- July 14
- In Indonesia, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurs. Death toll approximately 563, and causes considerable damage on the island of Bali. [53]
- The House of Commons in Canada votes to abolish capital punishment. [878.10]
- July 20
- US Viking 1 lands on Mars at Chryse Planitia, first Martian landing. [1] [5]
- July 21
- First outbreak of "Legionnaire's Disease" kills 29 in Philadelphia. [1]
- Christopher Ewart-Biggs, British ambassador to Ireland, is assassinated. [1]
- July 27
- Ray Brennan becomes first to die of "Legionnaire's Disease". [1]
- In Tangshan, China, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs. Official casualty figure is 255,000 deaths. Estimated death toll as high as 655,000. 799,000 injured and extensive damage in the Tang-Shan area. This is the second greatest earthquake in recorded history. [1] [53]
- July 31
- NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo taken by Viking 1. [5]
- August 1
- Trinidad and Tobago becomes an independent republic. [285.584]
- August 7
- Scientists in Pasadena, California, announce Viking 1 found strongest indications to date of possible life on Mars. [1]
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- August 9
- USSR launches Luna 24, to the Moon. [1]
- August 16
- In Mindanao, Philippines, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurs. A tsunami generated in the Moro Gulf kills 5,000 to 8,000 people. [53]
- August 18
- USSR's Luna 24 soft-lands on Moon. [1]
- August 19
- In southwestern Turkey, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurs. 1800 homes destroyed. [53]
- September 3
- American Viking 2 soft lands on Mars (Utopia), returns photos. [1] [5]
- September 6
- Russian pilot defects to Japan in a Mig 25 jet. [1]
- September 9
- Mao Tse-Tung, Chinese communist party chairman (1949-76), dies at age 82. [1]
- September 10
- Two airliners collide over Yugoslavia, killing all 176 aboard. [1]
- September 15
- Soyuz 22 carries two cosmonauts into Earth orbit for eight days. [1]
- In Northeastern Italy, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurs, followed by a 5.9 earthquake six hours later. Extensive damage in the area already stricken in May, leaving an additional 20,000 people homeless. The earthquakes were also felt sharply throughout central Europe. [53]
- September 16
- Episcopal Church approves ordination of women as priests and bishop. [1]
- September 17
- NASA publicly unveils space shuttle Enterprise in Palmdale, California. [1]
- September 20
- Sid Berstein offers US$230 million for a charity concert for The Beatles' reunion. [1]
- September 21
- In Washington, DC, Orlando Letelier (age 44) is killed by remote-controlled bomb in his car. Also killed is Ronni Moffit (age 25) in the car. The killer is Michael Townley, member of Argentina's secret police. [46.118]
- October 3
- The 8th parliamentary elections of the Federal Republic of Germany are held. The CDU/CSU gets 48.6 percent of the vote, the SPD 42.2 percent, the FDP 7.9 percent. A coalition government is formed between the SPD and FDP. Helmut Schmidt (SPD) continues as chancellor and Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) as vice chancellor and foreign minister. [37]
- October 6
- In Ecuador, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurs, about 90 kilometers southeast of Quito. About 60 to 70 percent of the houses destroyed in Pastocalle. [53]
- US President Gerald Ford says there is "no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe". [1] [37]
- October 12
- Hua Guo-feng succeeds Mao Tse-tung as chairman of China's Communist Party. [1]
- October 14
- Soyuz 23 carries two to Salyut 6, but returns without docking. [1]
- October 20
- 70 die as Norwegian tanker Frosta collides with George Prince. [1]
- October 21
- American Saul Bellow wins Nobel Prize for Literature. [1]
- October 26
- Transkei gains independence, not recognized outside of South Africa. [1]
- Trinidad and Tobago becomes a republic. [1]
- October 29
- In Papua, Indonesia, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurs. The death toll from the earthquake and landslides caused by the earthquake is 133. [53]
- October 30
- Reverend Joseph Evans is elected president of the United Church of Christ. [1]
- November 1
- Gilbert Island (Kiribati) obtains internal self-government from Great Britain. [1]
- November 2
- Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter (Democrat) defeats incumbent Gerald R Ford (Republican) in US presidential election. [1]
- November 7
- In Iran, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Three villages are completely destroyed. [53]
- November 9
- United Nations General Assembly condemns apartheid in South Africa. [1]
- November 18
- Spain's parliament establishes democracy after 37 years of dictatorship. [1]
- November 24
- In the Turkey-Iran border region, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurs. At least 5,000 people killed. Caldira, Muradiye, and surrounding villages near the Iranian border completely destroyed. [53]
- November 25
- Viking 1 radio signal from Mars helps prove general theory of relativity. [1]
- November 30
- In Chile, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurs, about 550 kilometers north of Antofagasta near the Peruvian border. [53]
- December 1
- Angola admitted to United Nations. [1]
- Bangladesh General Ziaur Rahman declares himself president. [1]
- December 3
- Dr Patrick J Hillery elected President of Iraq. [1]
- December 4
- Central African Republic changes name to Central African Empire. [707.142]
- December 6
- War criminal Pieter Menten arrested in Zurich, Switzerland. [1]
- December 7
- United Nations Security Council endorses Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General for second five-year term. [1] [37]
- December 8
- United Nations General Assembly re-elects Kurt Waldheim of Austria as Secretary-General. [1] [37]
- In South Africa, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs, centered about 300 kilometers south of Johannesburg. [53]
- December 13
- Longest non-stop passenger airflight (Sydney to San Francisco, 13 hours 14 minutes). [1]
- December 14
- Dutch first chamber condemns Dutch Liberal/social-democratic abortion laws. [1]
- December 15
- Liberian oil tanker Argo Merchant runs aground off Massachusetts' Nantucket coast, spilling 28 million litres of crude oil, causing a 160km by 97km oil slick. [1] [522]
- Jamaica premier Manley wins elections. [1]
- December 16
- Andrew Young named Ambassador and Chief US Delegate to United Nations. [1]
- US government halts swine flu vaccination program following reports of paralysis. [1]
- December 18
- Soviet dissident Viktor Bukovski exchanged for Chile CP-leader Corvalan. [1]
- December 19
- Soviet Union President Leonid Brezhnev receives his fifth Lenin order. [1]
- December 20
- Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin resigns. [1]
- December 21
- United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution declaring 1979 the Year of Child. [1]
- December 22
- German Democratic Republic banishes singer Nina Hagen. [1]
- December 25
- Egyptian passenger liner SS Patria burns and sinks in Red Sea, about 100 killed. [1]
- Takeo Fukuda becomes Japanese premier. [1]
- December 27
- Albania constitution goes into effect. [1]
- December 28
- Winnie Mandela banished in South Africa. [1]
- December 30
- USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. [1]
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