1979: what happened around the world

In 1979, 179 events recorded on Erask's globe began — Soviet-Afghan War, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and Sino-Vietnamese War among the best known. 84 more were already under way, such as Iranian Revolution and Lebanese Civil War. 109 things were founded or built that year, from Iran and Kiribati.

179events began
84already under way
109founded or built
See 1979 on the globe →

Revolts, massacres and attacks54

+14 less-known, on the globe.

Wars, battles and sieges50

+10 less-known, on the globe.

Accidents and fires50

+10 less-known, on the globe.

Disasters15

Treaties, councils and politics8

Expeditions2

Already under way in 197984

Came to an end in 19798

Founded or built in 1979109

+79 more, on the globe.

Stories that pass through 1979

Volcanic EruptionsEvery significant eruption on record since 1500 How America Filled UpEvery American city of 60,000 people, in the year it began Women's SuffrageA map filling in, one country at a time, 1893-2012 DecolonisationHow a third of the world stopped belonging to somebody else, 1945–1990 Nuclear detonationsEvery recorded nuclear test, 1945–1998

Nearby years

1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 All of the 20th century →

Every entry comes from Wikidata and links to its Wikipedia article; entries are ordered by how many language editions of Wikipedia cover them. Only things with a date are listed, and dates before the modern era are often approximate. How this is made →