At A Glance

19 January 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
19 January 1978 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Mull of Kintyre / Girls' School” by Wings.
Top Film of 1978
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1978 was Grease.
Star sign
The star sign for 19 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 19 January 1978 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 19 January 1978 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 19 January

  • 1966 Indira Gandhi becomes India's first female prime minister.
  • 1977 President Gerald Ford pardons Iva Toguri D'Aquino (a.k.a. "Tokyo Rose").
  • 1978 The last Volkswagen Beetle made in Germany leaves VW's plant in Emden. Beetle production in Latin America continues until 2003.
  • 1990 Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir due to an insurgency.
  • 1991 Gulf War: Iraq fires a second Scud missile into Israel, causing 15 injuries.

Famous people born on 19 January

  • Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter and actress (1946–2026)
  • Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer (1944–2026)
  • Mac Miller, American rapper (1992–2018)
  • Edgar Allan Poe, American short story writer, poet, and critic (1809–1849)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1978 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1978 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 11 January – A North Sea storm surge ruins four piers in the UK: Herne Bay, Margate, Hunstanton and Skegness.
  • 9 February – Gordon McQueen, 25-year-old Scotland central defender, becomes Britain's first £500,000 footballer in a transfer from Leeds United to Manchester United.
  • 8 March – The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy first broadcast by BBC Radio 4.

Life in 1978

Prime Minister

James Callaghan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

34p

Loaf of Bread

24p

Average House

£15,590

Weekly Wage

£88.00

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 →