At A Glance

2 October 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
2 October 1978 was a Monday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Kiss You All Over” by Exile.
Top Film of 1978
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1978 was Grease.
Bestselling Novel of 1978
“Chesapeake” by James A. Michener was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1978.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Laverne & Shirley” (ABC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1978–79 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 October 1978 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 October 1978 was New Moon.

On this day: 2 October

  • 1967 Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court.
  • 1968 Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz orders soldiers to suppress a demonstration of unarmed students, ten days before the start of the 1968 Summer Olympics.
  • 1971 South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu is re-elected in a one-man election.
  • 1980 Michael Myers becomes the first member of either chamber of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War.
  • 1996 The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments are signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Famous people born on October 2

  • Mahatma Gandhi, Indian freedom fighter, activist and philosopher (1869–1948)
  • Sting, English singer-songwriter and actor (born 1951)
  • Freddie Jackson, American soul singer (1956–2026)
  • Richard III of England (1452–1485)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1978 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1978 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 6 – The first Home Depot opens in Marietta, Georgia.
  • April 2 – The CBS soap opera Dallas is launched. It is set to be aired later this year in several countries, including the United Kingdom by the BBC.
  • April 3 – The 50th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Bob Hope for the final time, is held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Woody Allen's Annie Hall wins Best Picture, with Allen winning Best Director.

Life in the US in 1978

President

Jimmy Carter

Gas (per gallon)

$0.63

Loaf of Bread

$0.39

Average House

$55,700

Weekly Wage

$234

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 →