At A Glance

8 March 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
8 March 1978 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush.
Top Film of 1978
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1978 was Grease.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 March 1978 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 March 1978 was New Moon.

On this day: 8 March

  • 1963 The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état.
  • 1965 Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang.
  • 1979 Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time.
  • 1979 Images taken by Voyager 1 prove the existence of volcanoes on Io, a moon of Jupiter.
  • 1983 Cold War: While addressing a convention of Evangelicals, U.S. President Ronald Reagan labels the Soviet Union an "evil empire".

Famous people born on 8 March

  • Benny Blanco, American record producer (born 1988)
  • James Van Der Beek, American actor (1977–2026)
  • Aidan Quinn, American actor (born 1959)
  • Kit Connor, English actor (born 2004)

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 →