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1978

Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century

Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s - 1970s - 1980s 1990s 2000s

Years: 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 - 1978 - 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983

See also:

Events

January 1 - the Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law.
January 1 - Air India's Boeing 747 explodes near Bombay - 213 dead.
January 4 - Referendum in Chile supports policies of Augusto Pinochet.
January 10 - Assassination of Pedero Jaoquin Chamorro[?] who had critizised Nicaraguan government. Riots erupt against Somoza's government.
January 18 - The European Court of Human Rights finds the United Kingdom government guilty of mistreating prisoners in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.
January 19 - Federal Appeals Court Judge William H. Webster[?] appointed as Director of the FBI
January 22 - Ethiopia announces ambassador of West Germany as Persona non grata[?]
January 23 - Sweden becomes the first nation to ban aerosol sprays that are thought to damage earth's protective ozone layer.
January 24 - Soviet nuclear military satellite falls into atmosphere over Canada
January 30 - Blizzards in USA kill 90
February 1 - Director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees to France after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl
February 8 - Proceedings of the United States Senate are broadcasted on radio for the first time.
February 11 - 16 Unification Church couples wed in New York NY.
February 11 - Mobilization[?] in Somalia due to apparent Ethiopian attack
February 11 - The People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, Shakespeare, & Dickens.
February 15 - Rhodesia's prime minister Ian D. Smith[?] and three black leaders agree on the transfer to black majority rule.
February 15 - Ted Bundy is captured in Florida
February 16 - The first computer bulletin board system is created (CBBS in Chicago, Illinois).
March 3 - Ethiopia admits that its troops are fighting with the aid Cuban soldiers against Somalian troops in Ogaden[?].
March 3 - Charles Chaplin's remains are stolen from Cosier-sur-Vevey[?], Switzerland but are recovered 11 weeks later near Lake Geneva.
March 3 - Rhodesia attacks Zambia.
March 11 - Palestinian terrorists on the Tel Aviv Haifa highway[?] kill 34 Israelis
March 15 - United States Senate approves the Panama Canal neutrality treaty; votes to turn the canal over to Panama by the year 2000 on April 18.
March 16 - Israeli forces invade Lebanon.
March 16 - Former Italian premier Aldo Moro is kidnapped by left wing terrorists, who kill five bodyguards; he is found dead on May 9.
March 22 - Karl Wallenda[?] of the Flying Wallendas[?] dies after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
April 8 - Regular broadcasts of proceedings in British Parliament start
April 16 - In Cologne, 15.000 former members of resistance movement demonstrate against national socialism
April 27 - President of Afghanistan, Daud Khan[?] is killed during a military coup - Mohammed Takain succeeds him.
May 8 - Norway opens a natural gas field in Polar Sea.
May 18 - Soviet dissident Juri Orlov is sentenced for seven years hard labor for distributing counterrevolutionary material
May 18-May 19 - Belgian and French paratroopers fly to Zaire to aid the fight against the rebels.
May 20 - Mavis Hutchinson[?], 53, becames the first woman to run across USA - trek took 69 days
May 25 - A bomb explodes in the security section of Northwestern University - security guard is wounded. The first bomb of the Unabomber case.
May 26 - DC-10 crashes in O'Hare international airport[?]
May 26 - In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Resorts International[?], the first legal casino in the eastern United States, opens.
June 6 - Californians in referendum approve Proposition 13 for a nearly 60% slash in property tax revenues.
June 12 - David Berkowitz[?], "Son of Sam," in sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
June 17 - Police of Switzerland finds Charlie Chaplin's body in its coffin in 10 miles from the cemetery.
June 23 - Josip Broz Tito is named for Yugoslavian president for life.
June 24 - President of Yemen Arab Republic Hussein al-Ghashmi[?] is killed
June 26 - Bomb of Breton nationalists causes destruction in Versailles.
June 28 - The Supreme Court of the United States, in the Bakke case, bars quota systems[?] in college admissions but affirms constitutionality of programs giving advantage to minorities.
June 30 - Ethiopia begin a massive offensive in Eritrea.
July 25 - First human birth, girl Louise Brown[?], from in vitro fertilization (the test tube baby)
August 6 - Pope Paul VI[?] dies at age of 80. The new Pope, John Paul I[?], age 65, dies unexpectedly after 34 days in office on September 28. He is succeeded by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland as John Paul II on October 16.
August 20 - Gunmen open fire on an Israeli El Al airline bus in London
August 20 - in Abadan[?], Iran, nearly 400 killed when arsonist set cire to crowded theater.
August 25 - Shroud of Turin on public display for the first time in 45 years.
September 17 - Camp David peace agreement between Israel and Egypt
October 1 - Vietnam attacks Cambodia
October 14 - Daniel arap Moi becomes president of Kenya.
November 7 - Indira Gandhi re-elected to Indian parliament.
November 18 - Reverend Jim Jones's 900 followers commit mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking a cyanide-laced fruit drink.
November 20 - Military coup in Spain fails.
December 11 - Lufthansa Heist on NY airport
December 11- Massive anti-Shah demonstration in Iran - 2 million demonstrators.
December 27 - Spanish Constitution approved in referendum officially ending 40 years of military dictatorship.

President of Mexican town of Coacalaco[?], José Ramon del Cuet, is forced to eat 12 pounds of bananas and then resign.
Hillside Strangler in Los Angeles.
Usu[?]-volcano erupts in Japan
The Eagles' 5-star record, Hotel California was nominated for a Grammy award
Fleetwood Mac's 5-star record, Rumours was nominated for a Grammy award

Science

Artificial insulin[?]
David Rorvik[?] claims he has participated in a creation of a human clone in his book In His Image

Art, Culture & Fashion

1978 in film
- March - Leigh Brackett completes the first draft for the Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back
- September - George Lucas purchases Bulltail Ranch, on Lucas Valley Road, for the development of Skywalker Ranch.
- The Deer Hunter
- Animal House starring John Belushi
- US Supreme Court lists words that should not be used in movies.
1978 in literature
- The World According to Garp by John Irving
1978 in music
- January 14 - Sex Pistols' final concert in Winterland[?], San Francisco
1978 in sports
1978 in television
- November 17 - The Star Wars Holiday Special airs on CBS. The special gives fans their first glimpse of Boba Fett, a character from the upcoming sequel.
- Taxi premieres on ABC.

Births

February 7 - Ashton Kutcher[?], actor
May 1 - Matt Lovato[?], bass musician of Mest
June 1 - Danielle Harris[?], voice actress in The Wild Thornberrys
July 21 - Kenny Barber Jr.[?], college student from Loyola Marymount University in 1996 to 2000
November 9 - Sisqo, rap singer and actor
December 1 - Brad Delson, lead guitar musician of Linkin Park
? - Kris Roe, guitar musician and vocals of The Ataris

Deaths

January 13 - Hubert H. Humphrey, U.S Vice President and Senator
January 13 - Joe McCarthy, baseball manager
January 14 - Kurt Gödel, US mathematician
January 23 - Jack Oakie[?], actor
January 23 - Terry Kath[?], musician ("Chicago (band)")
February 4 - Bergen Evans[?], television host[?]
February 11 - James B Conant[?], headmaster of Harvard University.
March 18 - Leigh Brackett, science fiction author
March 31 - Charles Best, medical scientist
May 1 - Aram Khachaturian, composer
May 9 - Aldo Moro, former Prime Minister of Italy
May 22 - Joe Colombo[?], gangster - he had been in coma since the assassination attempt
July 30 - Umberto Nobile[?], Italian aviator
August 6 - Pope Paul VI; heart attack
August 22 - Jomo Kenyatta, Kenyan statesman
August 26 - Charles Boyer, actor
September 7 - Keith Moon, drummer of The Who; drug overdose.
September 9 - Jack Warner, Hollywood studio founder
September 11 - Georgi Markov, Bulgarian dissident; assassinated with a poisoned umbrella. Dies 4 days later.
September 15 - Willy Messerchmitt[?], German aircraft engineer
October 22 - Anastas Mikojan[?], Soviet politician
November 15 - Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist
Boumedienne[?], president of Algeria.

Nobel Prizes

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