At A Glance

24 December 1976 at a glance

Day of the week
24 December 1976 was a Friday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart.
Top Film of 1976
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1976 was Rocky.
Bestselling Novel of 1976
“Trinity” by Leon Uris was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1976.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Happy Days” (ABC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1976–77 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1976 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 December 1976 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 24 December

  • 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
  • 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
  • 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
  • 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
  • 1979 The first Ariane 1 rocket is launched from ELA-1 at the Guiana Space Centre.

Famous people born on December 24

  • Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
  • Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
  • Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
  • Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1976 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1976 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 17 – The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) compilation is released. Globally, it will become probably the second best-selling album of all time, followed by the same band's Hotel California, released on December 8.
  • March 27 – The first 4.6 miles of the Washington Metro subway system opens.
  • April 1 – Apple Computer Company is formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in California.
More events of 1976 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1976

President

Gerald Ford

Gas (per gallon)

$0.59

Loaf of Bread

$0.36

Average House

$43,200

Weekly Wage

$203

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.

Keri Russell23 March 1976ActressView their day →Tupac Shakur16 June 1971Rapper & actorView their day →Zoe Saldaña19 June 1978ActressView their day →Christopher Nolan30 July 1970FilmmakerView their day →Jon Bernthal20 September 1976ActorView their day →Jason Sudeikis18 September 1975Actor & comedianView their day →Milo Ventimiglia8 July 1977ActorView their day →Sarah Paulson17 December 1974ActressView 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 →