January 7
January 7
Pol Pot overthrown
On January 7, 1979, Vietnamese troops seize the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, toppling the brutal regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge, organized by Pol…
A Year In History: 1979
This Year in History:
1979
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 9
January 9
Pop luminaries gather at the U.N. for the Music for UNICEF concert
In an effort to call attention to the poverty, malnutrition and lack of access to quality education affecting millions of children throughout the developing world, the United Nations proclaimed 1979…
January 16
January 16
Shah flees Iran
Faced with an army mutiny and violent demonstrations against his rule, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the leader of Iran since 1941, is forced to flee the country. Fourteen days later,…
January 26
January 26
“The Dukes of Hazzard” premieres
On January 26, 1979, “The Dukes of Hazzard,” a television comedy about two good‑old‑boy cousins in the rural South and their souped‑up 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee,…
January 29
January 29
School shooting in San Diego
Brenda Spencer kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. Spencer blazed away with rifle shots from her home directly…
January 29
January 29
Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter sign accords
On January 29, 1979, Deng Xiaoping, deputy premier of China, meets President Jimmy Carter, and together they sign historic new accords that reverse decades of U.S. opposition to the People’s…
February 1
February 1
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran
On February 1, 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran in triumph after 15 years of exile. The shah and his family had fled the country two weeks before, and…
February 2
February 2
Sid Vicious dies of a drug overdose in New York City
To the New York City Police Department and Medical Examiner’s Office, he was John Simon Ritchie, a 22‑year‑old Englishman under indictment for murder but now dead of a heroin overdose…
February 7
February 7
Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death,” dies
Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor who performed medical experiments at the Auschwitz death camps, dies of a stroke while swimming in Brazil—although his death was not verified until…
February 17
February 17
China invades Vietnam
In response to the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, China launches an invasion of Vietnam. Tensions between Vietnam and China increased dramatically after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.…
March 9
March 9
Lawsuit prompts MLB to allow locker room access to female reporters
On March 9, 1979, the 26 Major League Baseball teams are ordered by MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn to allow equal access to all reporters, regardless of sex. The commissioner’s order…
March 26
March 26
Israel‑Egypt peace agreement signed
In a ceremony at the White House, Egyptian President Anwar el‑Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign a historic peace agreement, ending three decades of hostilities between Egypt and…
March 27
March 27
Pattie Boyd and Eric Clapton are married
In early decades of the 20th century, the Viennese beauty Alma Mahler inspired groundbreaking works by a quartet of husbands and lovers drawn from nearly every creative discipline: music (Gustav…
March 28
March 28
Nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island
At 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry begins when a pressure valve in the Unit‑2 reactor at Three…
April 2
April 2
Anthrax poisoning kills 62 in Russia
The world’s first anthrax epidemic begins in Sverdlovsk, Russia (now Ekaterinburg), on April 2, 1979. By the time it ended six weeks later, 62 people were dead. Another 32 survived…
April 7
April 7
Astros’ Ken Forsch pitches no‑hitter, matching feat by his brother
On April 7, 1979, nearly a year after his brother Bob pitched a no‑hitter, Houston Astros pitcher Ken Forsch tosses his first career no‑hitter. Ken and Bob become the first—and…
April 11
April 11
Ugandan dictator Idi Amin overthrown
On April 11, 1979, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin flees the Ugandan capital of Kampala as Tanzanian troops and forces of the Uganda National Liberation Front close in. Two days later,…
May 4
May 4
Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister
Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservative Party, becomes Britain’s first female prime minister on May 4, 1979. The Oxford‑educated chemist and lawyer took office the day after the Conservatives won…
May 23
May 23
Tom Petty defies his record label and files for bankruptcy
The music industry is notorious for its creative accounting practices and for onerous contracts that can keep even some top‑selling artists perpetually in debt to their record labels. In a…
May 25
May 25
American Airlines plane crashes in Chicago, killing all aboard
Almost 300 people are killed on May 25, 1979 when an American Airlines flight crashes and explodes after losing one engine just after takeoff. It was the beginning of Memorial…
