1978 In The United States
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Events from the year 1978 in the United States.


Incumbents


Federal government

*
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
:
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
( D-
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
) *
Vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
:
Walter Mondale Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...
( D-
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
) * Chief justice:
Warren E. Burger Warren Earl Burger (September 17, 1907 – June 25, 1995) was an American attorney and jurist who served as the 15th chief justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Burger graduated from the William Mitchell ...
(
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
) * Speaker of the House of Representatives:
Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...
( D-
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
) *
Senate Majority Leader The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...
:
Robert Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...
( D-
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
) *
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
:
95th 95 or 95th may refer to: * 95 (number) * one of the years 95 BC, AD 95, 1995, 2095, etc. * 95th Division (disambiguation) * 95th Regiment ** 95th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation) * 95th Squadron (disambiguation) * Atomic number 95: americium *M ...


Events


January

* January 1 ** The
Copyright Act of 1976 The Copyright Act of 1976 is a United States copyright law and remains the primary basis of copyright law in the United States, as amended by several later enacted copyright provisions. The Act spells out the basic rights of copyright holders, cod ...
takes effect, making sweeping changes to
United States copyright law The copyright law of the United States grants monopoly protection for "original works of authorship". With the stated purpose to promote art and culture, copyright law assigns a set of exclusive rights to authors: to make and sell copies of thei ...
. **
Edward M. Davis Edward Michael Davis (November 15, 1916 – April 22, 2006) was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1969 to 1978, and later a California state senator from 1980 to 1992 and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United Stat ...
retires from the
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
, after 30 years on the force and more than 8 years as its
police chief The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...
. * January 6 – The
Holy Crown of Hungary The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the ...
(also known as the Crown of
St. Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
) is returned to
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
from the United States, where it was held since
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. * January 14–15 – The body of former U.S. Vice President
Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...
lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda, following his death from cancer. * January 14 – The
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
hold their last concert, at the
Winterland Ballroom Winterland Ballroom (more commonly known as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland) was an ice skating rink and music venue in San Francisco, California. The arena was located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street. It was converted for ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. * January 15 –
Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy ( born Cowell; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer who kidnapped, raped and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s and possibly earlier. After more than a decade ...
commits an infamous murder and assault at the
Chi Omega Chi Omega (, also known as ChiO) is a women's fraternity and a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, the umbrella organization of 26 women's fraternities. Chi Omega has 181 active collegiate chapters and approximately 240 alumnae chapte ...
Sorority House at
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
. * January 15 – The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos at
Super Bowl XII Super Bowl XII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the ...
* January 16 – Robert F. Rock succeeds
Edward M. Davis Edward Michael Davis (November 15, 1916 – April 22, 2006) was the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department from 1969 to 1978, and later a California state senator from 1980 to 1992 and an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United Stat ...
as the
LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
's interim chief. * January 19 – Federal Appeals Court Judge
William H. Webster William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) is an American attorney and jurist who most recently served as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council from 2005 until 2020. He was a United States district judge of the United States Distric ...
is appointed
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a United States' federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI Director is appointed for a single ...
. * January 25–27 – The
Great Blizzard of 1978 The Great Blizzard of 1978 was an historic winter storm that struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions of the United States as well as Southern Ontario in Canada from Wednesday, January 25 through Friday, January 27, 1978. It is often cited ...
strikes the
Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...
and the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
, causing 51 deaths in
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. * January 28 –
Richard Chase Richard Trenton Chase (May 23, 1950 – December 26, 1980) was an American serial killer, cannibal, and necrophile who killed six people in the span of a month in 1977 and 1978 in Sacramento, California. He was nicknamed The Vampire of Sac ...
, the "Vampire of Sacramento", is arrested.


February

* February 1 –
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
film director
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...
flees to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
to avoid sentencing after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a minor. * February 5–7 – The
Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 The Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 was a catastrophic, historic nor'easter that struck New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. The Blizzard of '78 formed on Sunday, February 5, 1978, and broke up o ...
hits the
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
region and the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
, killing about 100 and causing over US$520 million in damage. * February 6 – The first
Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational corporation, multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the l ...
opens in
Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...
. * February 8 –
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
proceedings are broadcast on
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
for the first time. * February 9 – The
Budd Company The Budd Company was a 20th-century metal fabricator, a major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars, airframes, missile and space vehicles, and various defense products ...
unveils its first
SPV-2000 The Budd SPV-2000 is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar built by the Budd Company between 1978 and 1981 for use on North American commuter railroads. The design was a successor to Budd's popular Rail Diesel Car (RDC) but based on the b ...
self-propelled railcar in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. * February 11 – Sixteen
Unification Church The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or "Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Spi ...
couples wed in
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
. * February 15 – Serial killer
Ted Bundy Theodore Robert Bundy ( born Cowell; November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer who kidnapped, raped and murdered numerous young women and girls during the 1970s and possibly earlier. After more than a decade ...
is recaptured in
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
. * February 16 **The
Hillside Strangler The Hillside Strangler, later the Hillside Stranglers, is the media epithet for one, later discovered to be two, American serial killers who terrorized Los Angeles, California, between October 1977 and February 1978, with the nicknames originating ...
, a serial killer prowling
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, claims a 10th and final victim. **The first
computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...
bulletin board system A bulletin board system (BBS), also called computer bulletin board service (CBBS), is a computer server running software that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, the user can perform functions such as ...
(''
CBBS CBBS ("Computerized Bulletin Board System") was a computer program created by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess to allow them and other computer hobbyists to exchange information between each other. Jason Scott: , 2005, Episode 1 In Janua ...
'') is created in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. * February 24 – Five men with mild mental-health issues from
Yuba City, California Yuba City (Maidu: ''Yubu'') is a city in Northern California and the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 70,117 at the 2020 census. Yuba City is the principal city of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical ...
disappear in the snow on their way home from a basketball game. In June, four of the bodies are discovered in the Sierra. The fifth, Gary Mathias, is never found. The circumstances surrounding their deaths remains a mystery.


March

* March 3 – The ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' publishes an article about
David Rorvik David Michael Rorvik (born 1944) is an American journalist and novelist who was the author of the 1978 book ''In his Image: The Cloning of a Man'' in which he claimed to have been part of a successful endeavor to create a clone of a human being. T ...
's book ''The Cloning of Man'', about a supposed cloning of a human being. * March 6 – American
porn Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
publisher
Larry Flynt Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. (; November 1, 1942 – February 10, 2021) was an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications (LFP). LFP mainly produces pornographic magazines, such as ''Hustler'', pornographic videos, and three por ...
is shot and paralyzed in
Lawrenceville, Georgia Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a suburb of Atlanta, located approximately northeast of downtown. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lawrenceville was 30,629. In 2019, the ...
. * March 22 –
Karl Wallenda Karl Wallenda (; January 21, 1905 – March 22, 1978) was a German-American high wire artist and founder of The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus act which performed dangerous stunts, often without a safety net. Personal life Wallenda was bo ...
of the
Flying Wallendas The Flying Wallendas is a circus act and group of daredevil stunt performers who perform highwire acts without a safety net. They were first known as ''The Great Wallendas'', but the current name was coined by the press in the 1940s and has st ...
dies after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
. * March 28 – ''
Stump v. Sparkman ''Stump v. Sparkman'', 435 U.S. 349 (1978), is the leading United States Supreme Court decision on judicial immunity. It involved an Indiana judge who was sued by a young woman who had been sterilized without her knowledge as a minor in accorda ...
'' (435 U.S. 349): The
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
hands down a 5–3 decision in a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and
judicial immunity Judicial immunity is a form of sovereign immunity, which protects judges and others employed by the judiciary from liability resulting from their judicial actions. Though judges have immunity from lawsuit, in constitutional democracies judicial m ...
.


April

* April 2 – The
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
soap opera ''
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' is launched. It is set to be aired later this year in several countries, including the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
. * April 3 – The
50th Academy Awards The 50th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1977 and took place on April 3, 1978, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 7:00 p.m. PST ...
ceremony, hosted by
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
for the final time, is held at
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...
'' wins
Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, with Allen winning
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
.
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
' ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' wins six awards, while
Fred Zinnemann Alfred ''Fred'' Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an Austrian Empire-born American film director. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thrillers, westerns, film noir and play ...
's ''
Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g. ...
'' and
Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...
' '' The Turning Point'' both receive eleven nominations each. * April 7 – U.S. President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
decides to postpone production of the
neutron bomb A neutron bomb, officially defined as a type of enhanced radiation weapon (ERW), is a low-yield thermonuclear weapon designed to maximize lethal neutron radiation in the immediate vicinity of the blast while minimizing the physical power of the b ...
– a weapon which kills people with radiation but leaves buildings relatively intact. * April 10 – The
Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly was a manufacturing complex located southeast of Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, near New Stanton — and noted for manufacturing 1.15 million Volkswagens from 1978 until 1987. When VWoA be ...
plant near
New Stanton, Pennsylvania New Stanton is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,173 at the 2010 census. New Stanton is often used as a control city in western parts of Pennsylvania, as I-70 joins the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) ...
is dedicated, having begun production of the Rabbit, the North American version of the
Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
, the previous week.
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
thus becomes the second non-American automobile manufacturer (after
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
in 1921–1931) to open a plant in the United States. (The plant closes in 1988.) * April 18 – The U.S. Senate votes 68–32 to turn the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
over to
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
nian control on December 31, 1999. * April 25 –
St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...
becomes the second U.S. city to repeal its gay rights ordinance after
Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...
's successful 1977 anti-gay campaign in Dade County,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. * April 27 –
Willow Island disaster The Willow Island disaster was the collapse of a cooling tower under construction at the Pleasants Power Station at Willow Island, West Virginia, on April 27, 1978. 51 construction workers were killed. It is thought to be the deadliest constr ...
– In the deadliest construction accident in United States history, 51 construction workers are killed when a
cooling tower A cooling tower is a device that rejects waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a coolant stream, usually a water stream to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and ...
under construction collapses at the
Pleasants Power Station Pleasants Power Station is a 1.3-gigawatt (1,300 MW) coal power plant located near Belmont, West Virginia in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The plant is owned by Energy Harbor and began operations in 1979. The power plant was the site of th ...
in
Willow Island, West Virginia Willow Island is an unincorporated community in Pleasants County, West Virginia, United States. Willow Island is located on the Ohio River at the junction of West Virginia Route 2 and County Highway 10, west-southwest of Belmont. Willow Island h ...
. * April 28 – WAC abolished; women integrated into regular
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
.


May

* May 5 –
Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
of the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
gets his 3,000th major league hit. * May 20 –
Mavis Hutchinson Mavis Hutchison (25 November 1924 – 19 May 2022) was a South African athlete, primarily known for running in ultramarathons. Career Born in South Africa, Hutchison's career began as a race walker, and her first record was in the 50-mile walk k ...
, 53, becomes the first woman to run across the U.S.; her trek took 69 days. * May 25 – A bomb explodes in the security section of
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
, wounding a security guard (the first
Unabomber Theodore John Kaczynski ( ; born May 22, 1942), also known as the Unabomber (), is an American domestic terrorist and former mathematics professor. Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski killed three people and injured 23 others in a nationwide ...
attack). * May 26 – In
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
, Resorts International, the first legal
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
in the eastern United States, opens. * May 28 –
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
:
Al Unser Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Rick ...
wins his third race, and the first for car owner Jim Hall.


June

* June 6 –
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
voters approve
Proposition 13 Proposition 13 (officially named the People's Initiative to Limit Property Taxation) is an amendment of the Constitution of California enacted during 1978, by means of the initiative process. The initiative was approved by California voters on J ...
, which slashes property taxes nearly 60%. * June 9 –
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
extends the priesthood and temple blessings to "all worthy males", ending a general policy of excluding "Canaanites" from priesthood ordination and temple ordinances. * June 10 –
Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...
becomes only the 11th horse to ever win the Triple Crown by defeating
Alydar Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive ...
in the 110th running of the Belmont Stakes. * June 12 – Serial killer
David Berkowitz David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco, June 1, 1953), also known as the Son of Sam and .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight shootings that began in New York City on July 29, 1976. Berkowitz ...
, the "Son of Sam," is sentenced to 365 years in prison. * June 16 – The musical film '' Grease'' is released, starring 24-year-old
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
born actor
John Travolta John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''Carrie'' (19 ...
and 29-year-old British-Australian actress and singer
Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
. * June 19 – ''
Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...
'', which eventually becomes the world's most widely syndicated
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
, makes its debut nationwide. * June 25 – The
rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. The LGBT flag introduced in 1978 is the most recognized u ...
of the
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
movement flies for the first time (in its original form) at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. * June 28 ** The U.S. scientific satellite
Seasat Seasat was the first Earth-orbiting satellite designed for remote sensing of the Earth's oceans and had on board one of the first spaceborne synthetic-aperture radar (SAR). The mission was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of global satelli ...
is launched. ** '' University of California Regents v. Bakke'': The
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
bars quota systems in college admissions but affirms the constitutionality of programs which give advantages to minorities. * June 29 – Actor
Bob Crane Robert Edward Crane (July 13, 1928 – June 29, 1978) was an American actor, drummer, radio personality, and disc jockey known for starring in the CBS situation comedy ''Hogan's Heroes''. Crane was a drummer from age 11, and he began his ente ...
is found bludgeoned to death in his Scottsdale, Arizona, apartment. The crime is never solved.


August

* August 2 – President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
declares an unprecedented state emergency and evacuation immediately following the revelation that
Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...
neighborhood
Love Canal Love Canal is a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, United States, infamous as the location of a landfill that became the site of an enormous environmental disaster in the 1970s. Decades of dumping toxic chemicals harmed the health of hund ...
was built on a
toxic waste Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin). Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemi ...
dump. * August 12 – During a preseason game against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
,
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
wide receiver
Darryl Stingley Darryl Floyd Stingley (September 18, 1951April 5, 2007) was an American professional football player, a wide receiver whose career was ended at age 26 by an on-field spinal cord injury. He played his entire five-year career with the New England ...
sustains a
spinal cord injury A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cor ...
on a hit from
Jack Tatum John David Tatum (November 18, 1948 – July 27, 2010) was an American football safety. He played 10 seasons, from 1971 through 1980, with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was popularly known as " ...
, leaving Stingley a
quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...
. He will die from complications of his injury on April 5, 2007. * August 13 – The 5.8 Santa Barbara earthquake affected the central coast of California with a maximum
Mercalli intensity The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of VII (''Very strong''), causing 65 injuries and $12 million in financial losses. * August 17 –
Double Eagle II ''Double Eagle II'', piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, became the first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it landed 17 August 1978 in Miserey near Paris, 137 hours 6 minutes after leaving Presque Isle, Maine. It ...
becomes the first balloon to successfully cross the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, flying from
Presque Isle, Maine Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,797 at the 2020 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Husso ...
, to
Miserey Miserey () is a commune in the Eure department in the Normandy region in Northern France. In 2017, it had a population of 629. History On 23 August 1944, the first Recon Platoon of the 823rd Tank Destroyer Bn., 30th Infantry Division was order ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.


September

* September 17 –
Camp David Accords The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retrea ...
:
Menachem Begin Menachem Begin ( ''Menaḥem Begin'' (); pl, Menachem Begin (Polish documents, 1931–1937); ''Menakhem Volfovich Begin''; 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992) was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. B ...
and
Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
begin the peace process at Camp David, Maryland. * September 18 – ''
WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio broadcasting, radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson (director), Hugh Wilson ...
'' premieres on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
. * September 25 **
PSA Flight 182 Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182 was a scheduled flight of Pacific Southwest Airlines from Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego. On September 25, 1978, the Boeing 727-214 serving the flight, registration N533PS, collided with a pr ...
, a Boeing 727, collides with a small private airplane and crashes in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
; 144 are killed. **
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's opera ''
Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...
'' makes its first appearance on
Live from the Met ''Live from the Metropolitan Opera'' (or: ''Live from the Met'') was an American television program that presented performances of complete operas from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network. Th ...
, in a complete production of the opera starring
Jon Vickers Jonathan Stewart Vickers, (October 29, 1926 – July 10, 2015), known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor. Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a s ...
. This is the first complete television broadcast of the opera in the U.S. since the historic 1948 one.


October

* October 2 – The
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
defeat the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
5–4 at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
to clinch the
AL East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
after being 14 games out of first place only two months earlier. The Yankees would eventually go on to defeat the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
and
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and win the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. * October 4 –
Pier 39 Pier 39 is a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, the Aquarium of the Bay, virtual 3D rides, and views of Calif ...
opens on
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. Th ...
, as a tourist attraction. * October 10 – U.S. President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
signs a bill that authorizes the minting of the
Susan B. Anthony dollar The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. Intended as a replacement for the larger Eisenhower dollar, the new smalle ...
. * October 14 – President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
signs a bill into law which allows
homebrewing Homebrewing is the brewing of beer or other alcoholic beverages on a small scale for personal, non-commercial purposes. Supplies, such as kits and fermentation tanks, can be purchased locally at specialty stores or online. Beer was brewed dom ...
of
beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
in the United States. * October 17 – The
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
clinch their 22nd
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
championship, defeating the
Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
7–2 in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and winning the
Series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...
4 games to 2. * October 27 – President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
signs the
Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act The Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act (known informally as the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act) is an act of legislation by the United States government. Impetus and strategy Unemployment and inflation levels began to rise in the ...
, adjusting the government's economic goals to include
full employment Full employment is a situation in which there is no cyclical or unemployment#Cyclical unemployment, deficient-demand unemployment. Full employment does not entail the disappearance of all unemployment, as other kinds of unemployment, namely Structu ...
, growth in production,
price stability Price stability is a goal of monetary and fiscal policy aiming to support sustainable rates of economic activity. Policy is set to maintain a very low rate of inflation or deflation. For example, the European Central Bank (ECB) describes price s ...
, and
balance of trade The balance of trade, commercial balance, or net exports (sometimes symbolized as NX), is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports over a certain time period. Sometimes a distinction is made between a balance ...
and
budget A budget is a calculation play, usually but not always financial, for a defined period, often one year or a month. A budget may include anticipated sales volumes and revenues, resource quantities including time, costs and expenses, environmenta ...
.


November

* November 7 – California voters defeat the
Briggs Initiative California Proposition 6, informally known as the Briggs Initiative, was a ballot initiative put to a referendum on the California state ballot in the November 7, 1978 election. It was sponsored by John Briggs, a conservative state legislator ...
that would have prohibited gay school teachers. * November 10 –
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
and
Badlands National Park Badlands National Park ( lkt, Makȟóšiča) is an American national park located in southwestern South Dakota. The park protects of sharply eroded buttes and pinnacles, along with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United State ...
is established. * November 17 – The ''
Star Wars Holiday Special The ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' is a 1978 American television special that originally aired on November 17, 1978, on CBS. It is set in the universe of the sci-fi-based ''Star Wars'' media franchise. Directed by Steve Binder, it was the first ' ...
'' airs on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
; this is its first and only airing. * November 18 – Mass murder/suicide of 909 Americans in
Jonestown The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, a U.S.–based cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationall ...
,
Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
under the direction of
Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide", ...
. * November 19 – The first U.S. Take Back the Night march occurs in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. * November 27 – In
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, Mayor
George Moscone George Richard Moscone (; November 24, 1929 – November 27, 1978) was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. He was known ...
and City Supervisor
Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in N ...
are
assassinated Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
by former Supervisor
Dan White Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall. White was convicted of manslaugh ...
.


December

* December 3 – The Southern Crescent passenger train derails at
Shipman, Virginia Shipman is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nelson County, Virginia, Nelson County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 Census was 507. Bon Aire and the Oak Ridge Railroad Overpass are listed on the ...
, killing six and injuring 60. * December 4 –
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...
succeeds the murdered
George Moscone George Richard Moscone (; November 24, 1929 – November 27, 1978) was an American attorney and Democratic politician. He was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. He was known ...
as
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
's first woman mayor (she serves until January 8, 1988). * December 11 –
Lufthansa heist The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5.875 million (equivalent to $ million in ) was stolen, with $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry, ma ...
: Six men rob a Lufthansa cargo facility in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's Kennedy airport. * December 13 – The first
Susan B. Anthony dollar The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. Intended as a replacement for the larger Eisenhower dollar, the new smalle ...
enters circulation. * December 15 **
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
becomes the first major American city to go into default since the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, under Mayor
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich (; born October 8, 1946) is an American politician. A U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1997 to 2013, he was also a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2004 and 2008. He ran for ...
. **''
Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' is released in theaters in the United States. * December 22 –
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
serial killer
John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as " ...
, who is subsequently convicted of the murder of 33 young men, is arrested.


Full date unknown

* Colantonio Incorporated, a general contractor is founded in
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. * San Francisco City Guides, a non-profit organization is founded.


Ongoing

*
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
(1947–1991) *
Détente Détente (, French: "relaxation") is the relaxation of strained relations, especially political ones, through verbal communication. The term, in diplomacy, originates from around 1912, when France and Germany tried unsuccessfully to reduc ...
(c. 1969–1979) *
1970s energy crisis The 1970s energy crisis occurred when the Western world, particularly the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, faced substantial petroleum shortages as well as elevated prices. The two worst crises of this period wer ...
(1973–1980)


Births


January

* January 2 –
Karina Smirnoff Karina Smirnoff (russian: Карина Смирнова, links=no; born January 2, 1978) is a Soviet-born American professional ballroom dancer of Ukrainian origins. She is known as a professional dancer on '' Dancing with the Stars,'' where s ...
, Ukrainian-born dancer * January 3 **
Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk ...
, singer **
Shawnna Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chi ...
, rapper * January 5 **
America Olivo America Athene Olivo (born January 5, 1978) is an American actress and singer best known as a member of the band Soluna, for her roles in the films ''Bitch Slap'' (2009), '' Friday the 13th'' (2009) and ''Maniac'' (2012), as well as starring in ...
, actress **
January Jones January Kristen Jones (born January 5, 1978) is an American actress and model. She played Betty Draper in ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which she was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and a Pri ...
, actress * January 6 **
Casey Fossum Casey Paul Fossum (born January 6, 1978) is a former professional pitcher. Previously, he played for the Boston Red Sox (2001–2003), Arizona Diamondbacks (2004), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005–2007), Detroit Tigers (2008), and New York Mets (2009) ...
, baseball player **
Bubba Franks Daniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks (born January 6, 1978) is a former American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Miami. He was drafted by the Green Bay ...
, football player * January 7 –
Kevin Mench Kevin Ford Mench (born January 7, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played eight years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Texas Rangers (2002–2006), Milwaukee Brewers (2006–2007), Toronto Blue Jays ...
, baseball player * January 9 **
Chad Johnson Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Santa Monica College and Oregon State University, and pl ...
, football player and actor **
AJ McLean Alexander James McLean (born January 9, 1978) is an American singer, dancer, actor and a member of the pop vocal group Backstreet Boys. Early life McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise (née Fernandez, n ...
, pop singer/songwriter and member of the
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...
* January 10 **
Bang Belushi Rudolph Rinchere (born January 10, 1978), better known by his stage name Bang Belushi (previously Shim-E-Bango), is an American underground rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a current member of the Fat Killahz and also Obie Trice's hypeman. ...
, rapper **
Niya Butts Niya Denise Butts (born January 10, 1978) is an American women's college basketball coach, currently associate head coach at the University of Kentucky. She is the former head coach at the University of Arizona. As a player, she was a part of tw ...
, basketball player and coach **
Brent Smith Brent Stephen Smith (born January 10, 1978) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Shinedown. Early life Smith was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and is an only child. Career Prior to fronting the rock band S ...
, singer and frontman for
Shinedown Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed by singer Brent Smith in 2001 after the dissolution of Dreve, his previous band. Smith, still under contract with record label Atlantic Records, recruited the band's original l ...
**
Tamina Snuka Sarona Moana Marie Reiher Snuka-Polamalu (born January 10, 1978) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tamina. She is a one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champ ...
, professional wrestler and actress * January 11 **
Lazare Adingono Lazare Adingono (or Lazare Adie Ngono; born 11 January 1978) is a Cameroonian-American former basketball player and current head coach of Primeiro de Agosto of the Angolan Basketball League. Playing career Adingono played basketball at the Univer ...
, Cameroonian-born basketball player and coach **
Mark Aylor Mark Aylor (born January 11, 1978 in Santa Clara, California) is a former American rugby union flanker. He was a member of the United States national rugby union team that participated in the 2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup wa ...
, rugby player * January 12 **
Stephen Abas Stephen Anthony Abas (born January 12, 1978) is an American Olympic freestyle wrestler and mixed martial artist. Abas became a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion in the weight division while attending Fresno State University. He has c ...
, wrestler and mixed martial artist **
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Thomas Camp (born January 12, 1978) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana. He has released eleven albums, four of them RIAA-certified as Gold, and two live albums. Camp's original musi ...
, Christian singer/songwriter * January 13 **
Aaron Boone Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...
, football player **
Nate Silver Nathaniel Read Silver (born January 13, 1978) is an American statistician, writer, and poker player who analyzes baseball (see sabermetrics), basketball, and elections (see psephology). He is the founder and editor-in-chief of ''FiveThirtyEight' ...
, statistician, psephologist and writer * January 14 **
Eddie Berlin Edward Walton Berlin (born January 14, 1978), is a former American football wide receiver. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of the University of Northern Iowa. He played for the Chicago ...
, football player **
Shawn Crawford Shawn Crawford (born January 14, 1978) is a retired American sprint athlete. He competed in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. In the 200 meter sprint, Crawford won gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics and silver at the 2008 Summer Olym ...
, Olympic sprinter * January 15 –
Eddie Cahill Edmund Patrick Cahill (born January 15, 1978) is an American actor known for portraying "Miracle on Ice" goalie Jim Craig in the 2004 film ''Miracle'', and for playing the roles of Tag Jones in ''Friends'' and Detective Don Flack in ''CSI: NY.' ...
, actor * January 18 ** J Anthony Allen, composer and producer ** Daniel Alvarez, soccer player * January 19 **
Amanda Augustus Amanda Augustus (born January 19, 1978) is a former professional tennis player from the United States. Biography Augustus, who grew up in Los Angeles County, attended UC Berkeley and was one of the most successful tennis players in California ...
, tennis player **
Matt Brass Matthew Freeman Brass (born January 19, 1978) is an American politician who has served in the Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Legal provisions ...
, politician * January 20 – Joy Giovanni, wrestler, model, and actress * January 21 **
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
, football player **
Phil Stacey Joel Philip Stacey (born January 21, 1978) is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On ...
, singer and
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
contestant * January 23 **
Stephanie Arnold Stephanie White-Arnold, now Stephanie Amick (born January 23, 1978), is an athlete from the United States who competed in archery. Amick represented the U.S. at the 2004 Summer Olympics.Huang, Thomas (2004)Archery competition, mythic Panathinaik ...
, Olympic archer ** Jason Bishop, illusionist and magician **
E. Kidd Bogart Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...
, songwriter, music publisher, and record executive ** Josh Thompson, country singer * January 24 –
Kristen Schaal Kristen Joy Schaal (; born January 24, 1978) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She is best known for her voice roles as Louise Belcher on ''Bob's Burgers'' and Mabel Pines on ''Gravity Falls''. She's also known for playing Mel on ''F ...
, actress, comedian, and writer * January 25 ** Jenny Benson, soccer player ** Ben Brown, blogger **
Liz Carey Liz Carey is an American actress, comedian, personality, podcaster and writer. Career After moving to California from Ohio at age 17, Carey pursued a career in modelling and was signed to Wilhelmina Models. In December 1995, while on the set of ...
, actress, comedian, personality, podcaster, and writer **
B. J. Whitmer Benjamin Whitmer (born January 25, 1978), better known by the ring name B. J. Whitmer, is an American professional wrestler, producer, trainer, and color commentator. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer. He is bes ...
, wrestler * January 26 **
Jake Arians Jacob Bruce Arians (born January 26, 1978) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played college football at UAB. Arians spent less than one season as the field goal kicker for the Buffalo Bills in 2001, si ...
, football player **
Kelly Stables Kelly Stables is an American actress who has appeared on stage, as well as in film and television. She is known for her television roles, such as Melissa on ''Two and a Half Men'', Eden Konkler on ''The Exes'', and Kelly on '' Superstore''. Pers ...
, actress * January 27 **
Aaron Best Aaron Best (born January 27, 1978) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head coach at Eastern Washington Eagles football, Eastern Washington University, his alma mater, promoted from offensive coordinator in January 2017 E ...
, football player and coach ** Jonathan Byrd, golfer * January 28 –
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper and performer known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popu ...
, musician * January 29 **
Rob Bironas James Robert Douglas Bironas (January 29, 1978 – September 20, 2014) was an American football placekicker who played the majority of his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. He played college football for Auburn University and Georgia ...
, football player (d.
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
) **
Arūnas Bižokas Arūnas Bižokas (born 29 January 1978 in Vilnius, Lithuania) is a professional Lithuanian ballroom dancer, who is currently representing the USA. Until 2007 he was competing with his partner Edita Daniūtė under the Lithuanian flag at World D ...
, Lithuanian-born ballroom dancer **
Brian Windhorst Brian Windhorst (born January 29, 1978) is an American sportswriter for ESPN.com who covers the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer for the ''Akron Beacon Journal'' from 2003 through the summer of 200 ...
, basketball journalist * January 30 – Donald Barrett, drummer * January 31 –
Brad Rutter Bradford Gates Rutter (born January 31, 1978) is an American game show contestant, TV host, producer, and actor. With over $5.1 million in winnings, he is currently the 2nd highest-earning American game show contestant of all time, behind Ken Je ...
, game show champion (
Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
)


February

* February 1 –
Dusty Bergman Dustin Michael Bergman (born February 1, 1978) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the Anaheim Angels in 2004. Bergman attended the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, and in 1998 he played collegiate summ ...
, baseball player * February 2 **
Eden Espinosa Eden Erica Espinosa (born February 2, 1978) is an American actress and singer who is best known for her performances as Elphaba for the Broadway, Los Angeles, and San Francisco productions of the musical ''Wicked''. In 2022, she was nominated for ...
, actress and singer ** Chris 'Romanski' Romano, actor, writer, producer, and director **
Rich Sommer Rich Sommer (born February 2, 1978) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Harry Crane on the AMC drama series ''Mad Men''. He is also known for his roles in the comedy-drama films '' The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006), ''Celeste and ...
, actor * February 3 ** Rashon Burno, basketball player and coach **
Adrian R'Mante Adrian R'Mante is an American actor and acting coach best known for his role as Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez in the Disney Channel Original Series, ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''. He was born in Tampa, Florida, United St ...
, actor **
Eliza Schneider Eliza Jane Schneider is an American actress, voice actress, singer, playwright, dialect coach and dialectologist. She has appeared on television and as a voice over actress on video games and animations. She also performs various musical and ...
, actress ** Kelly Sullivan, actress * February 5 **
Ikaika Anderson Justin-Michael "Ikaika" Anderson (born February 5, 1978) is an American politician from the state of Hawaii and a member of the Democratic Party. Anderson formerly served as chair and presiding officer of the Honolulu City Council and councilmemb ...
, politician ** Nick Allen Brown, author **
Brian Russell Brian William Russell (born February 5, 1978) is a former American football safety who played nine seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2009. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2001 and last played for the Houston Te ...
, football player * February 7 **
Tom Blankenship Tom Blankenship (born February 7, 1978) is an American indie rock musician. He is the bass guitar-player for the Louisville, Kentucky band My Morning Jacket. Equipment *Fender Precision Bass The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P- ...
, bassist for
My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ba ...
**
Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a S ...
, screen actor and venture capitalist * February 8 – Donald Betts, politician * February 9 ** David Allen, football player **
Clarice Assad Clarice Assad (born February 9, 1978) is a Brazilian-American composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator from Rio de Janeiro. She is influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Romanticism, world music, and jazz. She comes from a musical fami ...
, Brazilian-born composer, pianist, arranger, singer, and educator * February 10 **
Nick Basile Nick Basile (born February 10, 1978) is an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. Films produced and directed by Basile include ''The Adventures of Captain Steel'', ''Slasher Flick'' (featured on the NYC Horror Film Festival DV ...
, director, producer, actor, and screenwriter ** David Berry, entrepreneur and business executive ** Cedrick Bowers, baseball player **
Reshea Bristol Reshea LaNette Bristol (born February 10, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. After starting her career in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting in 2001, she went on to play fourteen years in Russia, Lithuania, Iceland, Switze ...
, basketball player * February 11 ** Andrew Bayes, football player ** Laurel Braitman, science historian and writer **
Brent Butler Justin Brent Butler (born February 11, 1978) is a retired Major League Baseball utility infielder. Butler attended Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina, graduating in 1996. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 3rd round ...
, baseball player * February 12 –
Busdriver Regan Farquhar (born February 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Busdriver, is an American rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California. He has collaborated with rappers such as Myka 9, Milo, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle, 2Mex, and Radioi ...
, rapper * February 13 – Mike Brown, football player * February 14 ** Courtney Brown, football player ** Patrick J. Bumatay, judge **
Danai Gurira Danai Jekesai Gurira (; born February 14, 1978) is an American-Zimbabwean actress and playwright. She is best known for her starring roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2012–2020, 2022) and as Okoye in the ...
, actress and playwright ** Richard Hamilton, basketball player * February 16 **
Bassnectar Lorin Gabriel Ashton, better known under his stage name Bassnectar (born February 16, 1978), is an American DJ and record producer. Biography Ashton grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Bellarmine College Preparatory. He initiall ...
, DJ and record producer **
John Tartaglia John Nicholas Tartaglia (; born February 16, 1978) is an American actor, singer, and puppeteer. Early life Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade Township, New Jersey, and graduated from Upper Dublin High School in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, in 199 ...
, actor * February 17 –
Jacob Wetterling Jacob Erwin Wetterling (February 17, 1978 – October 22, 1989) was an American boy from St. Joseph, Minnesota, who was kidnapped from his hometown and murdered on October 22, 1989, at the age of 11. His abduction remained a mystery for nearly t ...
,
kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
victim * February 18 –
Winny Brodt-Brown Winny Brodt-Brown (born February 18, 1978) is an American former ice hockey player. She was the first winner of the Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award in 1996. She won a silver medal at the 2000 and 2001 IIHF Women's World ice hockey championships. Sh ...
, ice hockey player * February 19 ** Antimc, hip hop producer **
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (born February 19, 1978) is an American director, writer, actor, and musician. He is a founding member of the punk band Link 80 and co-creator of the filmmaking collectives Chad, Matt & Rob and Radio Silence. He is best know ...
, director, writer, actor, and musician **
Immortal Technique Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics, from a radical left-wing perspective. Immortal Techn ...
, Peruvian-born rapper **
Kenyatta Wright Kenyatta Terrell Wright (born February 19, 1978 in Vian, Oklahoma) is a former American football linebacker who played for the New York Jets of the NFL from 2003-2005. He was a four-year starter for Oklahoma State University, where he recorded ...
, football player * February 20 **
Lauren Ambrose Lauren Anne D'Ambruoso (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Lauren Ambrose, is an American actress and singer. She performs in television, film, and on Broadway. Ambrose had television roles as Claire Fisher in ''Six Feet Under'' ( ...
, actress and producer **
Jay Hernandez Javier Manuel Hernandez Jr. (born February 20, 1978), known professionally as Jay Hernandez, is an American actor and fashion model. After making his television debut in NBC's '' Hang Time'', Hernandez made his film debut opposite Kirsten Dunst ...
, actor and fashion model * February 21 ** Erick Barkley, basketball player ** Kumail Nanjiani, Pakistani-born actor and comedian ** Nicole Parker, actress, comedian, writer, podcaster, and singer * February 22 – Gus Sorola, actor and podcast host * February 24 ** Corey Benjamin, basketball player ** John Nolan (musician), John Nolan, singer-songwriter and guitarist ** T. W. Shannon, politician ** DeWayne Wise, baseball player * February 25 ** Big Ali, rapper and songwriter ** Darren Soto, politician * February 26 – Molly Antopol, fiction and nonfiction writer * February 27 ** Stephanie Baldwin, beauty queen ** James Briggs (musician), James Briggs, keyboardist for The Aquabats ** Adam Kinzinger, politician


March

* March 1 ** Jensen Ackles, actor ** Joe Block, radio and television announcer ** Mya Byrne, singer/songwriter ** Donovan Patton, actor, television host, and singer * March 2 ** Sebastian Janikowski, football player ** Mike Naig, politician * March 3 ** Yeremiah Bell, football player ** Antonio Brown (wide receiver, born 1978), Antonio Brown, football player ** Matt Diaz, baseball player * March 4 – Nate Ackerman, British-born mathematician and wrestler * March 6 ** Mike Jackson (Oklahoma politician), Mike Jackson, politician ** Sage Rosenfels, football player * March 7 – Mike Reese (Pennsylvania politician), Mike Reese, politician (d. 2021) * March 8 – Nick Zano, actor * March 9 ** Nathan Beard, politician ** LaKeysia Beene, soccer player ** MickDeth, bassist and guitarist (d. 2013) * March 10 – Benjamin Burnley, singer and frontman for Breaking Benjamin * March 12 ** Camille Anderson, actress, model, and television host ** Neal Obermeyer, editorial cartoonist ** Claudio Sanchez, alternative rock musician and writer for Coheed & Cambria * March 13 ** Ben Allen (California politician), Ben Allen, politician ** Jason Bergmann (strongman), Jason Bergmann, strongman competitor ** Tom Danielson, cyclist ** Kenny Watson (footballer), Kenny Watson, football player * March 14 – Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, Azerbaijani-born writer, lecturer, philanthropist, and activist * March 15 – Marshal Dutton, singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for Hinder * March 16 ** Ed Ableser, politician ** Jake Bailey (make-up artist), Jake Bailey, make-up artist and photographer (d. 2015) ** Brooke Burns, fashion model and actress ** Matthew Montgomery (actor), Matthew Montgomery, actor * March 17 ** Dan Alexander (fullback), Dan Alexander, football player ** Jason Baker, football player ** Patrick Seitz, voice actor * March 18 – Antonio Margarito, Mexican-born boxer * March 19 – Jason Barrett (Mississippi politician), Jason Barrett, politician * March 20 ** Mike Bynum, baseball player ** Mark Alan Lee, Navy SEAL (d. 2006) * March 21 ** Jeff Bajenaru, baseball player ** La Chat, rapper * March 22 – Josh Heupel, football player * March 23 ** Nicholle Tom, actress ** Perez Hilton, actor and blogger * March 24 – Amir Arison, actor * March 27 – Dee Brown (baseball), Dee Brown, baseball player * March 28 – Case Brittain, attorney and politician * March 29 – Eric Bruntlett, baseball player * March 30 – Josh Bard, baseball player * March 31 – Sonia Chang-Díaz, politician


April

* April 1 ** Brian Allen (linebacker), Brian Allen, football player ** Jason Bell (American football), Jason Bell, football player and TV pundit * April 2 ** Nick Berg, businessman and beheading victim (d. 2004 in the United States, 2004) ** John Gall (baseball), John Gall, baseball player ** Scott Lynch, author ** Jaime Ray Newman, actress, producer, and singer * April 3 – Mehrsa Baradaran, Iranian-born law professor * April 4 – Jason Ellison, baseball player * April 5 ** Brandon Backe, baseball player ** Gerard Bush, director, writer, producer, author, and activist ** Stephen Jackson, basketball player * April 6 ** Bro Safari, moombahton, trap, and dubstep producer ** Tim Hasselbeck, football player ** Lauren Ridloff, actress * April 12 ** Kelly Arnold, politician ** Andru Bemis, musician ** Scott Crary, director, producer, and writer ** Riley Smith, actor * April 13 ** Kyle Howard, actor ** Chris Sligh, singer * April 15 ** Austin Aries, wrestler ** Milton Bradley (baseball), Milton Bradley, baseball player ** Chris Stapleton, country singer and guitarist * April 16 – Duane Betts, singer/songwriter and guitarist for The Allman Betts Band * April 17 – Tarn Adams, computer game programmer * April 18 ** Ajmal Ahmady, Afghan-born economist and politician ** Pat Batteaux, football player * April 19 ** K. Tempest Bradford, science fiction and fantasy author and editor ** James Franco, actor ** Joanna Gaines, television personality, host, and chef * April 20 ** Rebecca Makkai, novelist and short story writer ** Matthew Wilkas, actor, playwright, and television personality * April 21 ** Molly Bloom (author), Molly Bloom, author ** Branden Steineckert, drummer for Rancid (band), Rancid and The Used (2001–2006) * April 22 – Manu Intiraymi, actor * April 23 – Ian Brennan (writer), Ian Brennan, screenwriter, director and actor * April 24 ** Tim Bainey Jr., stock car racing driver ** Marcus Brunson, sprinter * April 25 – Ben Bridwell, singer/songwriter and frontman for Band of Horses * April 26 ** Avant (singer), Avant, R&B singer ** Joe Crede, baseball player ** Stana Katic, Canadian-born actress ** Pablo Schreiber, Canadian-born actor * April 27 – Jim James, guitarist and frontman for
My Morning Jacket My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ba ...
* April 28 – Robert Oliveri, actor * April 29 – Bob and Mike Bryan, tennis team and twin brothers * April 30 – Kim Black, Olympic swimmer


May

* May 1 ** James Badge Dale, actor ** Nick Traina, singer/songwriter (Link 80) (d. 1997 in the United States, 1997) ** Michael Russell (tennis), Michael Russell, tennis player * May 2 ** Rob Bruchman, politician ** Shaun T, fitness trainer * May 3 ** Paul Banks (American musician), Paul Banks, British-born singer, guitarist, and frontman for Interpol (band), Interpol ** Walter Bernard, football player * May 4 ** Erin Andrews, television host and personality ** James Harrison (American football), James Harrison, football player * May 6 ** John Abraham (American football), John Abraham, football player ** Erik Anderson (ice hockey), Erik Anderson, ice hockey player * May 7 ** Brian Clevinger, author ** Shawn Marion, basketball player * May 8 – Matthew Davis, actor * May 9 ** Antwain Britt, mixed martial artist ** Daniel Franzese, actor ** Aaron Harang, baseball player * May 10 ** Geoff Abrams, tennis player ** Todd Gloria, politician, mayor of San Diego, California ** Kenan Thompson, actor and comedian * May 11 ** Courtney Banghart, basketball player and coach ** Lisa Bender, politician ** Scott Matzka, ice hockey player (d. 2018 in the United States, 2018) * May 12 ** Malin Akerman, Swedish-born actress and model ** Jason Biggs, actor ** Dee Brown (American football), Dee Brown, football player ** Josh Phelps, baseball player * May 13 ** Brooke Anderson, television host and correspondent ** Mike Bibby, basketball player ** Ryan Bukvich, baseball player ** Barry Zito, baseball player * May 15 ** Josh Burns, mixed martial artist ** David Krumholtz, actor ** Krissy Taylor, model (d. 1995 in the United States, 1995) * May 16 ** Josh Arnold, radio personality ** Nick Bierbrodt, baseball player ** Courtney Blades, softball player * May 17 ** Lisa Brennan-Jobs, writer ** Kat Foster, actress * May 18 ** Jeff Anderson (singer), Jeff Anderson, musician ** Carolina Bermudez, radio presenter * May 19 – Greg Steube, politician * May 20 – Harold Blackmon, football player * May 21 – Briana Banks, German-born pornographic actress and model * May 22 ** Meghan Addy, sprinter ** Esao Andrews, painter ** Ginnifer Goodwin, actress ** Daniel Rodimer, wrestler, football player, and political candidate * May 23 ** Anthony Buich, football player ** Mike Gonzalez, baseball player ** Carolyn Moos, model and basketball player ** Scott Raynor, drummer * May 24 ** Amy Becher, curler ** Ronald Blackshear, basketball player ** Bryan Greenberg, actor * May 25 ** Cory Arcangel, post-conceptual artist ** Brian Urlacher, football player * May 26 ** Rich Brzeski, lacrosse player ** Benji Gregory, actor * May 27 ** Hugo Armando, tennis player ** James Bettcher, football coach ** Adin Brown, soccer player and coach * May 28 ** Adam Robitel, film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor ** Jake Johnson, actor and comedian * May 29 – Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone, Lorenzo Odone, American adrenoleukodystrophy patient (d. 2008 in the United States, 2008) * May 31 – Eli Bremer, Olympic pentathlete


June

* June 1 ** Danny Boyd, football player ** Matthew Hittinger, poet and author ** Link Neal, musician, comedian, and internet personality * June 2 ** Nikki Cox, actress and comedy writer ** Justin Long, actor * June 4 ** Mike Apple, soccer player ** Scott Cawthon, video game developer and writer ** Josh McDermitt, actor and comedian ** Robin Lord Taylor, actor * June 5 – Nick Kroll, actor and comedian * June 6 ** Judith Barsi, actress and murder victim (d. 1988 in the United States, 1988) ** Marla Brumfield, basketball player ** J. T. Buck, composer, lyricist, stage director, and project coordinator * June 7 ** Tony Ahn, singer and member of H.O.T. ** Jesse Ball, poet, fiction writer and artist ** Bill Hader, actor * June 8 – Maria Menounos, actress, journalist, and television presenter * June 9 ** Matt Adamczyk, politician ** Michaela Conlin, actress ** Shandi Finnessey, beauty queen and actress ** Hayden Schlossberg, screenwriter, director, and producer * June 10 ** Raheem Brock, football player ** Mr. Del, Christian rapper and music producer ** DJ Qualls, actor, producer, and model ** Shane West, actor, punk rock musician, and songwriter * June 11 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian-born actor * June 12 ** David Buchwald, politician ** Jeremy Rowley, character actor and comedian ** Timothy Simons, actor ** Shiloh Strong, actor * June 13 ** Jake Bronstein, marketer, entrepreneur, internet and television personality, and blogger ** Ethan Embry, actor * June 14 ** Jason Anavitarte, politician ** Clark Boyd (politician), Clark Boyd, politician * June 18 ** Ben Gleib, media personality ** Tara Platt, voice actress and actress * June 19 ** Tarise Bryson, basketball player ** Zoe Saldana, actress * June 20 ** Linda Arsenio, actress and model ** Dave Barnes, singer/songwriter ** Amanda Basica, tennis player ** Mike Birbiglia, actor, comedian, and writer ** Quinton Jackson, Rampage Jackson, mixed martial arts fighter ** Bobby Seay, baseball player * June 21 – Michelle Au, anesthesiologist and politician * June 22 – Champ Bailey, football player * June 23 ** James Atkins (defensive tackle), James Atkins, football player ** Memphis Bleek, rapper ** Jeremy Horn (singer), Jeremy Horn, musician and songwriter ** Nick LaLota, politician * June 24 ** Ariel Pink, musician ** Adam Pearce, wrestler * June 25 ** Cookie Belcher, basketball player ** Luke Scott (baseball), Luke Scott, baseball player ** Marcus Stroud, football player * June 26 ** Rashidi Barnes, football player ** Tavorris Bell, streetball player * June 27 ** Malik Allen, basketball player ** Scott Bower, soccer player ** Courtney Ford, actress ** Marc Terenzi, pop singer * June 28 – Courtney Burton, boxer * June 29 ** Charlamagne tha God, radio and TV personality ** Sam Farrar, bassist for Phantom Planet (1994-2012) and Maroon 5 ** Nicole Scherzinger, actress and singer * June 30 ** LaVar Arrington, football player ** Chris Bos, politician ** Pat Dennis, American football player ** Jason Schimmel, musician and producer ** Nate Winkel, soccer player


July

* July 1 ** Edwina Brown, basketball player ** Hillary Tuck, actress * July 2 – Kathryn Sophia Belle, philosopher and professor * July 3 ** Ian Anthony Dale, actor ** Jon Anik, mixed martial artist ** Cornelius Anthony, football player ** Steve Bernal, soccer player ** Jesse Leach, singer and frontman for Killswitch Engage ** Alex Scales, basketball player * July 4 ** Becki Newton, actress ** Tony Reali, sports personality * July 6 ** Adam Busch, actor, director, and singer ** Tia Mowry, Tia and Tamera Mowry, actresses and twins * July 7 ** Chris Andersen, basketball player ** Jesse Ball, novelist and poet * July 8 ** Jenny Adams, hurdler ** Rachael Lillis, actress ** Erin Morgenstern, artist and author * July 9 ** Kyle Davis (actor), Kyle Davis, actor ** Sundance Head, singer ** Jesse Watters, political commentator and talk show host * July 10 – Jesse Lacey, singer/songwriter * July 12 ** Jim Arthur, football coach ** Topher Grace, actor ** Michelle Rodriguez, actress * July 13 – Jessica Barth, actress * July 14 – Mike Burns (baseball), Mike Burns, baseball player * July 15 ** Matt Mitrione, mixed martial artist ** Greg Sestero, actor, filmmaker, model and author * July 16 – Brian Bianchini, model and actor (d. 2004) * July 17 ** Mike Knox, wrestler ** Panda Bear (musician), Panda Bear, musician ** Mike Pellicciotti, politician * July 18 ** Crystal Mangum, murderer responsible for making false rape allegations in the Duke lacrosse case ** Ben Sheets, baseball player * July 19 – R. J. Williams, media and Internet entrepreneur, and former child actor * July 20 ** Chris Sligh, singer-songwriter and producer ** Will Solomon, basketball player ** Elliott Yamin, singer * July 21 ** Justin Bartha, actor ** Beer City Bruiser, wrestler ** Josh Hartnett, actor ** Brandon Heath, singer/songwriter * July 22 ** Ian Allen (gridiron football), Ian Allen, football player ** Candace Kroslak, actress * July 23 – Lauren Groff, fiction writer * July 24 – Michael Boireau, football player * July 25 ** Teresa Benitez-Thompson, politician ** Elizabeth Ann Bennett, actress ** Gerard Warren, football player * July 26 – Major Applewhite, football player and coach * July 27 ** Matthew Beaton, political figure and business executive ** Sandra Colton, dancer * July 28 – Julian Peterson, football player * July 29 – Mike Adams (pitcher), Mike Adams, baseball player * July 30 ** Josh Bonifay, baseball player ** Death of Brian Sicknick#Brian Sicknick, Brian Sicknick, United States Capitol Police, police officer who was killed during the January 6 United States Capitol attack, United States Capitol attack (d. 2021 in the United States, 2021) ** Nikema Williams, politician * July 31 ** Zac Brown, country singer/songwriter, guitarist, and frontman for Zac Brown Band ** Nick Sorensen, football player and sportscaster


August

* August 3 – Shanelle Workman, actress * August 4 ** Luke Allen, baseball player (d. 2022) ** Michael Brown (film director), Michael Brown, producer and filmmaker ** Kurt Busch, stock car racing driver * August 5 ** Will Allen (cornerback), Will Allen, football player ** Bryan Bracey, basketball player ** Nick Bradford, basketball player ** Henry Buchanan, boxer * August 6 ** Marisa Miller, supermodel ** Freeway (rapper), Freeway, rapper * August 8 ** Kurt Anderson (American football), Kurt Anderson, football player and coach ** Countess Vaughn, actress * August 10 ** Cory Bird, football player ** Jesse Boulerice, ice hockey player * August 12 ** Pazuzu Algarad, Satanist and convicted murderer (d. 2015) ** Derrick Burgess, football player * August 13 – Michael Bennett (running back), Michael Bennett, football player * August 15 ** Jennie Eisenhower, actress ** Kerri Walsh Jennings, beach volleyball player * August 18 ** Kevin Barry (baseball), Kevin Barry, baseball player ** Jaclyn Bernstein, actress ** Andy Samberg, actor * August 19 ** David Boston, football player ** Chris Capuano, baseball player * August 20 ** Noah Bean, actor ** Monty Beisel, football player ** Freddie Bruno, Christian hip hop musician * August 21 – Reuben Droughns, football player * August 23 ** Kenny Bartram, freestyle motocross rider ** Kobe Bryant, basketball player (d. 2020 in the United States, 2020) ** Julian Casablancas, singer/songwriter and musician * August 24 – Beth Riesgraf, actress * August 25 – Kel Mitchell, actor * August 26 ** Ben Archibald, football player ** Drew Bennett, football player ** Patrick (Bischoff) Brown, Patrick Brown, engineer, producer, and studio owner ** Cedric Burnside, blues musician ** Julian Casablancas, singer/songwriter and musician * August 28 ** Jess Margera, drummer for CKY (band), CKY ** Kelly Overton (actress), Kelly Overton, actress ** Rachel Kimsey, actress * August 30 – Rodregis Brooks, football player * August 31 – Adam Laxalt, politician


September

* September 2 – Courtland Bullard, football player * September 4 ** Lamont Barnes, basketball player ** Wes Bentley, actor * September 6 ** Cisco Adler, musician and record producer ** Frank Brooks (baseball), Frank Brooks, baseball player ** Adrienne Maree Brown, writer, activist, and facilitator ** Foxy Brown (rapper), Foxy Brown, rapper * September 7 – Sarah E. Buxton, politician * September 8 – Steve Barnett (politician), Steve Barnett, politician * September 9 ** Kurt Ainsworth, baseball player ** Shane Battier, basketball player ** Rod Brown, basketball player * September 10 – Russ Buller, pole vaulter * September 11 – Ed Reed, football player * September 12 ** Tess Brunet, musician and producer ** Ben McKenzie, actor ** Ruben Studdard, singer and
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
winner * September 13 ** Marlyne Barrett, actress ** Swizz Beatz, record producer and rapper ** Bryan Bishop, radio personality ** Megan Henning, actress * September 14 ** Kenderick Allen, football player ** Bruce Branch, football player ** Ron DeSantis, politician, 46th Governor of Florida ** Teddy Park, rapper and member of 1TYM ** Matthew Rogers, singer and TV host * September 15 – Charles Grigsby, singer * September 16 ** Mike Battle (artist), Mike Battle, digital restoration artist and animation color modelist ** Jarvis Borum, football player ** Ralph Brown (cornerback), Ralph Brown, football player ** Stephanie Murphy, Vietnamese-born politician ** Brian Sims, politician * September 17 – Karen Akunowicz, chef, cookbook author, and television personality * September 18 – Billy Eichner, actor and comedian * September 20 – Jason Bay, Canadian-born baseball player * September 21 – Josh Thomson, mixed martial artist * September 23 ** Anthony Mackie, actor ** Worm Miller, screenwriter, director and, actor ** Keri Lynn Pratt, actress * September 24 – Chris Bala, ice hockey player * September 25 ** Bob Abrahamian, deejay (d. 2014) ** Danny Basavich, pool player ** Joe Miñoso, actor * September 26 – business executive and arts administrator, executive director of the American Ballet Theatre * September 27 ** Andrea Alù, Italian-born scientist and engineer ** Brad Arnold, singer, drummer, and frontman for 3 Doors Down ** Kole Ayi, football player * September 28 ** Jarin Blaschke, cinematographer ** Dane Boedigheimer, internet personality ** Lucas Bryant, Canadian-born actor ** Nikki McKibbin, singer (d. 2020) * September 29 – Mohini Bhardwaj, Olympic artistic gymnast * September 30 – Candice Michelle, wrestler and model


October

* October 1 ** Katie Aselton, actress ** Nicole Atkins, singer/songwriter ** Will Bartholomew, football player ** Tony Beckham, football player * October 2 – Deanna Ballard, politician * October 3 ** Jarrett Bellini, writer and journalist ** Jake Shears, singer/songwriter ** Shannyn Sossamon, actress * October 4 ** Dana Davis, actress ** Phillip Glasser, actor and producer * October 5 ** Lindsey Pearlman, actress (d. 2022) ** James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, pop rock guitarist for Maroon 5 * October 6 ** Sarah Brusco, Christian musician ** Correll Buckhalter, football player ** Victoria Spartz, Ukrainian-born politician * October 7 – Omar Benson Miller, actor * October 8 – Sri Preston Kulkarni, politician * October 9 ** Ben Diamond, politician ** Kristy Kowal, Olympic swimmer * October 10 ** Brandon Barnes, drummer for Rise Against ** Dan Bellino, MLB umpire ** Casey Benjamin, saxophonist, vocoderist, keyboardist, producer, and songwriter * October 11 ** Damian Adams, wrestler ** Carl Bussey, soccer player * October 14 ** Justin Brannan, politician ** Ryan Church, baseball player ** Usher (singer), Usher Raymond, R&B singer-songwriter ** Javon Walker, football player * October 15 – Wes Moore, author, entrepreneur, television producer, and Army veteran * October 16 – Mersim Beskovic, soccer player * October 18 ** Brian Brown (racing driver), Brian Brown, dirt track racing driver ** Jake Farrow, television writer and actor ** Wesley Jonathan, actor * October 20 ** David Caspe, writer, producer, and director ** Mike Levin, politician ** Dionne Quan, voice actress * October 21 ** Will Estes, actor ** Joey Harrington, football player * October 23 ** Bo Biteman, politician ** John Lackey, baseball player * October 24 ** Kylie Bivens, soccer player ** Chris Bootcheck, baseball player ** Seth Moulton, politician * October 25 ** Zachary Knighton, actor ** David T. Little, composer and drummer * October 26 ** Tyondai Braxton, composer and musician ** Byron Donalds, politician ** CM Punk, wrestler and martial artist ** Antonio Pierce, football player * October 27 ** Stephanie Abrams, meteorologist ** Andrew Bell (artist), Andrew Bell, British-born artist and founder of Dead Zebra Inc. ** Dusty Bonner, football player ** David Walton (actor), David Walton, actor * October 28 ** Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, politician ** Justin Guarini, singer and American Idol contestant * October 29 – Travis Henry, football player * October 30 – Matthew Morrison, actor and singer


November

* November 1 ** Big Kuntry King, rapper ** Jeremy Glazer, actor ** Mary Kate Schellhardt, actress ** Jessica Valenti, blogger and writer * November 2 – William D. Swenson, Army Lt. Colonel and List of Medal of Honor recipients, Medal of Honor Recipient * November 3 ** Jaime Herrera Beutler, politician ** Tim McIlrath, singer and frontman for Rise Against * November 5 – Bubba Watson, golfer * November 6 ** Keith Aucoin, ice hockey player ** Ainsley Battles, football player ** Nicole Dubuc, actress and writer ** Taryn Manning, actress * November 7 – Elisabeth Bachman, volleyball player * November 8 – Michael Boggs (musician), Michael Boggs, Christian musician * November 9 ** Steven López, martial artist ** Sisqó, actor and singer * November 10 ** Diplo, DJ and music producer ** Eve (rapper), Eve, rapper * November 11 – Aaron Bruno, singer/songwriter and frontman for Awolnation * November 13 ** Chad Beasley, football player ** Josh Blackburn, ice hockey player * November 14 ** Bobby Allen (ice hockey), Bobby Allen, ice hockey player ** Dustin Burrows, politician ** Xavier Nady, baseball player and coach ** Chris Shar, rock drummer * November 15 – Floyd Womack, football player * November 16 ** Kip Bouknight, baseball player ** Orshawante Bryant, football player * November 17 – Reggie Wayne, football player * November 18 – Daniel Chong (animator), Daniel Chong, animator * November 19 ** Jeff Bailey, baseball player ** Roxana Brusso, Peruvian-born actress ** Chad Doreck, actor * November 20 – Amy Kennedy, politician * November 22 ** Anthony Brindisi, politician ** Karen O, singer/songwriter and musician * November 23 – Destin Daniel Cretton, director * November 24 ** Gary Baxter, football player ** Katherine Heigl, actress * November 25 – Joe Borchard, baseball player * November 26 – Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, nonfiction writer and poet * November 27 – Josh Blue, comedian * November 28 ** Brent Albright, wrestler ** Jerametrius Butler, football player ** Aimee Garcia, actress * November 29 ** Fred Akshar, politician ** Heather Bown, volleyball player ** Lauren German, actress * November 30 ** Clay Aiken, singer, American Idol contestant, and politician ** Jordan Belfi, actor ** Robert Kirkman, comic book writer


December

* December 1 ** Heather Aldama, soccer player ** Ron Browz, recording artist and record producer ** Mat Kearney, singer/songwriter and musician ** Jen Psaki, political advisor, White House Press Secretary (2021-2022) * December 4 ** Miri Ben-Ari, Israeli-born musician, producer, and humanitarian ** Jamie Bochert, model and musician ** Cory Bradford, basketball player * December 5 ** Neil Druckmann, Israeli-born video game writer and programmer, founder of Naughty Dog ** David Hodges, singer/songwriter and record producer * December 6 ** K. D. Aubert, actress, fashion model, and singer ** Chris Başak, baseball player ** Jason Bulger, baseball player * December 7 ** Jaime Ambriz, soccer player ** Shiri Appleby, actress ** Idrees Bashir, football player ** Jeff Nichols, director and screenwriter ** Ronald J. Shurer, army medic (d. 2020 in the United States, 2020) * December 8 ** Mike Barr (American football), Mike Barr, football player ** Kenny Brunner, basketball player ** Ian Somerhalder, actor ** Vernon Wells, baseball player * December 9 ** Nick Bruel, author ** Jesse Metcalfe, actor * December 10 ** John Arigo, basketball player ** Brandon Novak, motivational speaker, author, skateboarder, and stunt performer ** Summer Phoenix, actress * December 11 – Courtney Henggeler, actress * December 12 ** Brandon Adams (poker player), Brandon Adams, poker player ** Teryn Ashley, tennis player ** Erick Baker, singer/songwriter * December 13 – Cameron Douglas, actor * December 14 – Cedric Bonner, football player * December 15 ** Coffey Anderson, country singer/songwriter ** Ned Brower, drummer and vocalist for Rooney (band), Rooney ** Jerome McDougle, American football player * December 16 ** Scott Bailey (actor), Scott Bailey, actor ** Ying Yang Twins, Eric 'Kaine' Jackson, rapper and member of Ying Yang Twins * December 17 ** Beau Burchell, guitarist and vocalist for Saosin ** Chase Utley, baseball player * December 18 ** Chad Brown (horse trainer), Chad Brown, horse trainer ** Michael Christopher Brown, photographer ** Josh Dallas, actor ** Katie Holmes, actress * December 19 – Patrick Casey (writer), Patrick Casey, screenwriter and actor * December 20 – Jacqueline Saburido, Venezuelan-born social activist (d. 2019) * December 22 – Danny Ahn, rapper for g.o.d * December 23 ** P. J. Alexander, football player ** Andra Davis, football player * December 24 – Tony Angelo, drift racer and stunt driver * December 25 – Jeremy Strong (actor), Jeremy Strong, actor * December 27 – Yasemin Besen–Cassino, sociologist and professor * December 28 ** John Legend, R&B singer/songwriter ** August Pfluger, politician * December 29 ** B-Boy (wrestler), B-Boy, wrestler ** LaToya London, singer ** Angelo Taylor, athlete * December 30 ** Sari Anderson, multisport and endurance athlete ** Devin Brown, basketball player ** Vanessa Short Bull, beauty pageant titleholder ** Tyrese Gibson, singer/songwriter, rapper, actor, model, and screenwriter * December 31 – Craig Wayne Boyd, country music singer


Full Date Unknown

* Eric Abrahamsen, translator for the Chinese language * Stella Abrera, Philippine-born ballerina * Deborah Ager, poet * Tanya Aguiñiga, artist * Allison Ahlfeldt, Paralympic volleyball player * Nilo Alcala, Philippine-born composer * Dick Allen (bowler), Dick Allen, bowler * Kalliope Amorphous, artist * Ryan G. Anderson, convicted terrorist * Apexer, artist * Bomani Armah, vocalist * Josh Azzarella, artist * Christian Baldini, opera and orchestra conductor * Audrey Barcio, artist * Simon Barrett (filmmaker), Simon Barrett, actor, producer, and screenwriter * Zoltan Bathory, Hungarian-born guitarist for Five Finger Death Punch * Matt Bean, journalist * Claire Beckett, photographer * Vaughn Bell, artist * Christopher Belmonte, radio personality * Stacey Bendet, fashion designer and founder of Alice + Olivia * Ruha Benjamin, Indian-born sociologist and professor * Paul Bennecke, political consultant * Jenn Bennett, German-born author and novelist * Kathryn Biber, lawyer and political counsel * Melanie Bilenker, artist * Margot Black, tenant rights organizer, activist, grass-roots lobbyist, and political candidate * Sara Black, artist * Craig Blais, poet * M. Blash, director, screenwriter, actor, and visual artist * Evan Blass, blogger, editor, and phone leaker * J. T. Blatty, photojournalist and U.S. Army, Army Captain * Kevin Blechdom, experimental electronic musician and performance artist * Jaswinder Bolina, poet * William Michael Boyle, author * Alex Brewer, artist * Sean Brock, chef * Kelsey Brookes, artist * Julia Brown (artist), Julia Brown, artist * Laurie Brown (photographer), Laurie Brown, photographer * Kasey Buckles, professor of economics * Noah Buschel, director and screenwriter * Rhett Ayers Butler, journalist and author


Deaths

* January 3 – Jack Oakie, actor (born 1903 in the United States, 1903) * January 9 – Robert Daniel Murphy, diplomat (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * January 13 – Hubert Humphrey, Hubert H. Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States from 1965 to 1969 (born 1911 in the United States, 1911) * January 14 – Kurt Gödel, mathematician (born 1906 in Austria-Hungary) * January 20 – Gilbert Highet, classicist, academic, writer, intellectual, critic and literary historian (born 1906 in Scotland) * February 14 – Claude Binyon, screenwriter and director (born 1905 in the United States, 1905) * February 16 – Edward Lindberg, Olympic track athlete (born 1886 in the United States, 1886) * February 18 – Maggie McNamara, actress (born 1928 in the United States, 1928) * February 22 ** Phyllis McGinley, children's story writer and poet (born 1905 in the United States, 1905) ** C. Paul Jennewein, sculptor (born 1890 in Germany) ** Dennie Moore, actress (born 1902 in the United States, 1902) ** Ernest Palmer (American cinematographer), Ernest Palmer, cinematographer (born 1885 in the United States, 1885) * March 13 – John Cazale, film actor (born 1935 in the United States, 1935) * March 18 ** Leigh Brackett, science fiction author (born 1915 in the United States, 1915) ** Peggy Wood, actress (born 1892 in the United States, 1892) * March 19 – Faith Baldwin, romantic novelist and poet (born 1893 in the United States, 1893) * March 22 ** Sonora Smart Dodd, founder of Father's Day (born 1882 in the United States, 1882) **
Karl Wallenda Karl Wallenda (; January 21, 1905 – March 22, 1978) was a German-American high wire artist and founder of The Flying Wallendas, a daredevil circus act which performed dangerous stunts, often without a safety net. Personal life Wallenda was bo ...
, circus performer (born 1905 in the United States, 1905) ** John Hall Wheelock, poet (born 1886) * April 16 – Lucius D. Clay, military governor of Germany from 1947 to 1949 (born 1897 in the United States, 1897) * April 21 – Thomas Wyatt Turner, civil rights activist, biologist and educator; first African American to receive a doctorate from Cornell (born 1877 in the United States, 1877) * May 6 – Ethelda Bleibtrey, Olympic swimmer (born 1902) * May 12 – Louis Zukofsky, modernist poet (born 1904 in the United States, 1904) * May 16 – William Steinberg, conductor (born 1899 in Germany, 1899) * May 22 ** Joseph Colombo, Joe Colombo, gangster (born 1914 in the United States, 1914) ** Aubrey Fitch, admiral (born 1883 in the United States, 1883) * June 3 – Frank Stanford, poet, suicide (born 1948 in the United States, 1948) * June 18 – Walter C. Alvarez, physician and writer (born 1884 in the United States, 1884) * July 18 – Claude P. Dettloff, photographer (born 1899 in the United States, 1899) * August 14 – Joe Venuti, jazz violinist (born 1903) * August 21 – Charles Eames, architect and designer (born 1907 in the United States, 1907) * August 24 – Louis Prima, swing singer and bandleader (born 1910 in the United States, 1910) * August 26 – Charles Boyer, film actor (born 1899 in France) * August 27 – Gordon Matta-Clark, artist, cancer (born 1943 in the United States, 1943) * August 28 – Bruce Catton, Civil War historian, Pulitzer Prize winner in 1954 (born 1899) * August 31 – Lee Garmes, cinematographer (born 1898 in the United States, 1899) * September 23 – Lyman Bostock, baseball player, killed (born 1950 in the United States, 1950) * September 24 – Ruth Etting, "torch" singer (born 1897) * September 30 – Edgar Bergen, actor and ventriloquist (born 1903) * October 8 – Bertha Parker Pallan, Bertha Cody, Native American archaeologist (born 1907) * October 10 – Ralph Metcalfe, sprinter and U.S. Congressman (born 1910 in the United States, 1910) * October 12 – Nancy Spungen, groupie and girlfriend of Sid Vicious, killed (born 1958 in the United States, 1958) * October 16 – Dan Dailey, actor (born 1915 in the United States, 1915) * October 19 – Gig Young, actor (born 1913 in the United States, 1913) * November 7 – Cattle Annie, outlaw with Little Britches (outlaw), Little Britches (born 1882 in the United States, 1882) * November 8 – Norman Rockwell, painter and illustrator (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * November 15 – Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist (born 1901 in the United States, 1901) * November 18 –
Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide", ...
, American cult leader (born 1931 in the United States, 1931) * November 25 – Elaine Esposito, coma victim (born 1934 in the United States, 1934) * November 27 –
Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in N ...
, politician and gay activist, killed (born 1930 in the United States, 1930) * December 3 – William Grant Still, "the Dean" of African American composers (born 1895 in the United States, 1895) * December 10 – Ed Wood, American filmmaker, actor, writer, producer and director (born 1924 in the United States, 1924) * December 27 – Chris Bell (American musician), Chris Bell, guitarist, singer and songwriter (born 1951 in the United States, 1951) * December 28 – Harry Winston, diamond dealer (born 1896 in the United States, 1896)


See also

* 1978 in American soccer * 1978 in American television * List of American films of 1978 * Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)


References


External links

* {{Year in North America, 1978 1978 in the United States, 1970s in the United States 1978 by country, United States 1978 in North America, United States Years of the 20th century in the United States