istoryworld
All Events
The French Territory of Afars and Issas becomes independent as Djibouti, with Hassan Gouled Aptidon as president
German author Botho Strauss's play Three Acts of Recognition wins him an international audience
Zia ul-Haq, the Chief of Army Staff, takes power in a bloodless coup against the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt completes his choral work Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten
Elvis Presley dies, aged 42, at his home in Memphis, Tennessee
After making several films together, Woody Allen and his partner Diane Keaton have an Oscar-winning success with Annie Hall
The Pompidou Centre, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, opens in Paris
Steve Biko, founder of Black Consciousness, dies of head wounds received in police custody in Pretoria
Anwar el-Sadat, the Egyptian president, travels to Jerusalem to propose a peace plan to the Israelis
In a multi-million dollar ceremony, Jean-Bédel Bokassa proclaims himself emperor of the Central African Republic
Menachem Begin, coming to power in Israel, makes it government policy always to refer to the occupied West Bank as Judaea and Samaria
Frederick Sanger and his team develop the chain-termination method of gene sequencing, which becomes the standard tool in the following years
Kenneth MacMillan turns a double suicide of 1889 into a ferociously dramatic ballet, Mayerling
US author John Irving has wide success with his novel The World According to Garp
Hungarian composer György Ligeti's opera Le Grand Macabre has its premiere in Stockholm
A fire destroys St Mary's church in Barnes except for the tower and the south and east walls of the medieval chapel
John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey, with Leo McKern in the title role, begins its first series of six episodes on British TV
Former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro is abducted and assassinated by the terrorist Red Brigades
Iris Murdoch publishes The Sea, the Sea, and wins the 1978 Booker Prize
English author Andrew Motion publishes his first collection of poems, The Pleasure Steamers
Muhammad Ali is the first boxer to become world heavyweight champion three times, defeating Leon Spinks in a return match a year after losing the title
Shining Path and Tupac Amaru emerge as left-wing guerrilla groups in Peru
Douglas Adams creates Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a science fiction comedy series for BBC's Radio 4
Czech-born US tennis player Martina Navratilova wins the first of nine singles titles at Wimbledon
English cricketer Ian Botham sets a new Test record, scoring a century and taking eight wickets against Pakistan at Lord's
