What happened in January 1978?
The top front-page story of each day in January 1978, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jan 1🌍 Kuwait Transition – Sheik Jaber al-Ahmed al-Sabah assumed power in Kuwait following the death of Sheik Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah.
- Jan 2🏆 Carter Meets Desai – President Carter and Prime Minister Desai of India begin formal discussions symbolizing improved U.S.-India relations.
- Jan 3🌋 Etna Erupts – Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, erupted, spewing molten lava and rocks into the air, but posed no immediate threat to locals.
- Jan 4🏢 Corporate Accountability Shift – A study reveals global corporations are changing governance due to pressures for greater public accountability.
- Jan 5🎨 Carter Meets French President – President Carter visits Paris, charming locals with a stroll down the Champs-Élysées during a three-day trip.
- Jan 6📚 Sandburg's Centenary Celebrated – Carl Sandburg's 100th birthday is marked with tributes and seminars at colleges and libraries across the country.
- Jan 7🚀 Satellite Launched Successfully – A commercial communications satellite, Intelsat IV-A, launched successfully, capable of handling 6,000 calls and two TV channels simultaneously.
- Jan 8🌍 Georgian Earthquake – A strong earthquake in Soviet Georgia destroyed 400 houses and damaged thousands more, according to reports from the labor daily Trud.
- Jan 9🏛️ Getty Museum Plans – Trustees of the Getty Museum discuss how to allocate $800 million for art without disrupting global markets.
- Jan 10🌳 Hope for Chestnut – New findings raise hope for restoring the American chestnut tree, a significant species in earlier forests, by forestry specialists from the U.S., France, and Italy.
- Jan 11🌍 Earth and Moon Photo – Voyager I spacecraft captures first image of Earth and Moon from 7.25 million miles away, marking a historic moment in space exploration.
- Jan 12🚀 Soviet Astronauts Dock – Two Soviet astronauts docked their spaceship with a research station, marking the first multiple linkup in space history.
- Jan 13🔬 GM Unveils Emission Control – General Motors introduces a three-way catalytic converter aimed at reducing air pollution from cars in the 1980s.
- Jan 14🌍 Earthquakes Hit Japan – A series of earthquakes struck central Japan, resulting in one fatality from a falling rock that hit a bus on the Izu Peninsula.
- Jan 15🌍 Earthquake in Japan – A powerful earthquake shook Japan's Pacific coast, leaving at least 18 people dead or missing, according to police reports.
- Jan 16🏆 Borg Wins Birmingham Final – Bjorn Borg of Sweden won the Birmingham international indoor event, defeating Dick Stockton 7-6, 7-5 in the final.
- Jan 17🚢 Queen Elizabeth 2 Sails – The Queen Elizabeth 2 embarks on her longest cruise, a 90-day journey to 28 ports in the Pacific with 1,400 passengers.
- Jan 18🗺️ Israel-Egypt Peace Talks – Foreign ministers of Egypt and Israel opened talks in Jerusalem to seek agreement on principles for a Middle East settlement.
- Jan 19🏛️ Coliseum Roof Collapse – The roof of Hartford Civic Center collapsed under heavy snow, causing significant damage to the $70 million complex.
- Jan 20🦖 Paleontology Breakthrough – Paleontologists suggest Archaeopteryx may no longer be the oldest known ancestor of true birds, refining the evolutionary family tree.
- Jan 21🚀 Soviet Capsule Launched – The Soviet Union launched an unmanned capsule into space, supplying the Salyut 6 orbital station for a long-duration mission.
- Jan 22🏛️ Holy Shroud Displayed – The Holy Shroud, venerated as Christ's burial cloth, will be publicly displayed in Turin for only the fourth time this century.
- Jan 23🚀 Soviet Space Supply Mission – The Soviet Union completed the first unmanned space supply mission, docking a capsule to the Salyut space laboratory.
- Jan 24🌋 Volcano Erupts in Japan – Sakurajima volcano erupted twice in southern Japan, marking its tenth eruption this year. No casualties were reported.
- Jan 25🛰️ Soviet Satellite Incident – A Soviet satellite carrying a nuclear reactor disintegrated over Canada, confirmed by Moscow, but it reportedly burned up before reaching the ground.
- Jan 26🎭 Cav and Pag at Met – Mascanig's 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and Leoncavallo's 'Pagliacci' showcase raw theatrical power, solidifying their place in opera history.
- Jan 27🌌 Satellite Launched Successfully – A satellite with a special telescope was launched in a U.S.-European mission to study the origins of stars and planets.
- Jan 28🌍 Namibia's Freedom Preparations – South Africa begins dismantling white domination in South-West Africa, paving the way for Namibia's independence.
- Jan 29🌲 U.S. Forest Planning – The General Accounting Office urged the U.S. Forest Service to adopt better planning methods for tracking national forest timber.
- Jan 30🌍 Soviet Baptists Visit U.S – A delegation of Soviet Baptists, led by Rev. Andrei Klimenko, begins a tour in the U.S. to attend a national prayer luncheon with President Carter.
- Jan 31🚀 China Launches Satellite – China successfully launched a satellite into orbit and returned it safely, completing its scientific mission.
Happy Birthday! 1978 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1978 in real headlines. See the 1978 book →
Born in January? Pick the day
Every birthday in January has its own On This Day in Headlines book: