Quadrophenia, Rocky II, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Tempest* (dir. D. Jarman), *Zulu Dawn*

## Births

* Will Young (20 January), Sophie Ellis-Bextor (10 April), James MacAvoy (21 April), Jamie Cullum (20 August)

## Birthdays

* **20**: Emma Thompson, Robert Smith, Ian McCulloch, Julie Burchill, Gary Kemp
* **30**: Rick Wakeman, Francis Rossi, Trevor Horn, Martin Amis, Twiggy,
* **40**: Peter Purves, David Frost, Kate O'Mara, John Peel, John Cleese,
* **50**: Gerry Anderson, Jeremy Thorpe, David Jacobs, Surat Hall
* **60**: John Pertwee, Donald Pleasence, Cliff Michelmore, Noele Gordon,
* **70**: Matt Busby,

## Deaths

* Richard Beckinsale (19 March), Sid Vicious, Joyce Grenfell (30 November)