At A Glance

5 February 1979 at a glance

Day of the week
5 February 1979 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Heart of Glass” by Blondie.
Top Film of 1979
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1979 was Moonraker.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 February 1979 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 February 1979 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 5 February

  • 1967 Cultural Revolution: The Shanghai People's Commune is formally proclaimed, with Yao Wenyuan and Zhang Chunqiao being appointed as its leaders.
  • 1971 Astronauts land on the Moon in the Apollo 14 mission.
  • 1981 Operation Soap: The Metropolitan Toronto Police Force raids four gay bathhouses in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, arresting just under 300, triggering mass protest and rallies.
  • 1985 Ugo Vetere, then the mayor of Rome, and Chedli Klibi, then the mayor of Carthage, meet in Tunis to sign a treaty of friendship officially ending the Third Punic War which lasted 2,131 years.
  • 1988 Manuel Noriega is indicted on drug smuggling and money laundering charges.

Famous people born on 5 February

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer (born 1985)
  • Michael Sheen, Welsh actor and director (born 1969)
  • Neymar, Brazilian footballer (born 1992)
  • Laura Linney, American actress (born 1964)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1979 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1979 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 22 February – Saint Lucia becomes independent of the United Kingdom.
  • 3 May – 1979 general election.
  • 7 June – European Parliament election, the first direct election to the European Parliament; the turnout in Britain is low at 32%. The Conservatives have the most MEPs at 60, while Labour only have 17.

Life in 1979

Prime Minister

James Callaghan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

38p

Loaf of Bread

27p

Average House

£19,925

Weekly Wage

£101.00

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 →