At A Glance

31 December 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1978 was a Sunday.
Irish Chart Song in 1978
The Irish chart song for 1978 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 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1978 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1978 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.
  • 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
  • 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.
  • 1983 Benjamin Ward is appointed New York City Police Department's first ever African American police commissioner.
  • 1983 In Nigeria, a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1978 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1978 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 18 January – The European Court of Human Rights found Britain guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment of republican internees in Northern Ireland.
  • 19 January – The Fianna Fáil government dismissed the Garda Commissioner Edmund Garvey. No explanation was given.
  • 31 March – Six thousand people marched through Dublin to Wood Quay to protest against the building of civic offices above an ancient Viking settlement.
More events of 1978 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Ireland in 1978

Taoiseach

Jack Lynch

Petrol (per litre)

£0.68/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.21

Average House

£17,000

Weekly Wage

£37

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

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 →