What Happened on September 16, 1979

Historical Events

  • Catfish Hunter Day at Yankee Stadium
  • Coup in Afghanistan under Hafizullah Amin
  • KC's Willie Wilson hits 5th inside-the-park HR (most since 1925)
  • Louis LaRusso II's stage drama "Knockout", starring Danny Aiello, closes at the Helen Hayes Theater, NYC, after 154 performances
  • Russian Bolshoi Ballet dancers Leonid & Valentina Kozlov defect to US in Los Angeles, California
  • Ryder Cup Golf, The Greenbrier: US wins, 17-11; new Team Europe replaces Great Britain & Ireland as official opposition to the United States
  • The families of Peter Strelzyk and Gunter Wetzel arrive in West Germany from Communist East Germany in a hot air balloon
  • USSR performs nuclear test
1979 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Bobby Korecky, American MLB baseball player, born in Hillside, New Jersey
Born in 1979

Famous Deaths

  • Nur Mohammed Taraki, Communist president of Afghanistan (1978-79), murdered by order from his successor, Hafizullah Amin, at 62
1979 Highlights

About September 16, 1979

Day of the Week: Sunday
How Long Ago? 44 years, 6 months and 13 days
Leap Year: No

Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Virgo

Music Charts

  • US #1 Song: My Sharona - The Knack
  • UK #1 Song: Cars - Gary Numan