At A Glance

26 May 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
26 May 1978 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Rivers of Babylon / Brown Girl in the Ring” by Boney M..
Top Film of 1978
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1978 was Grease.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 May 1978 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 May 1978 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 26 May

  • 1970 The Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 becomes the first commercial transport to exceed Mach 2.
  • 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army slaughters at least 71 Hindus in Burunga, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
  • 1972 Cold War: The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
  • 1981 Italian Prime Minister Arnaldo Forlani and his coalition cabinet resign following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2 (Propaganda Due).
  • 1986 The European Community adopts the European flag.

Famous people born on 26 May

  • Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter (born 1948)
  • Helena Bonham Carter, English actress (born 1966)
  • John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (1907–1979)
  • Lenny Kravitz, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor (born 1964)

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 →