July 16th, 1979.

On this day.

What happened on July 16th, 1979?

• Saddam Hussein becomes the president of Iraq.

Music charts.

Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on July 16th, 1979.

• United States: Bad Girls - Donna Summer
• United Kingdom: Are Friends Electric - Tubeway Army

Take me back to July 16th, 1979!

Let's take a stroll down memory lane!

The date is July 16th, 1979 and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Cancer. It's summer, so the temperatures are warmer and the evenings are longer than usual.

In America, the song Bad Girls by Donna Summer is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Are Friends Electric by Tubeway Army is the number one hit song. Jimmy Carter is currently the President of the United States and the movie Moonraker is at the top of the Box Office.

In the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher is the current Prime Minister. 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 Alfred Hitchcock, Ian Curtis, Steve McQueen and John Lennon would all be still alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "Happy Days", "Charlie's Angels", "Chips" and "The Dukes of Hazzard". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Gun Fight", "Breakout" and "Space Invaders".

Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", "Sesame Street" and "Diff'rent Strokes". Popular toys at the moment include the likes of Lite-Brite, Dungeons & Dragons, Stretch Armstrong and Lego Technic.

News topics, fads & culture.

Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent at this time. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on July 16th, 1979.

• 

  Chuck Berry receives prison time.

  On July 10th, 1979, singer Chuck Berry received a four month prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

• 

  The trial of Ted Bundy is taking place.

  During this time, the trial of American serial killer Ted Bundy was taking place in Miami, Florida.

• 

  Rocky II is showing at movie theaters.

  In June and July of 1979, the long-awaited sequel to the boxing film "Rocky" was showing at movie theaters. The movie focused on a rematch between Rocky and the heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.

• 

  The Walkman.

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

• 

  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.

• 

  Who were the best football players in 1979?

  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.

• 

  Kramer vs. Kramer.

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

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Ruhollah Khomeini.

  The leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1979.

• 

  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.

• 

  Roller skates.

  The popularity of roller skates exploded during the later half of the 1970s.

• 

  Disco music.

  In the second half of the 1970s, disco music became mainstream. During this period, nightclub-goers often wore extravagant outfits. Furthermore, dances such as the "Hustle", the "Bump" and the "Penguin" also became popular.

Basic facts.

Basic facts and information about this date.

• 42 years, 2 months and 4 days have passed since July 16th, 1979.
• Week Number: This date occurred during Week 29 of 1979.
• Leap Year: 1979 was NOT a leap year.
• Age: Anyone born on July 16th, 1979, will be 42 years of age.
• Generation: People born in 1979 belong to the Generation X generation.
• Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 300927600.

Around this time.

Notable events that occurred around July 16th, 1979.

• June 20th, 1979: ABC TV news correspondent Bill Stewart and his interpreter Juan Espinosa are killed by a Nicaraguan National Guard soldier.
• June 22nd, 1979: UK politics: Former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe is found not guilty of attempting kill male model Norman Scott.
• June 26th, 1979: The James Bond film Moonraker (1979) is released in cinemas.
• July 1st, 1979: The Walkman cassette player is released.
• July 10th, 1979: Chuck Berry is sentenced to four months in prison for tax evasion.
• July 12th, 1979: 72 peope die after a fire breaks out at a hotel in Zaragoza, Spain.
• July 12th, 1979: Disco Demolition Night: The Chicago White Sox's "anti-disco" promotion ends in a riot.
• July 12th, 1979: American mob boss Carmine Galante is shot dead at an Italian restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
• This date: July 16th, 1979
• July 19th, 1979: A massive oil spill occurs after the SS Atlantic Empress collides with another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.
• July 24th, 1979: Ted Bundy is found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
• July 27th, 1979: The Amityville Horror (1979) is released in movie theaters.
• August 15th, 1979: The film Apocalypse Now (1979) is released.
• August 15th, 1979: Led Zeppelin release their final studio album "In Through the Out Door".

Personality traits.

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on this date.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Horoscope, birthstone & birth flower information.

Zodiac & Birthstone information.

NEW! Check out our personality summary image for this birth date.

• Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on July 16th, 1979, will have the star sign Cancer.
• However, if you are going by the new star sign system that was discovered in 2020, then the sign for this date is actually Gemini.
• Zodiac Element: Water.
• Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1979 was the year of the Goat (Yin Metal).
• The Life Path Number for this date is 22.
• Native American Zodiac: July 16th, 1979 falls under the Woodpecker.
• Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of July will have the birthstone Ruby.
• Birth flower (July): The Larkspur and the Water Lily.

Photos of 1970s fashion.

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

TV shows.

Television shows that people were watching on this date.

• The Dukes of Hazzard - American television series.
• Mork & Mindy - Comedy TV show about an alien called Mork. Starring Robin Williams.
• Taxi - American sitcom starring Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito.
• Dallas - Soap opera.
• The Incredible Hulk - Starring Lou Ferrigno.
• The Love Boat - Television series that was set on a cruise ship. Starring Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill Stubing.
• Chips - TV show about two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers called Jon Baker and Frank "Ponch" Poncherello.
• Soap - Comedy series / satire about soap operas. Starring Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas.
• Three's Company - Sitcom about two girls and their male room mate.
• Eight Is Enough - Television series about the "Bradford brood" and their father.
• Quincy, M.E. - TV show about a Los Angeles County medical examiner called Dr. Quincy.
• Charlie's Angels - TV show about three female police academy-trained private detectives.
• The Muppet Show - American TV show that included characters such as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
• Laverne & Shirley - Series about two roommates called Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney.
• Wonder Woman - TV show about a superhero called Diana Prince.
• Fawlty Towers - British sitcom about a hotel owner called Basil Fawlty.
• Welcome Back, Kotter - Gabe Kotter returns to his old school as a teacher, where he's put in charge of "the Sweathogs".
• The Jeffersons - TV show about an African- American couple that have moved into an upscale high-rise building.
• The Rockford Files - TV show about a Private Detective that was previously jailed for a crime that he didn't commit.
• Little House on the Prairie - TV show that was set in the 1870s.

Kid's TV shows on July 16th, 1979.

Children's cartoons and Teen TV shows that were being aired on this date in 1979.

• Diff'rent Strokes
• Mork & Mindy
• Battle of the Planets
• The Muppet Show
• Happy Days
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
• Sesame Street
• The Pink Panther Show
• Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
• The Bugs Bunny Show
• Captain Kangaroo

Popular toys and games in 1979.

Toys and games that were popular on this date in 1979.

• Cabbage Patch Kids
• Speak & Spell
• Simon (memory game)
• Shogun Warriors
• Water Ring Toss
• Hungry Hungry Hippos
• The Atari 2600
• Star Wars action figures
• Lego Technic
• Mattel Electronic Football (handheld game)
• Micronauts
• Stretch Armstrong
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Connect Four
• Magna Doodle
• Big Jim (action figure)
• VertiBird (toy helicopter)
• Battleship (game)
• Lite-Brite
• The Easy-Bake Oven

Video games.

Popular video games that people were playing on this date.

• Space Invaders - Shooter arcade game.
• Breakout - Arcade game published by Atari.
• Gun Fight - Wild West themed arcade shooter game.

Were you born on this date?

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 from their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then check out July 16th, 1985 instead.

Conception dates.

Conception estimates for this date.

Warning! These conception dates are based on broad estimates.

• A baby that was born on July 16th, 1979 was most likely conceived around the 6th of October, 1978.
• The due date for a baby that was conceived on July 16th, 1979 is close to the 24th of April, 1980.

How old was I?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on July 16th, 1979.

Time difference & statistics.

Here are some fun statistics about July 16th, 1979.

• A total of 15,407 days have passed since this date.
• 2,201 weeks have passed.
• 1,331,164,800 seconds have passed since the July 16th, 1979.
• If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,553,025,600 times.
• Since July 16th, 1979, the earth has travelled approximately 686,881,036,800 miles through space.
• If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 221,860,800 times.
• If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 114,480,173 steps. That's about 50,880 miles!
• Since this date, 15,973,978 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!

Random dates.

Feeling lucky? Take a look at the list of random dates below.

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