December 24th, 1979
December 24th, 1979, fell on a Monday. It was day 358 of 1979. The decade was the 1970s.
41 years, 3 months and 26 days have passed since December 24th, 1979.
On This Date
Events that occurred on December 24th, 1979:
- The Soviet war in Afghanistan begins.
Music Singles
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on December 24th, 1979:
- United States: Escape - Rupert Holmes
- United Kingdom: Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
Take Me Back!
The date is December 24th, 1979 and it's a Monday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's Christmas Eve of 1979. The big day is fast approaching and the excitement is building. Department stores are thronged with people who are trying to do some last-minute shopping.
In America, the song Escape by Rupert Holmes is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd is the number one hit song. Jimmy Carter is currently the President of the United States and Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
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. The movie "Kramer vs. Kramer" is being shown in movie theaters.
On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "The Jeffersons", "Laverne & Shirley", "Eight Is Enough" and "The Dukes of Hazzard". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Gun Fight", "Space Invaders", "Lunar Lander" and "Asteroids". Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "Captain Kangaroo", "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", "The Muppet Show" and "Battle of the Planets".
If you're a kid or a teenager, then you're probably playing with toys such as "VertiBird (toy helicopter)", "Connect Four", "Micronauts" and "Star Wars action figures".
News Topics, Fads & Culture
Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on December 24th, 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.
Ruhollah Khomeini.
The leader of the Iranian Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini, was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1979.
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.
The Doobie Brothers - "What a Fool Believes"
"What a Fool Believes" by The Doobie Brothers would go on to win a Grammy for 1979's Song of the Year.
Kramer vs. Kramer
"Kramer vs. Kramer" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1979.
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.
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.
The Atlanta murders of 1979 - 1981.
During this time, the Atlanta murders of 1979 - 1981 were taking place. At least 28 children and young adults are murdered before Wayne Williams is eventually caught and convicted of murder.
Iran hostage crisis.
The Iran hostage crisis was ongoing during this period. Between the 4th of November, 1979 and the 20th of January, 1981, 52 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage in Iran. The hostages were taken into captivity after a group of Iranian college students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
Basic Facts
Basic facts and information about this date:
- 41 years, 3 months and 26 days have passed since December 24th, 1979.
- Week Number: This date occurred during Week 52 of 1979.
- Leap Year: 1979 was NOT a leap year.
- Age: Anyone born on December 24th, 1979, will be 41 years of age.
- People born in 1979 belong to the Generation X generation.
- Unix Timestamp: The Unix Timestamp for this date is 314841600.
Around This Time...
Notable events that occurred around December 24th, 1979:
- November 30th, 1979: The Pink Floyd album "The Wall" is released.
- December 3rd, 1979: 11 fans are killed in a crush before a Who concert in Cincinnati.
- December 5th, 1979: Jack Lynch resigns as Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland.
- December 7th, 1979: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) is released in cinemas.
- December 7th, 1979: English rock band Led Zeppelin release their final single "Fool in the Rain".
- December 9th, 1979: Smallpox is officially eradicated.
- December 11th, 1979: Charles Haughey becomes the new Taoiseach of Ireland.
- December 14th, 1979: The Jerk (1979), starring Steve Martin, is released in cinemas.
- December 14th, 1979: The Clash release their album "London Calling".
- December 16th, 1979: O.J. Simpson plays his final NFL game.
- December 19th, 1979: The movie Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) is released in cinemas.
- December 21st, 1979: A black insurance salesman called Arthur McDuffie dies after being beaten by four police officers following a traffic stop in Miami.
- December 23rd, 1979: Soviet forces occupy Kabul in Afghanistan.
- This date: December 24th, 1979
- December 27th, 1979: The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.
- January 3rd, 1980: Animal rights activist Joy Adamson is murdered in Kenya.
- January 20th, 1980: Super Bowl XIV: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the Los Angeles Rams by 31-19 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
- January 21st, 1980: 128 people are killed when Iran Air Flight 291 crashes in the Alborz Mountains.
Horoscopes & Birthstone Information
Zodiac & Birthstone information:
- Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 24th, 1979, will have the star sign Capricorn.
- However, if you are going by the new star sign system (2020), then the sign for this date is actually Sagittarius.
- Zodiac Element: Earth.
- Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1979 was the year of the Goat (Yin Metal).
- Native American Zodiac: December 24th, 1979 falls under the Goose.
- Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.
Television Shows
TV shows that people would have been watching around this time.
- Trapper John, M.D. - Medical drama.
- Archie Bunker's Place - Sitcom starring Carroll O'Connor.
- Hart to Hart - TV show about a couple who moonlight as detectives.
- 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.
1979 - Kid's TV
Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing 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
1979 - Toys & Games
Toys and games that would have been popular on this date in 1979:
- Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
- Cabbage Patch Kids
- Speak & Spell
- Simon (memory game)
- Shogun Warriors
- Water Ring Toss
- Hungry Hungry Hippos
- 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
Video Games
Popular video games that you might have been playing around this time.
- Asteroids - Space-themed shooter arcade game.
- Lunar Lander - In which the player controls a lunar landing module.
- Space Invaders - Shooter arcade game.
- Breakout - Arcade game published by Atari.
- Gun Fight - Wild West themed arcade shooter game.
Celebrity Birthdays
Celebrities, historical figures and noteable people who were born on the 24th of December:
- December 24th, 1167: King John: King of England.
- December 24th, 1971: Ricky Martin: Singer.
- December 24th, 1974: Ryan Seacrest: Radio personality.
Holidays
National holidays and famous events that fall on the 24th of December:
- Christmas Eve
US President
Who was the US President on December 24th, 1979?
- Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States.
UK Prime Minister
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on December 24th, 1979?
- Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Irish Taoiseach
Who was the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland on this date?
- Charles Haughey was the Taoiseach of Ireland.
Conception Dates
Interesting facts about conception dates.
- A baby that was born on December 24th, 1979 was probably conceived around the 16th of March, 1979. (Rough Estimate).
- The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 24th, 1979 is the 2nd of October, 1980. (Rough Estimate).
How old was I?
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on December 24th, 1979.
Videos
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to December 24th, 1979. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.
Time Difference & Statistics
Here are some fun statistics about December 24th, 1979.
- 15,093 days have passed since this date.
- 1,304,031,600 seconds have passed since the December 24th, 1979.
- If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 1,521,370,200 times.
- Since December 24th, 1979, earth has travelled approximately 672,880,305,600 miles through space.
- If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 217,338,600 times.
- If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 112,146,718 steps. That's about 49,843 miles!
- Since this date, 15,648,379 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!
Random Dates
A list of random dates that you might be interested in:
- 16th of July, 1978
- 11th of November, 2014
- 1st of February, 2009
- 14th of June, 2017
- 16th of February, 2014
23rd of December, 1979
25th of December, 1979