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January 1, 1979 New Year's Day

January 1, 1979, was a Monday. It was 45 years, 11 months, and 22 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

On This Day

On this day

What happened on January 1, 1979?

  • Soccer: Gary Lineker makes his senior debut.
Song charts

Music charts

Songs that were on top of the charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on January 1, 1979:

  • United States: "Too Much Heaven" by The Bee Gees
  • United Kingdom: "YMCA" by Village People

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 1, 1979

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Le Freak - Chic
  • Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees
  • You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond
  • My Life - Billy Joel
  • I Love The Nightlife (Disco 'round) - Alicia Bridges
Play the top singles from 1979
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1979. Take a trip back to the days of Donna Summer, ABBA, Bob Seger and the Bee Gees.
Superman

Top movie at the box office

The movie "Superman" was at the top of the box office on January 1, 1979.

Facts

New Year's Day 1979 occurred 16,793 days ago. Approximately 560 months have passed. It was the 1st day of 1979, in week 01. The decade was the seventies. People who were born on January 1, 1979, are now 45 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. The Earth has experienced 187 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to January 1, 1979

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is January 1, 1979, and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's New Year's Day, the official start of the year 1979. A lot of people are relaxing at home. Some are nursing hangovers from the night before.

In America, the song "Too Much Heaven" by The Bee Gees is at the top of the singles charts, while "YMCA" by Village People is the number-one song in the UK. Jimmy Carter is the President of the United States, and the movie Superman is at the top of the box office. James Callaghan is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

On television, people are watching popular shows such as "Happy Days", "The Jeffersons", "Fawlty Towers", and "Eight Is Enough". In fashion, clothes have become baggier and pants have become less flared. Sports clothing and the "disco look" are both popular at the moment. Women are wearing sundresses, strapless tops with t-shirts, shoulder pads, cardigans, knee-length skirts and daisy dukes. Meanwhile, men are wearing tracksuits, flare jeans, low-top sneakers and untucked collared shirts. Because it's 1979, the music charts are being dominated by the likes of Blondie, Gloria Gaynor, M, Donna Summer, Patrick Hernandez, The Knack and Rod Stewart.

If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Sid Vicious, John Wayne, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ian Curtis would all still be alive. People are playing video games such as "Pursuit", "Gun Fight", "Breakout", and "Space Invaders". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "Sesame Street", "The All-New Super Friends Hour", "Godzilla", and "Battle of the Planets".

Children are playing with toys such as Lite-Brite, Big Jim (action figure), Stretch Armstrong, and Mattel Electronic Football (handheld game).

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 1, 1979, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1979 was the year of the Goat (Yin Metal).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 1.
  • Native American Zodiac: January 1, 1979 falls under the Goose.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.
  • Birth flower (January): The Carnation and the Snowdrop.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on January 1, 1979.

  • 1979 in music.

    1979 in music

    Popular music artists in 1979 included The Knack, Donna Summer, Chic, Rod Stewart, Peaches & Herb, Gloria Gaynor, Village People, Anita Ward, Robert John and The Bee Gees.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1979?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1979?

    The best NBA players in 1979 were Moses Malone, Marques Johnson, Elvin Hayes, George Gervin and Paul Westphal.
  • 1979 in movies.

    1979 in movies

    Movies released in 1979 included Kramer vs. Kramer, The Amityville Horror, Rocky II, Apocalypse Now, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, 10, The Jerk, Moonraker, The Muppet Movie, Monty Python's Life of Brian and The Warriors.
  • Best soccer players.

    Best soccer players

    In 1979, the best soccer players were Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Ruud Krol, Manfred Kaltz, Michel Platini, Paolo Rossi, Trevor Francis, Liam Brady, Zbigniew Boniek, Zdenek Nehoda, Kenny Dalglish and Allan Simonsen.
  • The Walkman.

    The Walkman

    In the late 1970s and 1980s, portable cassette players such as the "Sony Walkman" were becoming more common.
  • Kramer vs. Kramer.

    Kramer vs. Kramer

    "Kramer vs. Kramer" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1979.
  • Ruhollah Khomeini.

    Ruhollah Khomeini

    The leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, was named Time Person of the Year in 1979.
  • The Doobie Brothers - "What a Fool Believes"

    The Doobie Brothers - "What a Fool Believes"

    "What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers won a Grammy for 1979's Song of the Year.
  • Iranian Revolution.

    Iranian Revolution

    Between January 1978 and February 1979, a revolutionary movement formed in Iran. This eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of an Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini.
  • Roller skates.

    Roller skates

    The popularity of roller skates exploded during the second half of the 1970s.
  • Disco music.

    Disco music

    Disco music became mainstream during the latter half of the 1970s. Nightclub-goers often wore extravagant outfits. Furthermore, dances such as the "Hustle", the "Bump" and the "Penguin" also became popular.
  • Hitchhiking is declining.

    Hitchhiking is declining

    Although hitchhiking is still pretty common, it is beginning to decline due to people's falling trust in strangers, lower air travel prices, an increase in highways, and more affordable cars.
  • Wallpaper.

    Wallpaper

    Wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.
  • Office workers are using typewriters.

    Office workers are using typewriters

    Although personal computers began to emerge during the 1970s, typewriters were still the norm for most office workers.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on January 1, 1979.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around January 1, 1979.

  • December 11, 1978: The Lufthansa heist at John F. Kennedy International Airport is carried out by associates of the Lucchese family.
  • December 16, 1978: The City of Cleveland enters into a financial default on federal loans.
  • December 20, 1978: Serial killer John Wayne Gacy confesses his crimes to police.
  • December 22, 1978: American serial killer John Wayne Gacey is arrested and admits to committing 25+ murders.
  • December 27, 1978: The Constitution of Spain is approved in a referendum, officially ending 40 years of military dictatorship.
  • This date: January 1, 1979
  • January 12, 1979: Serial killer Kenneth Bianchi (Hillside Stranglers) is arrested in Washington.
  • January 16, 1979: Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees Iran with his family.
  • January 21, 1979: Super Bowl XIII: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys by 35-31 at the Miami Orange Bowl.
  • January 29, 1979: US President Jimmy Carter commutes the prison sentence of Patty Hearst.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in January 1979

Television shows that people were watching in January 1979:

TV shows from January 1979.

WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
Taxi
Taxi
Dallas
Dallas
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk
The Love Boat
The Love Boat
Chips
Chips
Soap
Soap
Eight Is Enough
Eight Is Enough
Three's Company
Three's Company
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
What's Happening!!
What's Happening!!

Cars in 1979

1979 saw the introduction of cars such as the Chevrolet Citation, the Volkswagen Jetta, the Honda Civic (second generation), the Datsun Bluebird (910), the Vauxhall Astra, and the Dodge St. Regis.

Cars in 1979.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in January 1979

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Mork & Mindy
Mork & Mindy
Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets

The All New Popeye Hour
The All New Popeye Hour
Godzilla
Godzilla
The New Fantastic Four
The New Fantastic Four
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
The All-New Super Friends Hour
The All-New Super Friends Hour
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
Bagpuss
Bagpuss
Happy Days
Happy Days
Toys

Toys in 1979

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids
Speak & Spell
Speak & Spell
Simon (memory game)
Simon (memory game)
Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Water Ring Toss
Water Ring Toss
The Atari 2600
The Atari 2600
Star Wars action figures
Star Wars action figures
Mattel Electronic Football (handheld game)
Mattel Electronic Football (handheld game)
Lego Technic
Lego Technic
Stretch Armstrong
Stretch Armstrong
Micronauts
Micronauts
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in January 1979.

Space Invaders 1978
Space Invaders
Breakout 1976
Breakout
Gun Fight 1975
Gun Fight
Pursuit 1975
Pursuit

Were you born on January 1, 1979?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1979.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out January 1, 1985, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 1.

J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the FBI Deceased
Born on January 1, 1895
He was not alive on this date.

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash

Hip Hop DJ
Born on January 1, 1958
He turned 21 on this day in 1979.

Verne Troyer

Verne Troyer

Actor Deceased
Born on January 1, 1969
He turned 10 on this day in 1979.

Ice Spice

Ice Spice

Rapper
Born on January 1, 2000
She was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on January 1:

USA

US President

Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States on January 1, 1979.

UK

UK Prime Minister

James Callaghan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Jack Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on January 1, 1979 was most likely conceived around April 10, 1978.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 1, 1979 is close to September 24, 1979.

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Stats for January 1, 1979

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 1, 1979:

  • 16,793 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,399 weeks have passed.
  • 1,450,915,200 seconds have passed since January 1, 1979.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,692,734,400 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 748,672,243,200 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 241,819,200 times.
  • You have taken approximately 124,778,707 steps. That's roughly 55,457 miles.
  • 17,410,982 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1979?

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