Major Events of 1979 Oil spills pollute ocean waters in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings. Fall of Phonm Penn and Pol Pot regime. Nicaraguan President flees to Miami, new government formed under Sandanista’s. Earl Mountbatten of Burma and three others killed by blast on fishing boat off Irish coast., two IRA members accused. Shah overthrown in Iranian revolution. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile. US embassy in Iran seized by &suot;students", and embassy staff held hostage. Saddam Hussein becomes President of Iraq. Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain's first woman Prime Minister. Three Mile Island nuclear accident in US. USSR and USA sign the SALT+II treaty, limiting nuclear arms. Soviets forces invade Afghanistan. Voyager I discovers faint ring system around Jupiter. Visicalc, first spreadsheet software introduced. Former US space station, Skylab, re-enters the Earth's atmosphere and debris is scattered in the Indian Ocean and Western Australia. Ugandan dictator, Idi Admin, deposed. Debut of the Garfield comic strip. Muhammad Ali announces his retirement from boxing (although he will later, briefly, return). Sony introduces the Walkman. Sandinista rebels enter Managua, winning the civil war in Nicaragua. In March, Three Mile Island, in Pennsylvania, captures the world's attention. Panama takes over operation of the Panama Canal in October. Inflation troubles much of the world. American drivers line up at gas stations to get gasoline. OPEC raises oil prices by more than 50%. The price reaches $28 per barrel by December. Also in December, Congress rescues one of the United States oldest automobile companies from bankruptcy with The Chrysler Loan Guarantee Bill. • Pittsburgh beats Dallas 35 to 31 in Miami, Florida on January 21 in Super Bowl XIII. • The peace treaty signed by Egypt’s President Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Begin at Washington March 26 ends a state of war that has existed for nearly 31 years. • On March 28 there is an accident at Unit II of the Three Mile Island nuclear generating station near Harrisburg, Pa. 144,000 people are evacuated. • After many years in Soviet labor camps Human Rights Activists Aleksandr Ginzburg , Mark Dymshitz, Eduard S. Kuzentsov, Valentyn Moroz, and the Rev. George Gins are released by the Soviet son April 27. • The U.S. Department of Education is established by Congress on May 4. • Björn Borg wins in men’s singles at Wimbledon, Martina Navratilova in women’s singles; John McEnroe, 20, wins in men’s singles at Forest Hills, Tracy Ann Austin, 16, in women’s singles. • Billie Jean_King recorded her 20th Wimbledon Championship title on July 7. • John Wayne dies of lung and stomach cancer at Los Angeles, June 11, at age 72. • On July 12, Mafia boss Carmine Galante is gunned down while having lunch in Brooklyn, N.Y. • On October 17 the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1979 World Series, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 3. • Boston’s John F. Kennedy Library Library designed by Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei is dedicated by President Jimmy Carter on October 20 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. • Iranian militants, demanding the Shah be returned for trial, take more than 100 U.S. citizens hostage on November 4, as they seize the US embassy in Tehran, Iran. It will be more than a year before the hostages are released. • Eleven concertgoers are crushed to death December 3 in a stampede for seats to a concert by The Who at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum, casting a pall over the $2-billion-per-year rock concert business. • Mother Teresa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. • Knots Landing debuted on December 27 on CBS with Donna Mills, Ted Shackelford. • 40 story Xerox Center opens in Chicago, Illinois. Architect Helmut Jahn, has created a new vision for office buildings. • The Walkman Cassette Player introduced by Sony Corp. is a $200 pocket stereo with two pairs of earphones, making it possible to hear high-fidelity sound in any location without disturbing one’s neighbors. • The Moral_Majority is founded by Lynchburg, Va., evangelist Jerry_Falwell • Spectacular Bid wins the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, Coastal the Preakness. • NBA adopted the three point shot. • The Executioner's Song by Norman • Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz premiers with Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ben Vereen; Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia with Phil Daniels, Mark Wingett, Sting. 52nd Annual Academy Awards Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer Best Actress: Sally Field in Norma Rae Best Picture: Patton Emmy Awards Best Comedy: Taxi (ABC) Best Drama: Lou Grant (CBS) 22nd Annual Grammy Awards Record of the Year: What a Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers Album of the Year: 52nd Street, Billy Joel Song of the Year: What a Fool Believes, Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald Best New Artist: Rickie Lee Jones Billboard magazine Hot 100 number one hits of 1979. January 6 Too Much Heaven Bee Gees January 13 Too Much Heaven Bee Gees January 20 Le Freak CHIC January 27 Le Freak CHIC February 3 Le Freak CHIC February 10 Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? Rod Stewart February 17Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? Rod Stewart February 24Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?Rod Stewart March 3 Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? Rod Stewart March 10 I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor March 17 I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor March 24 Tragedy Bee Gees March 31 Tragedy Bee Gees April 7I Will Survive Gloria Gaynor April 14 What a Fool Believes The Doobie Brothers April 21 Knock on Wood Amii Stewart April 28 Heart of Glass Blondie May 5 Reunited Peaches & Herb May 12 Reunited Peaches & Herb May 19 Reunited Peaches & Herb May 26 Reunited Peaches & Herb June 2 Hot Stuff Donna Summer June 9 Love You Inside Out Bee Gees June 16 Hot Stuff Donna Summer June 23 Hot Stuff Donna Summer June 30 Ring My Bell Anita Ward July 7 Ring My Bell Anita Ward July 14 Bad Girls Donna Summer July 21 Bad Girls Donna Summer July 28 Bad Girls Donna Summer August 4 Bad Girls Donna Summer August 11 Bad Girls Donna Summer August 18 Good Times CHIC August 25 My Sharona The Knack September 1 My Sharona The Knack September 8 My Sharona The Knack September 15 My Sharona The Knack September 22 My Sharona The Knack September 29 My Sharona The Knack October 6 Sad Eyes Robert John October 13 Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson October 20 Rise Herb Alpert October 27 Rise Herb Alpert November 3Pop Muzik M November 10 Heartache Tonight Eagles November 17 Still The Commodores November 24 No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer December 1 No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer December 8 Babe Styx December 15 Babe Styx December 22 Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Rupert Holmes December 29 Escape (The Pina Colada Song) Rupert Holmes Top 100 Hits of 1979 / Top 100 Songs of 1979 1. My Sharona, The Knack 2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer 3. Le Freak, Chic 4. Da Ya Think I'm Sexy, Rod Stewart 5. Reunited, Peaches and Herb 6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor 7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer 8. Y.M.C.A., Village People 9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward 10. Sad Eyes, Robert John 11. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees 12. MacArthur Park, Donna Summer 13. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, Dr. Hook 14. Makin' It, David Naughton 15. Fire, Pointer Sisters 16. Tragedy, Bee Gees 17. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John 18. Heart Of Glass, Blondie 19. What A Fool Believes, Doobie Brothers 20. Good Times, Chic 21. You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond 22. Knock On Wood, Amii Stewart 23. Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman 24. Lead Me On, Maxine Nightingale 25. Shake Your Body, Jacksons 26. Don't Cry Out Loud, Melissa Manchester 27. The Logical Song, Supertramp 28. My Life, Billy Joel 29. Just When I Needed You Most, Randy Vanwarmer 30. You Can't Change That, Raydio 31. Shake Your Groove Thing, Peaches and Herb 32. I'll Never Love This Way Again, Dionne Warwick 33. Love You Inside Out, Bee Gees 34. I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick 35. The Main Event (Fight), Barbra Streisand 36. Mama Can't Buy You Love, Elton John 37. I Was Made For Dancin', Leif Garrett 38. After The Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind and Fire 39. Heaven Knows, Donna Summer and Brooklyn Dreams 40. The Gambler, Kenny Rogers 41. Lotta Love, Nicolette Larson 42. Lady, Little River Band 43. Heaven Must Have Sent You, Bonnie Pointer 44. Hold The Line, Toto 45. He's The Greatest Dancer, Sister Sledge 46. Sharing The Night Together, Dr. Hook 47. She Believes In Me, Kenny Rogers 48. In The Navy, Village People 49. Music Box Dancer, Frank Mills 50. The Devil Went Down To Georgia, Charlie Daniels Band 51. Gold, John Stewart 52. Goodnight Tonight, Wings 53. We Are Family, Sister Sledge 54. Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy, Bad Company 55. Every 1's A Winner, Hot Chocolate 56. Take Me Home, Cher 57. Boogie Wonderland, Earth, Wind and Fire 58. (Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away, Andy Gibb 59. What You Won't Do For Love, Bobby Caldwell 60. New York Groove, Ace Frehley 61. Sultans Of Swing, Dire Straits 62. I Want Your Love, Chic 63. Chuck E's In Love, Rickie Lee Jones 64. I Love The Night Life, Alicia Bridges 65. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, McFadden and Whitehead 66. Lonesome Loser, Little River Band 67. Renegade, Styx 68. Love Is The Answer, England Dan and John Ford Coley 69. Got To Be Real, Cheryl Lynn 70. Born To Be Alive, Patrick Hernandez 71. Shine A Little Love, Electric Light Orchestra 72. I Just Fall In Love Again, Anne Murray 73. Shake It, Ian Matthews 74. I Was Made For Lovin' You, Kiss 75. I Just Wanna Stop, Gino Vannelli 76. Disco Nights, G.Q. 77. Ooh Baby Baby, Linda Ronstadt 78. September, Earth, Wind and Fire 79. Time Passages, Al Stewart 80. Rise, Herb Alpert 81. Don't Bring Me Down, Electric Light Orchestra 82. Promises, Eric Clapton 83. Get Used To It, Roger Voudouris 84. How Much I Feel, Ambrosia 85. Suspicions, Eddie Rabbitt 86. You Take My Breath Away, Rex Smith 87. How You Gonna See Me Now, Alice Cooper 88. Double Vision, Foreigner 89. Every Time I Think Of You, Babys 90. I Got My Mind Made Up, Instant Funk 91. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson 92. Bad Case Of Lovin' You, Robert Palmer 93. Somewhere In The Night, Barry Manilow 94. We've Got Tonite, Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band 95. Dance The Night Away, Van Halen 96. Dancing Shoes, Nigel Olsson 97. The Boss, Diana Ross 98. Sail On, Commodores 99. I Do Love You, G.Q. 100. Strange Way, Firefall