1979
Khomeini returns to Iran
After fourteen years in exile, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris to a crowd estimated at several million.
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet airborne troops landed in Kabul on Christmas Day, killed the Afghan president, and installed a pliant client regime.
Thatcher becomes PM
Margaret Thatcher, the grocer's daughter from Grantham, walked into 10 Downing Street as Britain's first woman prime minister, quoting Saint Francis…
Three Mile Island
At a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant, a combination of equipment failure and operator error led to a partial meltdown of Reactor Two.
US embassy hostages taken in Tehran
Iranian students scaled the walls of the US embassy in Tehran and took fifty-two American diplomats hostage.
Sandinistas take Managua
After years of guerrilla war in the mountains and barrios, the Sandinista National Liberation Front marched into the Nicaraguan capital as the Somoza dynasty…
Grand Mosque seized in Mecca
Hundreds of armed Saudi militants led by Juhayman al-Otaybi seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca, declaring his brother-in-law the Mahdi.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1979?
Saeculum lists 7 events from 1979. The most significant is Khomeini returns to Iran: After fourteen years in exile, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini landed in Tehran from Paris to a crowd estimated at several million.
What era was 1979 part of?
1979 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1979?
The events from 1979 span Middle East, Central Asia, Europe and North America.