1979 Snapshot
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The Vibe
Pop Culture
Walkman Launch
Slang
"Gag me with a spoon"
Price Check
Gas: $0.86
Notable Deaths
John Wayne, Sid Vicious, Nelson Rockefeller
Music & Style
Post-Punk
World Affairs
Thatcher Elected
Soviet-Afghan War
Year's Summary
- Global Events: The Iranian Revolution and the subsequent Hostage Crisis begin. Margaret Thatcher becomes the UK's first female Prime Minister. The Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurs.
- Culture & Mood: A grim end to the decade with rising inflation and energy crises. Sony releases the Walkman, making music personal and portable.
- Fashion & Slang: Early 'New Wave' skinny ties and neon accents. If something is bad, it 'Sucks.'
- Fun Fact: The game Trivial Pursuit is invented by two Canadian journalists, and 1979 was the year the first ever Snowboard was mass-produced!
- 1 Jan 1979: Establishment of Full Diplomatic Relations Between US and China – The United States and the People's Republic of China formally established full diplomatic relations, ending decades of estrangement and marking a pivotal realignment in global Cold War geopolitics under President Jimmy Carter and Premier Hua Guofeng.
- 16 Jan 1979: Shah of Iran Flees Exile Amidst Islamic Revolution – Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, and his family departed Iran amid escalating nationwide protests and revolutionary upheaval, paving the way for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to return and establish the Islamic Republic.
- 28 Mar 1979: Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident Shocks the United States – A partial meltdown occurred within the reactor core of the Unit 2 nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, releasing small amounts of radioactive gas, sparking widespread public panic, and halting nuclear energy expansion for decades.
- 4 May 1979: Margaret Thatcher Elected First Female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – Following a decisive Conservative Party victory in the general election, Margaret Thatcher assumed office as the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, initiating a transformative decade of free-market economic reforms and deregulation.
- 18 Jun 1979: Signing of the SALT II Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty – United States President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II agreement in Vienna, establishing bilateral ceilings on strategic nuclear delivery vehicles and aiming to curb the escalating nuclear arms race.
- 17 Jul 1979: Sandinista Forces Triumph in Nicaraguan Revolution – President Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigned and fled Nicaragua as revolutionary forces of the Sandinista National Liberation Front entered Managua, overthrowing the long-standing family dictatorship and reshaping Central American politics.
- 27 Oct 1979: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Gains Independence – The Caribbean island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines officially achieved full sovereign independence within the British Commonwealth, establishing a parliamentary democracy under Prime Minister Milton Cato.
- 4 Nov 1979: Outbreak of the Iran Hostage Crisis in Tehran – A group of Iranian student militants overran the United States Embassy in Tehran, taking fifty-two American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days and precipitating a severe geopolitical crisis between Washington and Tehran.