At A Glance

14 October 1979 at a glance

Day of the week
14 October 1979 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson.
Top Film of 1979
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1979 was Moonraker.
Bestselling Novel of 1979
“The Matarese Circle” by Robert Ludlum was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1979.
Top-Rated TV Show
“60 Minutes” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1979–80 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 14 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 14 October 1979 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 14 October 1979 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 14 October

  • 1968 Apollo program: The first live television broadcast by American astronauts in orbit is performed by the Apollo 7 crew.
  • 1968 The 6.5 Mw Meckering earthquake shakes the southwest portion of Western Australia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing $2.2 million in damage and leaving 20–28 people injured.
  • 1979 The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights draws approximately 100,000 people.
  • 1980 The 6th Congress of the Workers' Party ended, having anointed North Korean President Kim Il Sung's son Kim Jong Il as his successor.
  • 1982 U.S. President Ronald Reagan proclaims a war on drugs.

Famous people born on October 14

  • Charlie Kirk, American media personality and political activist (1993–2025)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower, American general and politician, 34th President of the United States (1890–1969)
  • James II of England (1633–1701)
  • Roger Moore, English actor and producer (1927–2017)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1979 in the United States

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

  • February 20 – This Old House premieres on PBS.
  • March 29 – America's most serious nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.
  • April 1 – Nickelodeon debuts on cable television, playing children's television shows 24 hours a day. Pinwheel, which first premiered on the channel C-3 in 1977, was one of the first shows to be broadcast on the channel.

Life in the US in 1979

President

Jimmy Carter

Gas (per gallon)

$0.86

Loaf of Bread

$0.43

Average House

$62,900

Weekly Wage

$250

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 →