1979

1979
MCMLXXIX


 * UK Prime Minister: James Callaghan, succeeded by Margaret Thatcher from 04 May
 * FA Cup Winners: Arsenal (beat Man Utd. 3-2)
 * Christmas Number One: Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall Pt.2
 * Eurovision Song Contest: Jerusalem, Israel, 31 March
 * Contest Winner: Milk and Honey - Hallelujah (Israel)
 * UK Eurovision Entry: Black Lace - Mary Ann (position 7th)


 * Blue Peter Team: Lesley Judd (until 12 April), Simon Groom and Christopher Wenner, Tina Heath from 05 April
 * Doctor Who: Tom Baker (S16/17)
 * Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ: DLT
 * Big Christmas Day Film On BBC1: The Sting

Main events

 * Jan.: 'Winter of Discontent' continues, public-workers, train drivers and lorry drivers' all strike.
 * Feb.: Trevor Francis first first £1 million footballer; Sid Vicious found dead; TUC / UK Govt. "Saint Valentine's Day Concordat"
 * March: General Election announced
 * April
 * May: Jubilee line inaugurated; UK General Election won by the Conservative Party. Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman PM; Liverpool win Football League First Division, Notts. Forest win European Cup
 * June: first direct election to the European Parliament (07 June);
 * July:
 * August: ITV network technicians strikes begin; Lord Mountbatten assassinated;
 * Sept.: Man City pay £1,450,000 for Wolves midfielder Steve Daley; Central Milton Keynes shopping centre opened by M Thatcher
 * Oct.: Video Killed the Radio Star at no.1

New series

 * BBC One: Blankety Blank (18 Jan.), Mainstream (09 Oct.), Antiques Roadshow, The Paul Daniels Magic Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, To the Manor Born, Terry and June
 * BBC Two: Life on Earth, Not the Nine O'Clock News
 * ITV: Dick Turpin, The Jim Davidson Show, Worzel Gummidge, Tales of the Unexpected, The Mallens, Minder, Sapphire & Steel

New seasons:

 * Doctor Who (S17, 01 Sept.), Fawlty Towers, Last of the Summer Wine (S5, 18 September 1979)
 * Wish You Were Here...?

Shows ending

 * BBC: The Liver Birds (05 Jan. (revived 1996), Sykes
 * ITV: George and Mildred (25 December 1979), Celebrity Squares (revived 1993), Return of the Saint

Other TV events

 * ITV strike - ten weeks starting August. Programmes begin again on 24 October.

Radio

 * BBC Radio 1 begins its delayed weeknight mid-evening programme with Andy Peebles (Jan.)
 * Tony Blackburn takes over from Simon Bates as host of Radio 1's Top 40 show.(Sep.)

Music

 * Top 40 debuts: The Buggles, The Police, Tubeway Army/Gary Numan, XTC, Lene Lovich, The Skids


 * Best selling singles and albums (Record Mirror, Jan 1980)


 * Debut albums: The Human League - Reproduction, Adam and The Ants - Dirk Wears White Socks, Pat Benatar - In the heat of the Night, Simple Minds - Life in a Day, Madness - One Step Beyond..., Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle, the Mekons - The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strnen. Toyah - Sheep Farming in Barnet, Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
 * Eponymous debut albums: Landscape, Chelsea, The Flying Lizards, Pretenders, Saxon, Sky, The Specials, The Tourists, The Undertones

Films
UK premiere or general release
 * Alien, Moonraker
 * Apocalypse Now, The Tin Drum (both winners of Palme d'Or)
 * The Concorde ... Airport '79, Escape from Alcatraz, The Kids Are Alright, Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan, Monty Python's Life of Brian, The Muppet Movie, Quadrophenia, Rocky II, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Tempest (dir. D. Jarman), Zulu Dawn

Births

 * Will Young (20 January), Sophie Ellis-Bextor (10 April), James MacAvoy (21 April), Jamie Cullum (20 August)

Birthdays

 * 20: Emma Thompson, Robert Smith, Ian McCulloch, Julie Burchill, Gary Kemp
 * 30: Rick Wakeman, Francis Rossi, Trevor Horn, Martin Amis, Twiggy,
 * 40: Peter Purves, David Frost, Kate O'Mara, John Peel, John Cleese,
 * 50: Gerry Anderson, Jeremy Thorpe, David Jacobs, Surat Hall
 * 60: John Pertwee, Donald Pleasence, Cliff Michelmore, Noele Gordon,
 * 70: Matt Busby,

Deaths

 * Richard Beckinsale (19 March), Sid Vicious, Joyce Grenfell (30 November)