1978 CE

The Iranian Revolution begins, culminating in toppling the Shah and bringing in the Islamic Republic under Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979; the Camp David Accords create a peace framework between Egypt and Israel; the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina sees the host nation win its first title; the Bee Gees release the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack; the Jonestown massacre in Guyana kills over 900; the Cambodian–Vietnamese War begins as Vietnam invades Cambodia; Pope John Paul II becomes the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years; the Saur Revolution installs a communist government in Afghanistan; and the Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 paralyzes the region with record snow.

In the 1970s, the 20th century.

1978 at a glance

World population: about 4.29 billion Our World in Data
United States: Jimmy Carter (President) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
United Kingdom: Elizabeth II (Queen); James Callaghan (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
Soviet Union: Leonid Brezhnev (General Secretary); Leonid Brezhnev (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet); Alexei Kosygin (Chairman of the Council of Ministers) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
People's Republic of China: Hua Guofeng (Chairman; Paramount Leader); Deng Xiaoping (Paramount Leader); Soong Ching-ling (Acting NPC Standing Committee Chairwoman); Ye Jianying (NPC Standing Committee Chairman); Hua Guofeng (Premier) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
France: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (President); Raymond Barre (Prime minister) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
East Germany: Erich Honecker (Chairmen of the State Council); Willi Stoph (Chairman) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
West Germany: Walter Scheel (President); Helmut Schmidt (Chancellor) Wikipedia rev. 1371751893
$1 in 1978: $5.17 in September 2026 dollars BLS CPI-U
Gallon of gas (U.S. average): $0.67 ($4.48 in September 2026) BLS
Most weeks at No. 1 in 1978: “Night Fever” by Bee Gees, 8 weeks Wikipedia rev. 1380757136

Who led every country in 1978 →Born in 1978? What it cost, who led, what was No. 1 →

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government).source
January 22 – Ethiopia declares the ambassador of West Germany persona non grata.source
February 14 - Both leaders from North Korea and Communist China had sided with Cambodia to maintain its own independent standing within the "communist world" and to support its "revolutionary comrade-in-arms", with Kim Il Sung and Deng Xiaoping provided critical support to Angkar and the Khmer Rouge, as their motivations and the nature of their relationships with Pol Pot as "Brother Number One" that implemented an extremist form of Maoism, drawing direct inspiration from China's Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution especially Red August to Cambodia's Super Great Leap Forward ("Moha Lout Plaoh").Cambodia source
February 15 – Rhodesia, one of only two remaining white-ruled African nations (the other being South Africa), announces that it will accept multiracial democracy within 2 years.source
February 25 – The first Legislative Assembly election is held in Arunachal Pradesh, India.source
March 15 – Somalia and Ethiopia sign a truce to end the Ethio-Somali War.source
22 April – Representing Luxembourg, Baccara finishes seventh in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 with the song Parlez-vous français?.Luxembourg source
April 30 – The "Democratic Republic of Afghanistan" is proclaimed, under pro-communist leader Nur Muhammad Taraki.source
May 22 – Exiled leaders Ahmed Abdallah and Muhammad Ahmad return to the Comoros.source
3 June - Ziaur Rahman wins the presidential election and secures his position for a five-year term.Bangladesh source
July 1 – Australia's Northern Territory is granted self-government.source
1 July – Finland establishes diplomatic relations with Botswana.Finland source
Libya and India signs a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in peaceful applications of nuclear energy as part of India's Atom of Peace policy.Libya source
September 5 – Camp David Accords: Hosted by U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sadat met at Camp David in Maryland to discuss a peace agreement between the two nations.source
September 16 – General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq officially assumes the post of President of Pakistan.source
September 17 – The Camp David Accords are signed between Israel and Egypt.source
17 September – The Camp David Accords are signed between Israel and Egypt. The Accords lead directly to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.Israel source
September 20 – General Rahimuddin Khan assumes the post of martial law Governor of Balochistan.source
October 1 – Tuvalu becomes independent from the United Kingdom.source
October 7 – Wranslide in New South Wales: the Wran government is re-elected with an increased majority.source
October 9 – P.W. Botha succeeds John Vorster as Prime Minister of South Africa.source
October 10 – Daniel arap Moi becomes president of Kenya.source
October 10 – John Vorster becomes State President of South Africa.source
October 10 – United States President Jimmy Carter signs a bill that authorizes the minting of the Susan B. Anthony dollar.source
October 14 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law which allows homebrewing of beer in the United States.source
October 18 – Thorbjörn Fälldin steps down as Prime Minister of Sweden, and is succeeded by Ola Ullsten, the Leader of the liberal People's Party ("Folkpartiet").source
October 27 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin win the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.source
December 6 – Spanish transition to democracy: The Spanish Constitution officially restores the country's democratic government.source
December 12 – 1978 South Korean legislative electionSouth Korea source
December 16 – The Mystery of Mamo is released in cinemas in Japan.source
December 27 – The Constitution of Spain is approved in a referendum, officially ending 40 years of military dictatorship.source
The Tinkhundla governance system is established.Eswatini source
Sultan of Pahang: Sultan Ahmad Shah (Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong)Malaysia source

Conflict & Security

January 2 – On the orders of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protesting workers in Multan. It is known as 1978 massacre at Multan Colony Textile Mills.Pakistan source
February 6 – King Dragon operation in Arakan: Burmese General Ne Win targets Muslim minorities in the village of Sakkipara.source
February 11 – Somalia mobilizes its troops to deal with an apparent Ethiopian attack.source
February 19 – Egyptian raid on Larnaca International Airport: Egyptian Special Forces attempt to rescue several hostages in Larnaca, Cyprus; 20 Egyptian commandos are injured or killed.source
1 March - 1977–78 Balkans Cup: Albania defeats Greece 2-0 at Skënderbeu Stadium, KorçëAlbania source
March 3 – Ethiopia admits that its troops are fighting with the aid of Cuban soldiers, against Somalian troops in the Ogaden.source
March 3 – Rhodesian Bush War: Rhodesia attacks Zambia.source
March 10 - The leadership of "Angkar," had fostered a cult of personality centered on the "Supreme authority", which continues omnipresent and demanded complete loyalty to the "Communist Party of Kampuchea" (CPK), the People's Republic of China was the primary benefactor of the military provided by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) with the vast majority of its external support from China, while North Korea (DPRK) also served as a significant and loyal ally to the Khmer Rouge, though its material contributions were secondary to those from Beijing, with Pyongyang became generally the second-largest trading partner after China, which both maintained strong, unique ties of the geopolitical alliances between the two nations.Cambodia source
March 11 – Coastal Road massacre: Palestinian terrorists kill 34 Israelis.source
March 14 – Operation Litani: Israeli forces invade Lebanon.source
March 26 – The control tower and some other facilities of New Tokyo International Airport, which were scheduled to open on March 31, are illegally occupied and damaged in a terrorist attack by New Left activists, forcing a rescheduling of its opening date to May 20.source
April 14 – Thousands of Georgians demonstrate against an attempt by Soviet authorities to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language.source
April 18– 30 – The Khmer Rouge massacres 3,157 civilians in Ba Chúc, Vietnam.source
May 4 – South African Border War: The Battle of Cassinga occurs in southern Angola.source
May 12 – Shaba II: In Zaire, rebels occupy the city of Kolwezi, the mining centre of the province of Shaba. The Zairean government asks the U.S., France and Belgium to restore order.source
May 15 – Students of the University of Tehran riot in Tabriz; the army stops the riot.source
May 19–20 – French Foreign Legion paratroopers land in Kolwezi, Zaire, to rescue Europeans in the middle of a civil war.source
May 25 – First Unabomber attack: A bomb explodes in the security section of Northwestern University, wounding a security guard.source
16 June – U.N. Security Council Resolution 430 was adopted and noted that, due to the existing circumstances, the presence of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus would continue to be essential for a peaceful settlement.Cyprus source
June 21 – A shootout between Provisional IRA members and the British Army in Northern Ireland leaves one civilian and three IRA men dead.source
June 26 – A bombing by Breton nationalists causes destruction in the Palace of Versailles.source
June 30 – Ethiopia begins a massive offensive in Eritrea.source
July 6 – 1978 South Korean presidential electionSouth Korea source
August 22 – Sandinistas seize the Nicaraguan National Palace.source
September 8 – Iranian Army troops open fire on rioters in Tehran, killing 122, wounding over 200.source
Libyan troops are sent to aid Idi Amin in the Uganda–Tanzania War when Amin tried to annex the northern Tanzanian province of Kagera, and Tanzania counterattacked. Amin lost the battle and later fled to exile in Libya, where he remained for almost a year.Libya source
November 18 – In Guyana, Jim Jones leads his Peoples Temple cult in a mass murder–suicide in his commune, Jonestown, that claims 918 lives in all, 909 of them at Jonestown itself, including over 270 children. Representative Leo J. Ryan is assassinated by members of Peoples Temple shortly beforehand.source
December 11 – Iranian Revolution: Two million demonstrate against the Shah in Iran.source
December 22 – Argentina begins Operation Soberanía against Chile, but Argentinian forces quickly withdraw.source
December 25 – Vietnam launches a major offensive against the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia.source
As a result of Operation King Dragon by the Burmese junta, the first wave of Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh in 1978. An estimated 200,000 Rohingyas took shelter in Cox's Bazar. Diplomatic initiatives over 16 months resulted in a repatriation agreement, which allowed the return of most refugees under a process facilitated by UNHCR.Bangladesh source
15–16 January – 1978 Finnish presidential electionFinland source

Exploration & Expansion

1 January – Another Vietnamese refugee boat arrives at night, from a camp off the Malaysian coast.Australia source
7 January – Iran and Red and Black ColonizationIran source
May 8 – Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Peter Habeler (Austria) make the first ascent of Mount Everest, without supplemental oxygen.source
8 May – Peter Habeler of Austria, along with Reinhold Messner (Italy), makes the first ascent of Mount Everest, without supplemental oxygen.Austria source
17 May – Tor Halvor Bjørnstad, cross-country skier, biathlete and winter triathleteNorway source
May 20 – Mavis Hutchinson, 53, becomes the first woman to run across the U.S.; her trek took 69 days.source
John Newlove: The Fat Man: Selected Poems (1962–1972)Canada source
The founding of the community settlement Sapir.Israel source
Tun Datuk Ahmad Koroh (until November)Malaysia source
Auckland Trotting Cup: Sole Command. From 1978–86 the race was over 2700m and there was no handicapping.New Zealand source

Religion & Belief

28 February – Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin (born 1888) Russian (Belarus)-born Orthodox rabbi, founded the Encyclopedia Talmudit.Israel source
28 June - The ashes of Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana are brought to Bangladesh from Tibet.Bangladesh source
August 26 – Pope John Paul I succeeds Pope Paul VI as the 263rd Pope.source
26 August – Cardinal Albino Luciani, the patriarch of Venice, elected pope – John Paul I. So far, 2026, last Italian pope.Italy source
1 October – Roger Maul is appointed President of the Council of State to replace Ferdinand Wirtgen.Luxembourg source
October 16 – Pope John Paul II succeeds Pope John Paul I as the 264th pope, resulting in the first Year of Three Popes since 1605. He is the first Polish pope in history, and the first non-Italian pope since Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523).source
October 31 - General Augusto Pinochet asks the Council of State to study the draft of the new Political Constitution of the Republic proposed by the study commission led by Enrique Ortúzar, minister of state of the former president Jorge AlessandriChile source
December – Holy Name Seminary, Christchurch (Catholic) closed.New Zealand source
6–10 December – Evangelist Billy Graham visits Singapore for a crusade.Singapore source
Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan: Tuanku JaafarMalaysia source

Economy & Finance

3 January – Bela Csidei, a prominent Sydney businessman, is alleged in the Darwin Magistrates' Court to have been involved in growing marijuana in the Northern Territory.Australia source
16 January – Morarji Desai led government demonetizes high denomination banknotes.India source
February 3 - The American firm Goodyear acquires the National Tire Industry (INSA) for 45 million dollars.Chile source
April 1 – New Zealand National Airways Corporation (the domestic airline of New Zealand) is merged with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand.source
1 April – Flag carriers Air New Zealand and the National Airways Corporation merge to form a single airline under the Air New Zealand name.New Zealand source
May – Release of Rudi's punk rock single "Big Time", the first release for Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations (record label).Northern Ireland source
June 19 – Garfield's first comic strip, originally published locally as Jon in 1976, goes into nationwide syndication.source
11 October – Leo Tindemans proffers his resignation as Prime Minister after the failure of the Egmont pactBelgium source
SIUI (Shantou Institute of Ultrasonic Instruments Co., Ltd) – ultrasound manufacturer is founded.China source
1978 Spanish trade union representative electionsSpain source

Technology & Infrastructure

February 2 - the Reunion Tower opens in Dallas Texas.source
February 8 – United States Senate proceedings are broadcast on radio for the first time.source
February 9 – The Budd Company unveils its first SPV-2000 self-propelled railcar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.source
March 8 – The first radio episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, is transmitted on BBC Radio 4.source
April 1 – Dick Smith of Dick Smith Foods tows a fake iceberg to Sydney Harbour.source
April 11 - Color television is introduced, Chile adopts the US standard NTSC-M and channels 13, 9, UCV and TVN begin broadcasting in full color.Chile source
April 18 – The U.S. Senate votes, 68–32, to turn the Panama Canal over to Panamanian control on December 31, 1999.source
May 8 – Norway opens a natural gas field, in the Polar Sea.source
May 15 – First Timezone Opens in Perth, Western Australiasource
May 28 – Indianapolis 500: Al Unser wins his third race, and the first for car owner Jim Hall.source
18 June – The Karakoram Highway is completed.Pakistan source
October 8 – Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.6 mph (511.13 km/h) at Blowering Dam, Australia.source
October 31 – The South African Railways sets a still unbeaten world rail speed record on Cape gauge.source
November 2: 8:00 pm – The Republic of Ireland's second television channel RTÉ 2 goes on air (renamed Network 2, 1988; RTÉ Network Two, 1995; N2, 1997; and RTÉ Two in 2004).source
10 December – The commissioning of first unit of Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant in Taipei County.Taiwan source
28 December – Colour television was introduced by Radio Television Malaysia on RTM1Malaysia source
In Seoul, South Korea, construction begins on Seoul Subway Line 2.source
Trade union UNTC-CS establishedCape Verde source
Belfast Zoo reopens following renovation by Belfast City Council.Northern Ireland source
The PBA on GTV (sports program)Philippines source
17 and 24 June - 1978 Taça de Portugal FinalPortugal source

Science & Discovery

January 24 – Soviet satellite Kosmos 954 burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories.source
24 January – The Kosmos 954 ends its missionSoviet Union source
20 February - Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978Germany source
February 27 – The first global positioning satellite, the Rockwell International-built Navstar 1, is launched by the United States.source
March 2 – Soyuz 28 (Aleksei Gubarev, Vladimír Remek) is launched on a rendezvous with Salyut 6, with the first cosmonaut from a country other than the US or USSR (Czechoslovak Vladimír Remek).source
March 3 – The New York Post publishes an article about David Rorvik's book The Cloning of Man, about a supposed cloning of a human being.source
April 6 – Sunshine 60 has officially open in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, the tallest skyscraper in Asia (Japan), until 63 Building in Seoul, South Korea on July 27, 1985.Japan source
April 22 – Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta win the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 for Israel with their song A-Ba-Ni-Bi.source
22 April – Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta win the Eurovision Song Contest for Israel with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi".Israel source
11 June – Belgium's Ludo Peeters wins the 1978 Tour de Luxembourg.Luxembourg source
19 June – Ian Botham takes 8-34 vs. Pakistan, his best Test cricket bowling.Pakistan source
June 21 – 1978 Iranian Chinook shootdown: Iranian helicopters stray into Soviet airspace and are shot down.source
June 22 – Charon, a satellite of Pluto, is discovered.source
August 17 – Double Eagle II becomes the first balloon to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean, flying from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France.source
October 10 – A massive short circuit in Seasat's electrical system ends the satellite's scientific mission.source
11 December – Ahmet Enünlü wins gold in Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition.Turkey source
8–9 December – 1978 Chilean telethonChile source
Myriodontium keratinophilum is first isolated in Italy during the screening of soil microbes.source

Health & Medicine

29 March – Dr. Leo Rebello pioneers a 60 lessons distance learning course in Naturopathy to train Naturopaths to serve in India's 560,000 villages.India source
12 April – Louis Pilot is appointed the Luxembourg national football team's new coach.Luxembourg source
13 May – Basaglia Law approved: gradual dismantling of psychiatric hospitals is initiated. The largest asylum was Mombello Psychiatric Hospital.Italy source
June 19 – England cricketer Ian Botham becomes the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take eight wickets in one innings of a Test match.source
21 June – An outbreak of shooting between Provisional IRA members and the British Army leaves one civilian and three IRA men dead.Northern Ireland source
July 25 – Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, is born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK.source
August 4: President Ernesto Geisel signs a national decree, that prohibits strikes in the sectors of national security and public services.Brazil source
August 25 – Tropical Storms severely battered the northern Philippines and Manila, killing more than 50 persons.Philippines source
September 12 – The Declaration of Alma Ata is signed and released in the Capital City of Kazakh, USSR. Known as the core document on Primary Health Care Practices and Equity in Healthcare, it paved the way for the modern-day State-sponsored Healthcare System.source
September – Attempted poisoning of 500 members of the African National Congress by South African government infiltrators.source
October 13 – The Soviet Union launches a major Russification campaign throughout all union republics.source
November 24 – China starts an experimental "household responsibility system", in Anhui Province.source
December 16 - The Mystery of Mamo is released in cinemas.Japan source
Synthetic insulin is developed.source
Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,165,200.New Zealand source

Crime & Justice

January 18 – The European Court of Human Rights finds the British government guilty of mistreating prisoners in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.source
18 January – The European Court of Human Rights finds Britain guilty of inhuman and degrading treatment of republican internees in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.Northern Ireland source
February 1 – Film director Roman Polanski skips bail in the United States and flees to France, after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl.source
March 1 – Charlie Chaplin's remains are stolen from Cosier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.source
March 18 – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, is sentenced to death by hanging, for ordering the assassination of a political opponent.source
March 28 – Stump v. Sparkman (435 U.S. 349): The Supreme Court of the United States hands down a 5–3 decision, in a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.source
April 9 – Somali military officers stage an unsuccessful coup against the government of Siad Barre; security forces thwart the attempt within hours, and several conspirators are arrested.source
17 April – Ido Mosseri, Israeli actorIsrael source
May 9 – In Rome, the corpse of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro, is found in a red Renault 4.source
May 17 – Charlie Chaplin's coffin is found some 15 km from the cemetery from which it was stolen, near Lake Geneva.source
May 18 – Soviet dissident Yuri Orlov is sentenced to 7 years' hard labor, for distributing 'counterrevolutionary material'.source
May 23 – American basketball player center Bill Walton of the Portland Trail Blazers was named the National Basketball Association regular season MVP.source
May 29 – Ali Soilih is found dead in the Comoros, allegedly shot when trying to escape.source
September 19 – Police in the West Midlands of England launch a massive murder hunt, when 13-year-old newspaper boy Carl Bridgewater is shot dead after disturbing a burglary.source
September 23 – California Angels outfielder Lyman Bostock is shot to death at age 27 while visiting friends in Gary, Indiana during an Angels' road trip in Chicago, Illinois.source
September 27 – The last Forest Brother guerrilla movement fighter is discovered and killed in Estonia.source
28 September – one of the last Forest Brother guerilla movement fighter August Sabbe was discovered and killed in Estonia.Estonia source
September 30 – Finnair Flight 405 aircraft is hijacked by Aarno Lamminparras in Oulu, Finland.source
30 September – Finnair Flight 405 aircraft is hijacked by Aarno Lamminparras in Oulu, Finland.Finland source
September – Serial criminal Lawrence Singleton commits heinous crime against Mary Vincent.source
12 November - The Huanchaca street scandal occurs, when 7 young homosexuals were detained in a house located at number 352 of said street in the city of Antofagasta.Chile source
December 4 – Dianne Feinstein succeeds the murdered George Moscone, to become the first woman mayor of San Francisco; she will remain in office until January 8, 1988.source
December 11 – Lufthansa heist: Six men rob a Lufthansa cargo facility in New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.source
December 15 – Superman: The Movie is released in cinemas in the United States.source
December 19 – Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi is arrested and jailed for a week for breach of privilege and contempt of parliament.source
December 22 – Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was subsequently convicted of the murder of 33 young men and boys committed between 1972 and 1978, is arrested.source
Romanian painter Doina Bumbea is abducted by the North Korean government.source
Sultan of Selangor: Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz ShahMalaysia source
Sir Henry Garrioch (1977–1979)Mauritius source
The North Korean government kidnaps Romanian painter Doina Bumbea.North Korea source

Disasters & Accidents

January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.source
February 11 – Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, crashes in Cranbrook, British Columbia, killing 44 of the 50 people on board.source
February 13 – Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing: A bomb explodes outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, killing a policeman and two civilians, and injuring several other people.source
March 17 – An oil tanker, Amoco Cadiz, runs aground on the coast of Brittany.source
April 7 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter decides to postpone production of the neutron bomb, a weapon that kills people with radiation, but leaves buildings relatively intact.source
April 20 – A Soviet air defense plane shoots down Korean Air Lines Flight 902; the plane makes an emergency landing on a frozen lake.source
April 20 – Korean Air Lines Flight 902 is shot down by Soviet Interceptor fighter jets near Murmansk after entering Soviet airspace during a flight en route from Paris to Seoul via Anchorage.South Korea source
20 April – The Soviet Air Force shoots down Korean Air Lines Flight 902, a civilian airliner that flew into Soviet airspace.Soviet Union source
June 2 – Japan Air Lines 115 had its tail struck on the runway on the airport it landed in. The same aircraft would be involved in a 2nd accident 7 years latersource
July 8: A fire destroys the art collection at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro.Brazil source
July 11 – At least 217 tourists die in an explosion of a tanker-truck at a campsite in Costa Daurada, Spain.source
11 July – Los Alfaques disaster: a truck carrying highly flammable propylene explodes near Los Alfaques seaside campsite killing at least 217 people.Spain source
9 August – Olympic Airways Flight 411Greece source
September 14 – A Philippine Air Force plane, carrying members of President Ferdinand E. Marcos' security staff and journalists, crash in Manila while trying to land in a thunderstorm. At least 32 persons are killed.Philippines source
12 October – The Spyros disaster occurred at Jurong Shipyard, resulting in 76 fatalities.Singapore source
October 21 – Australian civilian pilot Frederick Valentich vanishes in a Cessna 182 Skylane over the Bass Strait south of Melbourne, after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft.source
November 26 – Two British commercial divers, Michael Ward and Tony Prangley, die of hypothermia and drowning in the East Shetland Basin after their diving bell plunges to the seabed at a depth of over 100 m.source
December 16 – Train 87 from Nanjing to Xining collides with train 368 from Xi'an to Xuzhou near Yangzhuang railway station in China, killing 106, injuring 218.source
General Motors shuts down operations at its factory in Bascharage.Luxembourg source

Climate & Environment

January 14 - According to Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed report, total of 25 people were dead, 211 people were wounded, a Richer Scale 6.7 earthquake and aftershocks damaged in Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture.Japan source
January 17 - The San Juan Earthquake is felt in the cities of Chañaral, Copiapó, Vallenar, La Serena and Coquimbo.Chile source
January 25–27 – The Great Blizzard of 1978 strikes the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, killing 70.source
February 5–7 – The Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 hits the New England region and the New York metropolitan area, killing about 100, and causing over US$520 million in damage.source
June 20 – The 6.2 Mw Thessaloniki earthquake shakes Northern Greece with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Fifty people were killed.source
20 June – The 6.2 Mw Thessaloniki earthquake affected Central Macedonia with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), causing 45–50 deaths and 100–220 injuries.Greece source
September 16 – The 7.4 Mw Tabas earthquake killed at least 15,000 people in the city of Tabas in Iran. The quake was measured with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent).source
16 September – The 7.4 Mw Tabas earthquake affected central Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). At least 15,000 people were killed.Iran source
September – Release of The Undertones' punk rock single Teenage Kicks, by Good Vibrations.Northern Ireland source
October 27 – Typhoon Rita pummels Manila with winds up to 94 miles per hour (150 kilometers per hour). At least 20 are killed and 70,000 left homeless in the floods that resulted.Philippines source
2–3 December – Another flood hit Singapore after about 512 mm of rain fell in just 24 hours, causing 7 fatalities.Singapore source
Sultan of Terengganu: Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin ShahMalaysia source

Culture & Society

January 6 – The Holy Crown of Hungary (also known as Stephen of Hungary Crown) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held since World War II.source
January 24 – Rose Dugdale and Eddie Gallagher become the first convicted prisoners to marry in prison since the establishment of the Republic of Ireland.source
February 11 – The People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.source
March 18 – California Jam II is held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, attracting more than 300,000 fans.source
April 1 – The Philippine College of Commerce, through a presidential decree, is converted to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.source
April 2 – Dallas debuts on CBS, and gives birth to the modern day primetime soap opera.source
April 3 – The 50th Academy Awards are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, with Annie Hall winning Best Picture.source
April 22 – The One Love Peace Concert is held at National Heroes Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.source
April 25 – St. Paul, Minnesota becomes the second U.S. city to repeal its gay rights ordinance, after Anita Bryant's successful 1977 anti-gay campaign in Miami-Dade County, Florida.source
May 18 – Sarajevo is selected to host the 1984 Winter Olympics, and Los Angeles is selected to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.source
May 25 – In a rematch of the previous season, the Montreal Canadiens again defeat the Boston Bruins, this time four games to two, to win the Stanley Cup.source
May 26 – In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Resorts International, the first legal casino in the eastern United States, opens.source
June 1 – The 1978 FIFA World Cup starts in Argentina.source
June 10 – Affirmed holds off Alydar to win the Belmont Stakes and becomes the last horse to win the U.S. Triple Crown of Horse Racing until 2015.source
June 15 – King Hussein of Jordan marries 26-year-old Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.source
June 24 – The Gay & Lesbian Solidarity March is held in Sydney, Australia to mark the 9th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots (which later becomes the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras; later incorporating a festival).source
June 25 – Argentina defeats the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time to win the 1978 FIFA World Cup.source
June 25 – The rainbow flag of the LGBT movement flies for the first time (in its original form) at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.source
July 24 – In Acapulco, Mexico, Margaret Gardiner of South Africa is crowned Miss Universe.source
September 24 – Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello makes its first appearance on Live from the Met, in a complete production of the opera starring Jon Vickers. This is the first complete television broadcast of the opera in the U.S. since the historic 1948 one.source
October 2 – Mommie Dearest, written by Christina Crawford that discusses her adoptive mother Joan Crawford's abusive nature, is published. It is the first celebrity tell-all memoir.source
13 October – Poet and Muse drama film is released.Finland source
16 October – Test cricket debut of Kapil Dev, India vs. Pakistan at Faisalabad.Pakistan source
October 20 – The first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is held as a protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall riots.source
15 November – Abortion is legalised.Luxembourg source
December 22 – The pivotal Third Plenum of the 11th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party is held in Beijing, with Deng Xiaoping reversing Mao-era policies to pursue the reform and opening up.source
9-20- The 1978 Asian Games were held in Bangkok again for the third time.Thailand source
Abortion is legalized in Italy for the first time.source
Tahrunessa Abdullah, A social worker who championed the role of women in improving their families' livelihoods, was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award.Bangladesh source
Final of the Cape Verdean Football Championship was not playedCape Verde source
Sultan of Kelantan: Tengku Ismail Petra (Regent)Malaysia source
Dr. Regis Chaperon State Secondary School, Quatre Bornes, establishedMauritius source

Births

January 25 – Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian politician and comedian, President of Ukrainesource
January 28 – Sheamus, Irish professional wrestlersource
January 28 – Gianluigi Buffon, Italian footballersource
3 March - Bright Nxumalo, international footballerEswatini source
8 March – Taneli Tikka, entrepreneur and IT influencerFinland source
April 29 – Bob and Mike Bryan, American doubles tennis teamsource
May 31 – Sara Duterte, 15th Vice President of the Philippinessource
June 20 – Frank Lampard, English footballersource
June 22 – Dan Wheldon, English racing driver (died 2011)source
25 June – Virginia Karentzou, artistic gymnastGreece source
August 4 – Kurt Busch, American race car driversource
August 23 – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player (died 2020)source
September 14 – Ron DeSantis, American politician, 46th Governor of Floridasource
6 October - Westley Laboucherie, Mauritian footballerMauritius source
October 14 – Usher, American singer and actorsource
October 26 – CM Punk, American professional wrestlersource
December 5 – Neil Druckmann, Israeli-American video game writer and programmer, founder of Naughty Dogsource
December 17 – Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politiciansource

Deaths

January 13 – Hubert Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States (born 1911)source
27 January – Oscar Homolka, Austrian actor (born 1898)Austria source
March 11 – Claude François, French entertainer born 1939, dies by electrocution in his home in Paris.source
13 March – Kaare Bache, triple jumperFinland source
March 16 – Former Italian Premier Aldo Moro is kidnapped by the Red Brigades; 5 bodyguards are killed.source
April 27 – Willow Island disaster – In the deadliest construction accident in United States history, 51 construction workers are killed when a cooling tower under construction collapses at the Pleasants Power Station in Willow Island, West Virginia.source
April 27 – Saur Revolution – Afghanistan's president Mohammad Daoud Khan and his family are murdered; Nur Muhammad Taraki succeeds him, beginning the Afghan conflict.source
May 1 – Aram Khachaturian, Soviet-Armenian composer and conductor (born 1903)source
May 9 – Aldo Moro, Italian Christian Democratic politician and statesman, 38th Prime Minister of Italy (assassinated) (born 1916)source
May 12–13 – A group of mercenaries, led by Bob Denard, oust Ali Soilih in the Comoros; ten local soldiers are killed. Denard forms a new government.source
13 May - Sisavang Vatthana, last king of LaosLaos source
May 15 – Sir Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1894)source
13 August: Muhammad Siddiq Khan, librarian (born 1910)Bangladesh source
September 7 – In London, UK, a poison-filled pellet, supposedly injected using an umbrella, fatally poisons Bulgarian defector Georgi Markov; he dies four days later.source
September 25 – PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collides with a small private airplane and crashes in San Diego, California; 144 are killed.source
September 28 – Pope John Paul I dies after only 33 days as the Roman Catholic Pontiff.source
November 27 – Moscone-Milk assassinations: San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated by disgruntled former Supervisor Dan White.source
November 27 – Harvey Milk, American politician and activist (born 1930)source