At A Glance

17 December 1976 at a glance

Day of the week
17 December 1976 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Under the Moon of Love” by Showaddywaddy.
Top Film of 1976
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1976 was Rocky.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1976 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 December 1976 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 17 December

  • 1957 The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  • 1960 Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
  • 1969 Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.
  • 1989 Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
  • 2002 Second Congo War: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years.

Famous people born on 17 December

  • Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
  • Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
  • Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
  • Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1976 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1976 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 21 January – The first commercial Concorde flight takes off from Heathrow Airport for Bahrain.
  • 26 March – Anita Roddick opens the first branch of The Body Shop, the retail chain for skin care products and cosmetics, in Brighton.
  • 1 April – Punk rock band Buzzcocks play their first gig, in Bolton.

Life in 1976

Prime Minister

James Callaghan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

30p

Loaf of Bread

20p

Average House

£12,704

Weekly Wage

£72.00

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1970s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →