At A Glance

3 December 1978 at a glance

Day of the week
3 December 1978 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “You Don't Bring Me Flowers” by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.
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 3 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 3 December 1978 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 3 December 1978 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 3 December

  • 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: Pakistan launches a pre-emptive strike against India and a full-scale war begins.
  • 1973 Pioneer program: Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter.
  • 1979 In Cincinnati, 11 fans are suffocated in a crush for seats on the concourse outside Riverfront Coliseum before a Who concert.
  • 1979 Iranian Revolution: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini becomes the first Supreme Leader of Iran.
  • 1982 A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri, that will be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin.

Famous people born on December 3

  • Jenna Dewan, American actress and dancer (born 1980)
  • Amanda Seyfried, American actress (born 1985)
  • Ozzy Osbourne, English singer-songwriter (1948–2025)
  • Brendan Fraser, American actor and producer (born 1968)

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.
More events of 1978 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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 →