UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1979 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1979 was a Monday.
- Kent Music Report No. 1
- The Kent Music Report No. 1 was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
- Top Film of 1979
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1979 was Moonraker.
- Best-Selling Vehicle of 1979
- Australia's top-selling new vehicle in 1979 was the Holden Commodore.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1979 fell in the Year of the Goat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1979 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 31 December
- 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.
- 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
- 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
- 1983 Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
- 1983 In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Events of 1979 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1979 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 9 January – Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony signs a pact to allow uranium mining to begin at the Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory.
- 9 February – Associated Securities Limited, Australia's fourth-largest finance company, is placed into receivership.
- 9 March – The Arbitration Commission awards Australian women the right to six weeks' compulsory unpaid maternity leave with the option of extending the leave to one year.
Life in Australia in 1979
Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser
Monarch
Queen Elizabeth II
Petrol (per litre)
$0.13
Loaf of Bread
$0.54
Average House
$40,000
Weekly Wage
$200.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Heath Ledger4 April 1979ActorView their day →Patrick Brammall30 March 1976ActorView their day →Rose Byrne24 July 1979ActressView their day →Isla Fisher3 February 1976Actress & authorView their day →Sam Worthington2 August 1976ActorView their day →Toni Collette1 November 1972Actress & musicianView their day →Joel Edgerton23 June 1974ActorView their day →Natalie Imbruglia4 February 1975Singer & actressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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