UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
16 August 1979 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 16 August 1979 was a Thursday.
- Irish Chart Song in 1979
- The Irish chart song for 1979 was “The Logical Song” by Supertramp.
- Top Film of 1979
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1979 was Moonraker.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 16 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 16 August 1979 fell in the Year of the Goat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 16 August 1979 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 16 August
- 1964 Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
- 1966 Vietnam War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong. The committee intends to introduce legislation making these activities illegal. Anti-war demonstrators disrupt the meeting and 50 people are arrested.
- 1972 In an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, the Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
- 1975 Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam symbolically hands over land to the Gurindji people after the eight-year Wave Hill walk-off, a landmark event in the history of Indigenous land rights in Australia, commemorated in a 1991 song by Paul Kelly and an annual celebration.
- 1989 A solar particle event affects computers at the Toronto Stock Exchange, forcing a halt to trading.
Famous people born on 16 August
- Madonna, American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and director (born 1958)
- Sophie Cunningham, American basketball player (born 1996)
- Jannik Sinner, Italian tennis player (born 2001)
- James Cameron, Canadian director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1954)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
Events of 1979 in Ireland
A selection from Wikipedia's '1979 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.
- 4 March – Legendary hurler Christy Ring was buried in Cork.
- 31 May – The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, Pádraig Faulkner, launched a second national radio station, RTÉ Radio 2.
- 7 June – The first European Parliament election was held in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Life in Ireland in 1979
Taoiseach
Jack Lynch
Petrol (per litre)
£0.85/gal
Loaf of Bread
£0.25
Average House
£20,000
Weekly Wage
£43
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1970s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Cillian Murphy25 May 1976ActorView their day →Michael Fassbender2 April 1977ActorView their day →Andrew Scott21 October 1976ActorView their day →Colin Farrell31 May 1976ActorView their day →Dolores O'Riordan6 September 1971MusicianView their day →Sharon Horgan13 July 1970Actress & writerView their day →Glen Hansard21 April 1970Musician & songwriterView their day →Jimmy Carr15 September 1972Comedian & humouristView their day →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 →