The 20 Most Important Parts of 1979
A year that somehow managed coups, crises, and killer music all at once. Governments were falling, tech was emerging, and somehow people still found time to blast Queen on their turntables.
Between revolutions, invasions, and a nuclear scare, humanity teetered on absurdity while fashion and pop culture carried on like nothing was happening. Flared pants, post-punk vibes, and Walkmans became survival gear in a world that made no sense.
Here are the moments, movements, and mayhem that defined the era, events that shaped nations, terrified parents, and proved that the late ’70s were peak absurdity packaged in polyester.
Oil Spike
Iranian production halts, global fuel prices climb sharply.
Queen Hits Gold
Jazz album certified platinum in US, cementing rock royalty status.
SALT II
Carter and Brezhnev sign arms treaty, Senate sits it out.
Rings Found
Voyager 1 spots Jupiter’s hidden rings, expanding our solar map.
Silent Spread
Scientists later suspect HIV begins circulating in US.
Shuttle Assemble
NASA finishes Columbia structure, space program enters a new era.
Alien Arrival
Ridley Scott’s film terrifies and reshapes sci-fi for decades.
Post-Punk Boom
The Police, Joy Division, and Talking Heads define a new sound.
Economic Shift
Deng Xiaoping launches modernization, China takes first steps toward growth.
Papal Visit
John Paul II inspires Polish resistance under Soviet watch.
Year of Kids
UN declares 1979 for children, spotlight on welfare and protection.
Amin Falls
Ugandan dictator overthrown, brutal eight-year reign ends.
Border Clash
China attacks Vietnam briefly after Cambodian invasion, Cold War chess continues.
Walkman Revolution
Sony’s TPS-L2 lets people carry music anywhere, earbuds optional.
Meltdown
Three Mile Island's partial nuclear failure freezes US nuclear expansion.
Iron Lady
Margaret Thatcher becomes UK Prime Minister, privatization follows.
Soviet Entry
USSR marches into Afghanistan, kicking off a decade-long war.
Hostage Standoff
Students held 52 Americans in Tehran for 444 days.
Peace Deal
Egypt and Israel shake hands in Washington, Nobel medals included.
Shah Gone
Iranian monarchy collapses as Ayatollah returns from exile.