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  • Minsk, Belarus
    1978
    Garry Kasparov

    A Turning point in his life

    Minsk, Belarus
    1978

    In 1978, Kasparov participated in the Sokolsky Memorial tournament in Minsk. He had been invited as an exception but took first place and became a chess master. Kasparov has repeatedly said that this event was a turning point in his life, and that it convinced him to choose chess as his career. "I will remember the Sokolsky Memorial as long as I live", he wrote. He has also said that after the victory, he thought he had a very good shot at the World Championship.




  • Soviet Union, (Russia)
    1978
    Garry Kasparov

    The Soviet Chess Championship

    Soviet Union, (Russia)
    1978

    He first qualified for the Soviet Chess Championship at age 15 in 1978, the youngest ever player at that level. He won the 64-player Swiss system tournament at Daugavpils on tiebreak over Igor V. Ivanov to capture the sole qualifying place.




  • Leipzig, East Germany
    1978
    Angela Merkel

    Education

    Leipzig, East Germany
    1978

    Merkel was educated at Karl Marx University, Leipzig, where she studied physics from 1973 to 1978.




  • Opera Square, Giza, Egypt
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978
    Ayman al-Zawahiri

    1st Marriage

    Opera Square, Giza, Egypt
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978

    In 1978, al-Zawahiri married his first wife, Azza Ahmed Nowari, a student at Cairo University who was studying philosophy. Their wedding, which was held at the Continental Hotel in Opera Square, was very conservative, with separate areas for both men and women, and no music, photographs, or light-hearted humour.




  • Italy
    1978
    Silvio Berlusconi

    Fininvest

    Italy
    1978

    In 1978, Berlusconi founded his first media group, Fininvest, and joined the Propaganda Due masonic lodge.




  • Singapore
    1978
    Halimah Yacob

    Graduation

    Singapore
    1978

    Halimah was educated at Singapore Chinese Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School before she went on to the University of Singapore, where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws in 1978.




  • Serbia
    1978
    Slobodan Milošević

    The Head of Beobanka

    Serbia
    1978

    By 1978, Stambolić's sponsorship had enabled Milošević to become the head of Beobanka, one of Yugoslavia's largest banks; his frequent trips to Paris and New York gave him the opportunity to learn English.


  • U.S.
    1978
    Microprocessor

    Motorola 6809

    U.S.
    1978

    Motorola introduced the MC6809 in 1978. It was an ambitious and well thought-through 8-bit design that was source compatible with the 6800, and implemented using purely hard-wired logic (subsequent 16-bit microprocessors typically used microcode to some extent, as CISC design requirements were becoming too complex for pure hard-wired logic).


  • U.S.
    1978
    Robin Williams

    Mork & Mindy

    U.S.
    1978

    Mork's appearance proved so popular with viewers that it led to the spin-off television sitcom Mork & Mindy, which co-starred Pam Dawber, and ran from 1978 to 1982; the show was written to accommodate his extreme improvisations in dialog and behavior. Although he portrayed the same character as in Happy Days, the series was set in the present in Boulder, Colorado, instead of the late 1950s in Milwaukee. Mork & Mindy at its peak had a weekly audience of 60 million and was credited with turning Williams into a "superstar." According to critic James Poniewozik, the series was especially popular among young people as Williams became a "man and a child, buoyant, rubber-faced, an endless gusher of the invention."


  • U.S.
    1978
    John Forbes Nash Jr.: A Beautiful Mind

    John Von Neumann Theory prize

    U.S.
    1978

    In 1978, Nash was awarded the John von Neumann Theory Prize for his discovery of non-cooperative equilibria, now called Nash Equilibria.


  • U.S.
    1978
    Robin Williams

    My Favorite Orkan

    U.S.
    1978

    After the Laugh-In revival and appearing in the cast of The Richard Pryor Show on NBC, Williams was cast by Garry Marshall as the alien Mork in a 1978 episode of the TV series Happy Days, "My Favorite Orkan". Sought after as a last-minute cast replacement for a departing actor, Williams impressed the producer with his quirky sense of humor when he sat on his head when asked to take a seat for the audition. As Mork, Williams improvised much of his dialogue and physical comedy, speaking in a high, nasal voice. The cast and crew, as well as TV network executives, were deeply impressed with his performance.


  • Norman's Cay, Bahamas
    1978
    Pablo Escobar: Narcos

    Rise to prominence

    Norman's Cay, Bahamas
    1978

    Soon, the demand for cocaine was greatly increased in the United States, and Escobar organized more smuggling shipments, routes, and distribution networks in South Florida, California, and other parts of the country. He and cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder worked together to develop a new trans-shipment point in the Bahamas, an island called Norman's Cay about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Florida coast. According to his brother, Escobar did not purchase Norman's Cay; it was, instead, a sole venture of Lehder's. Escobar and Robert Vesco purchased most of the land on the island, which included a 1 kilometer (3,300 ft) airstrip, a harbor, a hotel, houses, boats, and aircraft, and they built a refrigerated warehouse to store the cocaine. From 1978 to 1982, this was used as a central smuggling route for the Medellín Cartel.


  • near the coast of Bombay, India
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978
    Plane Accidents

    Air India Flight 855

    near the coast of Bombay, India
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978

    Boeing 747-237B, Air India Flight 855 on January 1, 1978, crashed into the Arabian Sea just off the coast of Bombay, India, killing all 190 passengers and 23 crew on board. An investigation concluded that the captain became disoriented after the failure of one of the flight instruments in the cockpit, leading to "irrational control inputs" that caused the plane to crash.


  • California, U.S.
    1978
    Microprocessor

    Intel introduced The 8086

    California, U.S.
    1978

    Intel "upsized" their 8080 design into the 16-bit Intel 8086, the first member of the x86 family, which powers most modern PC type computers. Intel introduced the 8086 as a cost-effective way of porting software from the 8080 lines, and succeeded in winning much business on that premise.


  • Nicaragua
    1978
    Nicaraguan Revolution

    The administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter Cut Off aid To the Somoza Regime

    Nicaragua
    1978

    The Somoza Regime, which included the Nicaraguan National Guard, a force highly trained by the U.S. military, declared a state of siege, and proceeded to use torture, extra-judicial killings, intimidation and censorship of the press in order to combat the FSLN attacks. This led to international condemnation of the regime and in 1978 the administration of U.S. president Jimmy Carter cut off aid to the Somoza regime due to its human rights violations (Boland Amendment). In response, Somoza lifted the state of siege in order to continue receiving aid.


  • Massachusetts, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978
    05:33:00 PM
    Virtual reality

    David Em

    Massachusetts, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 1, 1978
    05:33:00 PM

    David Em became the first artist to produce navigable virtual worlds at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 1977 to 1984. The Aspen Movie Map, a crude virtual tour in which users could wander the streets of Aspen in one of the three modes (summer, winter, and polygons), was created at MIT in 1978.


  • Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    1978
    Warren Buffett

    Charlie Munger Joined Buffett

    Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    1978

    In 1978, Charlie Munger joined Buffett and became vice chairman of the company.


  • U.S.
    1978
    Computer animation

    Apple II

    U.S.
    1978

    3D computer graphics software began appearing for home computers in the late 1970s. The earliest known example is 3D Art Graphics, a set of 3D computer graphics effects, written by Kazumasa Mitazawa and released in June 1978 for the Apple II.


  • New York, U.S.
    1978
    Donald Trump

    Trump attracted public attention

    New York, U.S.
    1978

    Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged by Fred Trump, who also joined Hyatt in guaranteeing $70 million in bank construction financing.


  • Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
    Monday Jan 2, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Bundy traveled by train to Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
    Monday Jan 2, 1978

    From Chicago, Bundy traveled by train to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was present in a local tavern on January 2.


  • Iran
    Friday Jan 6, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The article "Iran and Red and Black Colonization"

    Iran
    Friday Jan 6, 1978

    On 7 January 1978, an article ("Iran and Red and Black Colonization") appeared in the national daily Ettela'at newspaper. Written under a pseudonym by a government agent, it denounced Khomeini as a "British agent" and a "mad Indian poet" conspiring to sell out Iran to neo-colonialists and communists. Upon the publishing of the article, religious seminary students in the city of Qom, angered over the insult to Khomeini, clashed with police. According to the government, two were killed in the clash; according to the opposition, seventy were killed and over five hundred were injured. However, the casualty figures are different in different sources.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 8, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Bundy arrived in Tallahassee

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 8, 1978

    Five days later, he stole a car and drove to Atlanta, where he boarded a bus and arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, on the morning of January 8. He rented a room under the alias Chris Hagen at the Holiday Inn near the Florida State University (FSU) campus.


  • Nicaragua
    Tuesday Jan 10, 1978
    Nicaraguan Revolution

    Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal was Murdered

    Nicaragua
    Tuesday Jan 10, 1978

    On 10 January 1978, the editor of the Managua newspaper La Prensa, and founder of the Union for Democratic Liberation (UDEL), Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal was murdered by suspected elements of the Somoza regime, and riots broke out in the capital city, Managua, targeting the Somoza regime.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    1978
    Ted Bundy

    Bundy reverted to his old habits

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    1978

    Bundy later said that he initially resolved to find legitimate employment and refrain from further criminal activity, knowing he could probably remain free and undetected in Florida indefinitely as long as he did not attract the attention of police; but his lone job application, at a construction site, had to be abandoned when he was asked to produce identification. He reverted to his old habits of shoplifting and stealing credit cards from women's wallets left in shopping carts.


  • Iran
    Jan, 1978
    1973 oil crisis

    Iranian Revolution

    Iran
    Jan, 1978

    Student protests against the government of Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, begin, touching off a wave of political unrest and violent clashes between police and demonstrators. Throughout the year increasing anti-Shah activities are led by Muslim fundamentalists seeking to establish a Muslim state.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Bundy entered FSU's Chi Omega sorority house

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978

    In the early hours of January 15, 1978—one week after his arrival in Tallahassee—Bundy entered FSU's Chi Omega sorority house through a rear door with a faulty locking mechanism.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    02 AM
    Ted Bundy

    Margaret Bowman

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    02 AM

    Beginning at about 2:45 a.m. Bundy bludgeoned Margaret Bowman, 21, with a piece of oak firewood as she slept, then garroted her with a nylon stocking.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Lisa Levy

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978

    Ted then entered the bedroom of 20-year-old Lisa Levy and beat her unconscious, strangled her, tore one of her nipples, bit deeply into her left buttock, and sexually assaulted her with a hair mist bottle.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Kathy Kleiner and Karen Chandler

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978

    In an adjoining bedroom Ted attacked Kathy Kleiner, breaking her jaw and deeply lacerating her shoulder; and Karen Chandler, who suffered a concussion, broken jaw, loss of teeth, and a crushed finger. Chandler and Kleiner survived the attack; Kleiner later attributed their survival to automobile headlights illuminating the interior of their room and frightening away the attacker.


  • Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Cheryl Thomas

    Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Jan 15, 1978

    Tallahassee detectives later determined that the four attacks took place in a total of fewer than 15 minutes, within earshot of more than 30 witnesses who heard nothing. After leaving the sorority house, Bundy broke into a basement apartment eight blocks away and attacked FSU student Cheryl Thomas, dislocating her shoulder and fracturing her jaw and skull in five places. She was left with permanent deafness and equilibrium damage that ended her dance career. On Thomas' bed, police found a semen stain and a pantyhose "mask" containing two hairs "similar to Bundy's in class and characteristic".


  • Nicaragua
    Monday Jan 23, 1978
    Nicaraguan Revolution

    A General Strike Called For The End of The Somoza Regime

    Nicaragua
    Monday Jan 23, 1978

    Following the riots, a general strike on 23–24 January called for the end of the Somoza regime and was, according to the U.S. State Department staff at the U.S. Embassy, successful at shutting down around 80% of businesses in not only Managua but also the provincial capitals of León, Granada, Chinandega, and Matagalpa.


  • Chicago, Illinois, United States
    1978
    Ted Kaczynski

    Kaczynski's first explosive operation

    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    1978

    Kaczynski's first mail bomb was directed at Buckley Crist, a professor of materials engineering at Northwestern University.


  • Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 8, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Leslie Parmenter

    Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 8, 1978

    On February 8, Bundy drove 150 miles (240 km) east to Jacksonville, in a stolen FSU van. In a parking lot, he approached 14-year-old Leslie Parmenter, the daughter of Jacksonville Police Department's Chief of Detectives, identifying himself as "Richard Burton, Fire Department", but retreated when Parmenter's older brother arrived and challenged him.


  • Lake City, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 8, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Kimberly Dianne Leach

    Lake City, Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 8, 1978

    That afternoon, he backtracked 60 miles (97 km) westward to Lake City. At Lake City Junior High School the following morning, 12-year-old Kimberly Dianne Leach was summoned to her homeroom by a teacher to retrieve a forgotten purse; she never returned to class. Seven weeks later, after an intensive search, her partially mummified remains were found in a pig farrowing shed near Suwannee River State Park, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Lake City.


  • U.S.
    Thursday Feb 9, 1978
    Theodore Roosevelt

    Father's death

    U.S.
    Thursday Feb 9, 1978

    His father's sudden death on February 9, 1878, devastated Roosevelt, but he eventually recovered and doubled his activities. Roosevelt gave up his earlier plan of studying natural science and instead decided to attend Columbia Law School, moving back into his family's home in New York City.


  • United Kingdom and U.S.
    1978
    Internet

    International Packet Switched Service (IPSS)

    United Kingdom and U.S.
    1978

    The British Post Office, Western Union International and Tymnet collaborated to create the first international packet switched network, referred to as the International Packet Switched Service (IPSS), in 1978. This network grew from Europe and the US to cover Canada, Hong Kong, and Australia by 1981. By the 1990s it provided a worldwide networking infrastructure.


  • Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 12, 1978
    Ted Bundy

    Bundy driving westward across the Florida Panhandle

    Florida, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 12, 1978

    On February 12, with insufficient cash to pay his overdue rent and a growing suspicion that police were closing in on him, Bundy stole a car and fled Tallahassee, driving westward across the Florida Panhandle.


  • Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 15, 1978
    01 AM
    Ted Bundy

    Ted was stopped by Pensacola police officer David Lee

    Florida, U.S.
    Wednesday Feb 15, 1978
    01 AM

    Three days later, at around 1:00 am, Ted was stopped by Pensacola police officer David Lee near the Alabama state line after a "wants and warrants" check showed his Volkswagen Beetle was stolen. When told he was under arrest, Bundy kicked Lee's legs out from under him and took off running. Lee fired a warning shot followed by a second round, gave chase, and tackled him. The two struggled over Lee's gun before the officer finally subdued and arrested Bundy.


  • Tabriz, Iran
    Friday Feb 17, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Demonstrations broke out in various different cities

    Tabriz, Iran
    Friday Feb 17, 1978

    According to the Shi'ite customs, memorial services (referred to as chehelom) are held forty days after a person's death. Encouraged by Khomeini (who declared that the blood of martyrs must water the "tree of Islam"), radicals pressured the mosques and moderate clergy to commemorate the deaths of the students, and used the occasion to generate protests. The informal network of mosques and bazaars, which for years had been used to carry out religious events, increasingly became consolidated as a coordinated protest organization. On 18 February, forty days after Qom clashes, demonstrations broke out in various different cities. The largest was in Tabriz, which descended into a full-scale riot. "Western" and government symbols such as cinemas, bars, state-owned banks, and police stations were set ablaze. Units of Imperial Iranian Army were deployed to the city to restore order, and the death toll, according to government was six, while Khomeini claimed hundreds were "martyred".


  • Tuvalu
    1978
    Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Margaret's visit to Tuvalu was cut short by an illness

    Tuvalu
    1978

    Margaret's visit to Tuvalu was cut short by an illness, which may have been viral pneumonia, and she was flown to Australia to recuperate.


  • Hong Kong, China
    Wednesday Mar 1, 1978
    Jackie Chan

    1st major breakthrough

    Hong Kong, China
    Wednesday Mar 1, 1978

    Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, shot while he was loaned to Seasonal Film Corporation under a two-picture deal.[28] Director Yuen Woo-ping allowed Chan complete freedom over his stunt work. The film established the comedic kung fu genre, and proved refreshing to the Hong Kong audience.


  • France
    Mar, 1978
    1973 oil crisis

    Amoco Cadiz tanker runs aground off the coast of France

    France
    Mar, 1978

    Amoco Cadiz tanker runs aground off the coast of France, spilling 1.6 million barrels (250,000 m3) of crude oil. (Largest crude spill to date.)


  • Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, England, United Kingdom
    1978
    Hillsborough events

    Safety certificate

    Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, England, United Kingdom
    1978

    A report by Eastwood & Partners for a safety certificate for the stadium in 1978 concluded that although it failed to meet the recommendations of the Green Guide, a guide to safety at sports grounds, the consequences were minor. It emphasised the general situation at Hillsborough was satisfactory compared with most grounds.


  • United Kingdom
    Wednesday May 24, 1978
    Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Decree nisi for their divorce was granted

    United Kingdom
    Wednesday May 24, 1978

    On 24 May 1978, the decree nisi for their divorce was granted.


  • England, United Kingdom
    May, 1978
    Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Margaret was taken ill

    England, United Kingdom
    May, 1978

    Margaret was taken ill, and diagnosed as suffering from gastroenteritis and alcoholic hepatitis, although Warwick denied that she was ever an alcoholic.


  • Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Thursday May 25, 1978
    Ted Kaczynski

    The package burst on the policeman

    Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Thursday May 25, 1978

    On May 25, 1978, a package bearing Crist's return address was found in a parking lot at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The package was "returned" to Crist, who was suspicious because he had not sent it, so he contacted campus police. Officer Terry Marker opened the package, which exploded and caused minor injuries


  • U.S.
    Jun, 1978
    DC Comics

    Raising the price from 35 cents to 50 cents

    U.S.
    Jun, 1978

    In June 1978, five months before the release of the first Superman movie, Kahn expanded the line further, increasing the number of titles and story pages, and raising the price from 35 cents to 50 cents. Most series received eight-page back-up features while some had full-length twenty-five-page stories.


  • California, U.S.
    Jun, 1978
    Robin Williams

    First Marriage

    California, U.S.
    Jun, 1978

    Williams married his first wife, Valerie Velardi, in June 1978, following a live-in relationship with comedian Elayne Boosler. Velardi and Williams met in 1976 while he was working as a bartender at a tavern in San Francisco.


  • Vienna, Austria
    Jun, 1978
    1973 oil crisis

    Iran and Saudi Arabia block efforts of OPEC price hawks to fix the price of OPEC oil in a currency more stable than the U.S. dollar

    Vienna, Austria
    Jun, 1978

    Iran and Saudi Arabia block efforts of OPEC price hawks to fix the price of OPEC oil in a currency more stable than the U.S. dollar. Say the world economy cannot support associated price increases. Are accused by hawks of being U.S. agents.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Saturday Jun 17, 1978
    International Monetary Fund

    Jacques de Larosière

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Saturday Jun 17, 1978

    Jacques was the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 17 June 1978 to 15 January 1987.


  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Monday Jun 19, 1978
    Juneteenth

    Milwaukee celebration was described as drawing over 100,000 attendees

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Monday Jun 19, 1978

    The 1978 Milwaukee celebration was described as drawing over 100,000 attendees.


  • Turkey
    Tuesday Jul 4, 1978
    Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

    Marriage

    Turkey
    Tuesday Jul 4, 1978

    Erdoğan married Emine Gülbaran (born 1955, Siirt) on 4 July 1978.


  • New York, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 8, 1978
    Incandescent light bulb

    Albon Man started Electro-Dynamic Light Company

    New York, U.S.
    Saturday Jul 8, 1978

    Albon Man, a New York lawyer, started Electro-Dynamic Light Company in 1878 to exploit his patents and those of William Sawyer.


  • England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jul 11, 1978
    Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Snowdens' divorce was finalized

    England, United Kingdom
    Tuesday Jul 11, 1978

    On 11 July 1978, the Snowdens' divorce was finalized.


  • New York, U.S.
    Tuesday Aug 8, 1978
    Russell Bufalino

    The Extortion Attempt

    New York, U.S.
    Tuesday Aug 8, 1978

    On August 8, 1978, Bufalino was convicted and sentenced to four years imprisonment for his part in the extortion attempt. He served almost three years.


  • Isfahan, Iran
    Thursday Aug 10, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Martial law was declared in Isfahan

    Isfahan, Iran
    Thursday Aug 10, 1978

    A series of escalating protests broke out in major cities, and deadly riots broke out in Isfahan where protesters fought for the release of Ayatollah Jalaluddin Taheri. Martial law was declared in the city on 11 August as symbols of Western culture and government buildings were burned, and a bus full of American workers was bombed. Due to his failure to stop the protests, Prime Minister Amuzegar offered his resignation.


  • Nicaragua
    Tuesday Aug 22, 1978
    Nicaraguan Revolution

    The FSLN Staged a Massive Kidnapping Operation

    Nicaragua
    Tuesday Aug 22, 1978

    On 22 August 1978 the FSLN staged a massive kidnapping operation. Led by Éden Pastora, the Sandinistan forces captured the National Palace while the legislature was in session, taking 2,000 hostages. Pastora demanded money, the release of Sandinistan prisoners, and, "a means of publicizing the Sandinista cause."After two days, the government agreed to pay $500,000 and to release certain prisoners, marking a major victory for the FSLN.


  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
    Wednesday Aug 23, 1978
    Kobe Bryant

    Birth and Early Life

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
    Wednesday Aug 23, 1978

    Bryant was born in Philadelphia, the youngest of three children and only son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He was also the maternal nephew of basketball player John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. His middle name, Bean, was derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean". Bryant's family was Catholic and he had always practiced his faith.


  • Iran
    Saturday Aug 26, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Appointment of Jafar Sharif-Emami as prime minister

    Iran
    Saturday Aug 26, 1978

    The Shah increasingly felt that he was losing control of the situation and hoped to regain it through complete appeasement. He decided to appoint Jafar Sharif-Emami to the post of prime minister, himself a veteran prime minister. Emami was chosen due to his family ties to the clergy, but he had a reputation of corruption during his previous premiership. Under the Shah's guidance, Sharif-Emami effectively began a policy of "appeasing the opposition's demands before they even made them".


  • Tehran, Iran
    Sunday Sep 3, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The large march of Eid-e-Fitr

    Tehran, Iran
    Sunday Sep 3, 1978

    4 September was Eid-e-Fitr, the holiday celebrating the end of the month of Ramadan. A permit for an open air prayer was granted, in which 200,000–500,000 people attended. Instead, the clergy directed the crowd on a large march through the center of Tehran (the Shah reportedly watched the march from his helicopter, unnerved and confused). A few days later even larger protests took place, and for the first time protesters called for Khomeini's return and the establishment of an Islamic republic.


  • Tehran, Iran
    Thursday Sep 7, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The Shah declared martial law in Tehran and 11 other major cities

    Tehran, Iran
    Thursday Sep 7, 1978

    At midnight on 8 September, the Shah declared martial law in Tehran and 11 other major cities throughout the country. All street demonstrations were banned, and a night-time curfew was established. Tehran's martial law commander was General Gholam-Ali Oveissi, who was known for his severity against opponents.


  • Tehran, Iran
    Friday Sep 8, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Workers' strike at Tehran's main oil refinery

    Tehran, Iran
    Friday Sep 8, 1978

    On 9 September, 700 workers at Tehran's main oil refinery went on strike, and on 11 September the same occurred at refineries in five other cities.


  • Tehran, Iran
    Tuesday Sep 12, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Government workers' strike at Tehran's

    Tehran, Iran
    Tuesday Sep 12, 1978

    On 13 September, central government workers in Tehran simultaneously went on strike.


  • Iran
    Sep, 1978
    1973 oil crisis

    Muslim leader Noori was arrested

    Iran
    Sep, 1978

    Shah puts Iran under military rule. Muslim leader Noori was arrested in the crackdown of opposition groups.


  • U.S.
    1978
    Severo Ochoa

    U.S. National Medal of Science

    U.S.
    1978

    Ochoa received the U.S. National Medal of Science in 1978.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Sunday Sep 17, 1978
    Jimmy Carter

    Camp David Accords

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Sunday Sep 17, 1978

    The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David.


  • Vatican City
    Thursday Sep 28, 1978
    Pope John Paul II

    The death of Pope John Paul I

    Vatican City
    Thursday Sep 28, 1978

    The papal conclave of October 1978 was triggered by the death of Pope John Paul I on 28 September just 33 days after his election on 26 August.


  • Iran
    Sep, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The General Strike

    Iran
    Sep, 1978

    By late October, a nationwide general strike was declared, with workers in virtually all major industries walking off their jobs, most damagingly in the oil industry and the print media. Special "strike committees" were set up throughout major industries to organize and coordinate the activities. The Shah did not attempt to crack down on strikers, but instead gave them generous wage increases.


  • Paris, France
    Friday Oct 6, 1978
    Ruhollah Khomeini

    Visit to Paris

    Paris, France
    Friday Oct 6, 1978

    By this time discontent with the Shah was becoming intense and Khomeini visited Neauphle-le-Château, a suburb of Paris, France on a tourist visa on 6 October 1978.


  • Iraq
    Oct, 1978
    1973 oil crisis

    Pipeline fire drops Iraqi production from 600,000 barrels per day to 300,000 barrels per day

    Iraq
    Oct, 1978

    Pipeline fire drops Iraqi production from 600,000 barrels per day (95,000 m3/d) to 300,000 barrels per day (48,000 m3/d).


  • Vatican City
    Sunday Oct 22, 1978
    Pope John Paul II

    A Pope

    Vatican City
    Sunday Oct 22, 1978

    John Paul II dispensed with the traditional Papal coronation and instead received ecclesiastical investiture with a simplified Papal inauguration on 22 October 1978. During his inauguration, when the cardinals were to kneel before him to take their vows and kiss his ring, he stood up as the Polish prelate Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński knelt down, stopped him from kissing the ring, and simply hugged him.


  • Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India
    Oct, 1978
    Indira Gandhi

    The Chikmagalur Constituency Election

    Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India
    Oct, 1978

    She won a by-election from the Chikmagalur Constituency to the Lok Sabha in November 1978.


  • Russia
    Nov, 1978
    Mikhail Gorbachev

    Secretary of the Central Committee

    Russia
    Nov, 1978

    In November 1978, Gorbachev was appointed a Secretary of the Central Committee.


  • Paris, France
    Wednesday Nov 1, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    agreement for a draft constitution that would be "Islamic and democratic"

    Paris, France
    Wednesday Nov 1, 1978

    In November, secular National Front leader Karim Sanjabi flew to Paris to meet Khomeini. There the two signed an agreement for a draft constitution that would be "Islamic and democratic". It signaled the now official alliance between the clergy and the secular opposition.In order to help create a democratic facade, Khomeini placed Westernized figures (such as Sadegh Qotbzadeh and Ebrahim Yazdi) as the public spokesmen of the opposition, and never spoke to the media of his intentions to create a theocracy.


  • Minnesota, U.S.
    1978
    Best Buy

    Sound of Music operated nine stores throughout Minnesota

    Minnesota, U.S.
    1978

    Sound of Music operated nine stores throughout Minnesota by 1978.


  • Tehran, Iran
    Saturday Nov 4, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The Day Tehran Burned

    Tehran, Iran
    Saturday Nov 4, 1978

    On 5 November, demonstrations at University of Tehran became deadly after a fight broke out with armed soldiers. Within hours, Tehran broke out into a full-scale riot. Block after block of Western symbols such as movie theaters and department stores, as well as government and police buildings, were seized, looted, and burned. The British embassy in Tehran was partially burned and vandalized as well, and the American embassy nearly suffered the same fate (the event became known to foreign observers as "The Day Tehran Burned").


  • Iran
    Sunday Nov 5, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Appointment of a military government

    Iran
    Sunday Nov 5, 1978

    On 6 November, the Shah dismissed Sharif-Emami from the post of prime minister, and chose to appoint a military government in its place. The Shah chose General Gholam-Reza Azhari to be prime minister because of his mild-mannered approach to the situation. The cabinet he would choose was a military cabinet in name only and consisted primarily of civilian leaders.


  • Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
    1978
    Diving horse

    Loading of the pier

    Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
    1978

    Atlantic City's Steel Pier was also used to mount a measuring device to monitor changes in the sea level of the Atlantic Ocean. However, changes in sea level at the pier turned out to have been caused by the weight of the crowds gathered to watch the diving horses. Measurements from 1929 to 1978 indicated sea level rise – when the crowds were regular and caused the pier to settle slightly in the soft, sandy bottom – except during the horse-jumping hiatus from 1945 to 1953 when the lack of regular crowds allowed the pier to rise slightly.


  • Iran
    Friday Dec 1, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The Muharram protests

    Iran
    Friday Dec 1, 1978

    On 2 December 1978, the Muharram protests began. Named for the Islamic month they began in, the Muharram protests were impressively huge and pivotal. Over two million protesters (many of whom were teenagers organized by the mullahs from the mosques of southern Tehran) took to the streets, crowding Shahyad Square. Protesters frequently went out at night, defying the set curfew, often taking to rooftops and shouting "Allahu-Akbar" (God is Great). According to one witness, many of the clashes on the street had an air of playfulness rather than seriousness, with security forces using "kid gloves" against the opposition (nevertheless, the government reported at least 12 opposition deaths).


  • Spain
    Wednesday Dec 6, 1978
    Juan Carlos I

    The People ratify on The New Constitution

    Spain
    Wednesday Dec 6, 1978

    In 1978, the government promulgated a new constitution that acknowledged Juan Carlos as rightful heir of the Spanish dynasty and king; specifically, Title II, Section 57 asserted Juan Carlos's right to the throne of Spain by dynastic succession in the Bourbon tradition, as "the legitimate heir of the historic dynasty" rather than as the designated successor of Franco. The Constitution was passed by the democratically elected Constituent Cortes, ratified by the people in a referendum (6 December) and then signed into law by the King before a solemn meeting of the Cortes.


  • Iran
    Dec, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Tasu'a and Ashura marches

    Iran
    Dec, 1978

    As the days of Tasu'a and Ashura (10 and 11 December) approached, in order to prevent a deadly showdown the Shah began to draw back. In negotiations with Ayatollah Shariatmadari, the Shah ordered the release of 120 political prisoners and Karim Sanjabi, and on 8 December revoked the ban on street demonstrations. Permits were issued for the marchers, and troops were removed from the procession's path. In turn, Shariatmadari pledged that to make sure that there would be no violence during the demonstrations.On 10 and 11 December, the days of Tasu'a and Ashura, between six and nine million anti-shah demonstrators marched throughout Iran.


  • Lavizan barracks, Tehran, Iran
    Sunday Dec 10, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    Demoralization of The Army

    Lavizan barracks, Tehran, Iran
    Sunday Dec 10, 1978

    On 11 December, a dozen officers were shot dead by their own troops at Tehran's Lavizan barracks. Fearing further mutinies, many soldiers were returned to their barracks.Mashhad (the second largest city in Iran) was abandoned to the protesters, and in many provincial towns demonstrators were effectively in control.


  • California, U.S.
    Dec, 1978
    Atari, Inc.

    Nolan Bushnell leaving

    California, U.S.
    Dec, 1978

    In December of that year, Nolan Bushnell was fired following an argument with Manny Gerard. "We started fighting like cats and dogs. And then the wheels came off that fall. Warner claimed they fired me," recalled Bushnell. "I say I quit. It was a mutual separation".


  • England, United Kingdom
    Friday Dec 15, 1978
    Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

    Snowdon married Lucy Lindsay-Hogg

    England, United Kingdom
    Friday Dec 15, 1978

    On 15 December 1978, Snowdon married Lucy Lindsay-Hogg.


  • U.S.
    1978
    Jimmy Hoffa

    F.I.S.T.

    U.S.
    1978

    In 1978 film F.I.S.T., Sylvester Stallone plays a character based on Hoffa.


  • Kentucky, United States
    1978
    Gary Webb

    Webb worked as a reporter at the Kentucky Post

    Kentucky, United States
    1978

    Gary found work in 1978 as a reporter at the Kentucky Post, a local paper affiliated with the larger Cincinnati Post.


  • Peru
    1978
    Pedro López (serial killer)

    López increased at murder and abduction

    Peru
    1978

    Following his release in 1978, López became a drifter and began abducting, raping, and murdering an average of three young girls per week. On one occasion, in Peru, López attempted to abduct a nine-year-old child from an Indian tribe, but he caught in the act.


  • United Kingdom
    Saturday Dec 23, 1978
    Queen Elizabeth II

    Elizabeth II endured visiting Romania's communist leader

    United Kingdom
    Saturday Dec 23, 1978

    In 1978, the Queen endured a state visit to the United Kingdom by Romania's communist leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu, and his wife, Elena though privately she thought they had "blood on their hands".


  • Iran
    Wednesday Dec 27, 1978
    Iranian Revolution

    The return To Civilian Rule

    Iran
    Wednesday Dec 27, 1978

    The Shah began to search for a new prime minister, one who was a civilian and a member of the opposition. On 28 December, he secured an agreement with another major National Front figure, Shahpour Bakhtiar. Bakhtiar would be appointed prime minister (a return to civilian rule), while the Shah and his family would leave the country for a "vacation". His royal duties would be carried out by a Regency Council, and three months after his departure a referendum would be submitted to the people deciding on whether Iran would remain a monarchy or become a republic. A former opponent of the Shah, Bakhtiar became motivated to join the government because he was increasingly aware of Khomeini's intentions to implement hard-line religious rule rather than a democracy. Karim Sanjabi immediately expelled Bakhtiar from the National Front, and Bakhtiar was denounced by Khomeini (who declared that acceptance of his government was the equivalent of "obedience to false gods").


  • Kyoto, Japan
    1978
    Nintendo

    Gunpei Yokoi Idea

    Kyoto, Japan
    1978

    In 1979, Gunpei Yokoi conceived the idea of a handheld video game, while observing a fellow bullet train commuter who passed the time by interacting idly with a portable LCD calculator. The idea became Game & Watch.


  • India
    1978
    Indira Gandhi

    Arresting Indira

    India
    1978

    In 1979, the government started to unravel over the issue of dual loyalties of some members to Janata and the RSS. The ambitious Union Finance minister, Charan Singh, who as the Union Home Minister during the previous year had ordered arrest of Gandhi, took advantage of this and started courting the Congress.


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