1979 facts for kids
Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
---|---|
Centuries: | 19th century – 20th century – 21st century |
Decades: | 1940s 1950s 1960s – 1970s – 1980s 1990s 2000s |
Years: | 1976 1977 1978 – 1979 – 1980 1981 1982 |
1979 was a busy year with many important events around the world. Space probes explored distant planets, new countries gained independence, and popular movies and songs were released. It was a time of big changes and new beginnings.
Contents
Exciting Events of 1979
- January 4 – The state of Ohio agreed to pay money to families affected by the Kent State shootings.
- February 1 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Tehran, Iran, after almost 15 years away.
- March 4 – The U.S. Voyager 1 spacecraft sent back amazing photos showing Jupiter has rings!
- April 1 – Iran officially became an Islamic Republic after a public vote. This changed the government from a Shah (king) to a republic.
- May 1 – Greenland gained more control over its own government from Denmark. Its new Parliament started meeting in Nuuk.
- June 18 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna. This agreement aimed to limit nuclear weapons.
- July 16 – In Iraq, President Hasan al-Bakr stepped down, and Saddam Hussein took his place.
- August 3 – The leader of Equatorial Guinea, Francisco Macías Nguema, was removed from power by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
- September 1 – The American Pioneer 11 spacecraft became the first to visit Saturn. It flew very close to the planet!
- September 7 – The Chrysler Corporation, a big car company, asked the United States government for a lot of money to avoid going out of business.
- September 7 – ESPN, a popular sports television channel, started broadcasting.
- September 16 – Three families managed to escape from East Germany by using a hot air balloon.
- September 20 – French soldiers helped David Dacko to remove Bokassa from power.
- October 14 – A large gay rights march took place in Washington, DC, with thousands of people supporting equal rights.
- October 16 – A tsunami hit the coastal town of Nice, France, causing many deaths.
- October 21 – In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a group of radicals took over the Grand Mosque. The Saudi Arabian army had to step in to remove them.
- October 26 – South Korean president Park Chung Hee was killed by the head of the KCIA.
- October 27 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became an independent country.
- October 29 – Pope John Paul II visited Ireland.
- November 5 – The radio news program Morning Edition began on National Public Radio in the United States.
- December 5 – Jack Lynch resigned as the leader of Ireland, and Charles Haughey took over.
- December 15 – Chris Haney and Scott Abbott created the popular board game Trivial Pursuit.
Famous People Born in 1979
Many well-known people were born in 1979:
- January 2 – Morena Baccarin, a Brazilian actress.
- January 16 – Aaliyah, an American singer who passed away in 2001.
- February 11 – Brandy Norwood, a famous American singer.
- February 21 – Jennifer Love Hewitt, an American actress.
- April 4 – Heath Ledger, an Australian actor who passed away in 2008.
- May 9 – Pierre Bouvier, a Canadian musician from the band Simple Plan.
- August 3 – Evangeline Lilly, a Canadian actress.
- November 14 – Michael Owen, a famous English football player.
- December 26 – Chris Daughtry, an American singer.
Notable People Who Passed Away in 1979
- January 3 – Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton Hotels.
- January 26 – Nelson Rockefeller, an American politician and businessman.
- February 2 – Sid Vicious, an English musician.
- June 11 – John Wayne, a very famous American actor.
- August 3 – Bertil Ohlin, a Swedish economist who won a Nobel Prize.
- September 29 – Francisco Macías Nguema, the first President of Equatorial Guinea.
- October 26 – Park Chung Hee, the President of South Korea.
Nobel Prize Winners of 1979
The Nobel Prizes are important awards given to people who have made great discoveries or contributions.
- Physics Prize: Shared by Sheldon Lee Glashow, Abdus Salam, and Steven Weinberg for their work on how tiny particles interact.
- Chemistry Prize: Shared by Herbert C. Brown and Georg Wittig for their work with special chemical compounds.
- Medicine Prize: Shared by Allan McLeod Cormack and Godfrey N. Hounsfield for their work on X-ray computed tomography (CT scans), which helps doctors see inside the body.
- Literature Prize: Won by Odysseas Elytis, a Greek poet.
- Peace Prize: Won by Mother Teresa for her work helping the poor and sick.
- Economics Prize: Shared by Theodore Schultz and W. Arthur Lewis, both economists.
Popular Movies Released in 1979
Many classic movies came out in 1979:
- 10
- Alien, a very important science fiction movie.
- The Amityville Horror, a scary movie based on a book.
- Apocalypse Now, a powerful war movie.
- Kramer vs. Kramer, which won 5 Academy Awards.
- Monty Python’s Life of Brian, a funny comedy.
- The Muppet Movie, featuring the beloved Muppets.
- Mad Max, an action movie.
- Rocky II, the sequel to the boxing movie.
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture, bringing the famous TV show to the big screen.
- The Warriors, a movie that became a fan favorite.
Hit Songs of 1979

Freddie Mercury in 1977
The music charts in 1979 were full of great songs:
- "After the Love Has Gone" – Earth, Wind & Fire
- "Boogie Wonderland" – Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions
- "Born To Be Alive" – Patrick Hernandez
- "Boys Don't Cry" – The Cure
- "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" – Queen
- "Don't Stop Me Now" – Queen
- "Dreaming" – Blondie
- "Highway to Hell" – AC/DC
- "I Don't Like Mondays" – The Boomtown Rats
- "I Have A Dream" – ABBA
- "In The Navy" – Village People
- "London Calling" – The Clash
- "Roxanne" – The Police
- "Sultans Of Swing" – Dire Straits
- "The Logical Song" – Supertramp
- "Voulez-Vous" – ABBA
- "We Are Family" – Sister Sledge
- "Wonderful Christmastime" – Paul McCartney
New Books of 1979

Douglas Adams in 2008
Some popular books published in 1979 include:
- Douglas Adams – The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a funny science fiction story.
- V. C. Andrews – Flowers in the Attic
- David Attenborough – Life on Earth, a book about nature.
- Stephen King – The Dead Zone, a thrilling novel.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: 1979 para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
1979 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.