What happened in March 1978?
The top front-page story of each day in March 1978, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Mar 1📚 China Revives Education – China announces the reopening of graduate schools in various social sciences, marking a significant educational reform post-Cultural Revolution.
- Mar 2🏗️ Construction Industry Growth – The construction industry advanced significantly, with new contracts rising 39% in January to $9.4 billion compared to the previous year.
- Mar 3🧪 Oil-Eating Bacterium Patented – A court ruled that General Electric can patent manmade bacteria designed to consume oil, a significant advancement in genetic engineering.
- Mar 4🚀 Salyut Sets Record – Salyut 6 astronauts Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko set a world record for endurance in space, surpassing the previous U.S. mark of 84 days.
- Mar 5🚀 Salyut Crew Sets Record – Soviet astronauts Yuri Romanenko and Georgy Grechko broke the American space record, spending over 84 days in orbit aboard Salyut 6.
- Mar 6🏛️ Denver Concert Hall Opens – Denver's new concert hall, Boettcher Concert Hall, inaugurated with a performance by the Denver Symphony Orchestra, is the first 'surround' hall in the U.S.
- Mar 7🏙️ Mayor Restructures Cities Aid – Mayor Koch reorganized New York's $34.3 million antipoverty Model Cities Program, centralizing administration under Deputy Mayor Badillo.
- Mar 8🦖 Museum Mammoth Metamorph – A lifesize snow sculpture of a Stegosaurus is unveiled at the American Museum of Natural History, showcasing artistic creativity.
- Mar 9🌍 Soviet Grants Airbus Rights – Soviet authorities granted landing rights in Moscow to the French-German Airbus passenger transport plane after years of negotiations.
- Mar 10🌍 Carter's Diplomatic Moves – President Carter announces Somalia's agreement to withdraw forces from Ethiopia's Ogaden region after U.S. diplomacy.
- Mar 11🚀 Cosmos 993 Launch – The Soviet Union successfully launched Cosmos 993, a satellite that orbits Earth every 89.7 minutes, enhancing its space capabilities.
- Mar 12🌍 Bronze Artifacts Found – Twenty-five bronzes, a significant archaeological find, were uncovered in Pompeii, a city buried in lava during a volcanic eruption 1,900 years ago.
- Mar 13🏛️ U.S. and Germany Agree – The U.S. and West Germany commit to stabilize the dollar, expanding funds for currency stabilization efforts.
- Mar 14💰 Dollar Tumbles Again – The dollar fell sharply on European markets, disappointing traders despite new joint support measures from the U.S. and West Germany.
- Mar 15🌍 Wildlife Refuges Celebrate – The National Wildlife Refuge System marks its 75th anniversary, preserving millions of acres for wildlife across the U.S.
- Mar 16🔬 Lasers Preserve Movies – Physicist develops a process to save the exact hues and tints of old Technicolor films using lasers.
- Mar 17🚀 Soviet Astronauts Return – Two Soviet astronauts completed a record 96-day mission in space, landing safely in Central Asia after the longest manned flight.
- Mar 18🌊 Supertanker Disaster – The Amoco Cadiz supertanker ran aground off Brittany, causing a massive oil spill that began to foul the shoreline.
- Mar 19🌍 Soviet Satellite Launched – The Soviet Union successfully launched Cosmos 995, an earth satellite, into orbit, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Mar 20🗳️ French Election Results – French voters rejected leftist parties, maintaining the current center-right government coalition with a comfortable majority.
- Mar 21🎭 Cage Music Dance Event – Merce Cunningham's remarkable 'Event 210' showcased innovative dance at the Roundabout Theater, highlighting his artistic vision.
- Mar 22🌍 Majority Rule in Rhodesia – Three black leaders were sworn in as co-leaders of Rhodesia's transitional government, marking a significant step towards majority rule.
- Mar 23🌍 Radiation Tests Planned – The U.S. will conduct aerial radiation surveys of Bikini and neighboring atolls to assess hazards from past nuclear tests.
- Mar 24🌍 U.N. Wheat Conference Delayed – A United Nations conference agreed to resume efforts later this year to create an international pact to stabilize world wheat trade.
- Mar 25🌊 Tanker Splits in Two – The supertanker Amoco Cadiz broke into two, causing a massive oil leak in already polluted waters, marking one of the worst oil spills in history.
- Mar 26🌍 4 African Presidents Meet – Black African presidents and Rhodesian guerrilla leaders began a two-day meeting on the settlement between Prime Minister Ian D. Smith and moderate black leaders.
- Mar 27🌋 Etna Erupts – Mount Etna erupted for the first time in five months, releasing lava and smoke, but scientists reported no immediate danger.
- Mar 28🌳 Redwood Park Expansion – President Carter signed a bill adding 48,000 acres to Redwood National Park, protecting old-growth redwood forests from logging.
- Mar 29🔬 Hydrogen Fuel Storage – A novel method for storing energy using hydrogen and metal was described, potentially benefiting vehicles and power plants.
- Mar 30🌍 Israel Begins Oil Production – Israel has started offshore oil production in the Gulf of Suez, marking a significant development in its energy sector.
- Mar 31🌍 Carter's Nigeria Trip – President Carter's arrival in Nigeria marks a significant effort to improve relations with Africa's most influential nation.
Happy Birthday! 1978 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1978 in real headlines. See the 1978 book →
Born in March? Pick the day
Every birthday in March has its own On This Day in Headlines book: