At A Glance

5 January 1979 at a glance

Day of the week
5 January 1979 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People.
Top Film of 1979
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1979 was Moonraker.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1979 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 January 1979 was First Quarter.

On this day: 5 January

  • 1968 Alexander Dubček comes to power in Czechoslovakia, effectively beginning the "Prague Spring".
  • 1969 The Venera 5 space probe is launched at 06:28:08 UTC from Baikonur.
  • 1972 US President Richard Nixon announces the Space Shuttle program.
  • 1976 The Khmer Rouge announce that the new Constitution of Democratic Kampuchea is ratified.
  • 1991 Georgian forces enter Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, Georgia, opening the 1991–92 South Ossetia War.

Famous people born on 5 January

  • Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
  • Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
  • Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
  • Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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.
More events of 1979 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s

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

Matthew Rhys8 November 1974ActorView their day →Hannah Waddingham28 July 1974ActressView their day →Andy Burnham7 January 1970PoliticianView their day →Christopher Nolan30 July 1970FilmmakerView their day →Lucy Davis17 February 1973ActressView their day →Tom Hardy15 September 1977ActorView their day →Christian Bale30 January 1974ActorView their day →Kelly Macdonald23 February 1976ActressView their day →

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

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