On this day

February 18, 1977

Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from February 18, 1977

CAREY ASKS MONITOR OF CITY HEALTH CARE

By Linda Greenhouse Special to The New York Times

Gov Carey proposes apptmt of new top-level admr with 'full authority' over NYC's entire health care system, including power to close both voluntary and munic hosps; both Gov and Mayor would delegate health-care authority to new admr, who would have joint state-city apptmt and would supersede both City Health Comr and Health & Hosps Corp pres; Mayor Beame has not agreed to plan; Emergency Financial Control Bd exec dir Stephen Berger originated proposal with Carey's health adviser, Kevin M Cahill (M)

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STATE COURT UP HOLDS ANTILOITERING LAW

By Leslie Maitland

NYS Appellate Ct, Manhattan, overruling NYC Criminal Ct Judge Benjamin Altman, who dismissed charges against alleged prostitute Toni Smith, upholds controversial state antiloitering statute enacted to curb prostitution; rules statute language is sufficiently plain as to enable persons of ordinary intelligence to understand precisely what acts are proscribed; Mayor Beame and Police Comr Codd praise decision; Legal Aid Soc criticizes it (M)

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of February 16, 1977, covering February 18, 1977.

  1. 1
    Album cover for A Star Is Born (Soundtrack) by Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson

    A Star Is Born (Soundtrack)

    Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    11
  2. 2
    Album cover for Hotel California by Eagles

    Hotel California

    Eagles

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    9
  3. 3
    Album cover for Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder

    Songs In The Key Of Life

    Stevie Wonder

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    19
  4. 4
    Album cover for Wings Over America by Paul McCartney And Wings

    Wings Over America

    Paul McCartney And Wings

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    9
  5. 5
    Album cover for Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart

    Year Of The Cat

    Al Stewart

    Last week
    6
    Peak
    5
    Weeks
    20

Notable Births

Ike Barinholtz

1977Ike Barinholtz, American actor and comedian[†]

Ike Barinholtz is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his starring roles in the comedy series MADtv (2002–2007), Eastbound & Down (2012), The Mindy Project (2012–2017), Bless the Harts (2019–2021), The Afterparty (2022), History of the World, Part II (2023), and The Studio (2025-present).

Kristoffer Polaha

1977Kristoffer Polaha, American actor[†]

Kristoffer Polaha is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles on television as Jason Matthews in North Shore, Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile in Life Unexpected, and Henry Butler in Ringer. He has also appeared in films Devil's Knot (2013), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).

Notable Deaths

Andy Devine

1977Andy Devine, American actor (born 1905)[†]

Andrew Vabre Devine was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature films. He also appeared alongside John Wayne in films such as Stagecoach (1939), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and How the West Was Won. He is also remembered as Jingles on the TV series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok from 1951 to 1958, as Danny McGuire in A Star Is Born (1937), and as the voice of Friar Tuck in the Disney Animation Studio film Robin Hood (1973).

Historical Events

1977The Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire started during Chinese New Year when a firecracker ignited memorial wreaths of the late Mao Zedong, killing 694 personnel. It remains the deadliest fireworks accident in the world.[†]

The Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire broke out at Chinese New Year on February 18, 1977. When the farm hall was showing a North Korean war movie at new year, a 12-year-old audience member set off a ground spinning firecracker and ignited the mourning wreaths for Mao Zedong displaying in the hall. Although the wreaths should have been incinerated months before, the regiment felt pressure to keep them. There was a crowd crush at the only exit.

1977A thousand armed soldiers raid Kalakuta Republic, the commune of Nigerian singer Fela Kuti, leading to the death of Funmilayo Anikulapo Kuti.[†]

Kalakuta Republic was the name musician and political activist Fela Kuti gave to the communal compound that housed his family, band members, and recording studio. Located at 14 Agege Motor Road, Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria, it had a free health clinic and a recording facility. Fela declared it independent from the state ruled by the military junta after he returned from the United States in 1970. The compound burned to the ground on February 18, 1977, after an assault by a thousand armed soldiers.

Space Shuttle Enterprise

1977The Space Shuttle Enterprise test vehicle is carried on its maiden "flight" on top of a Boeing 747.[†]

Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system. Rolled out on September 17, 1976, it was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test flights after being launched from a modified Boeing 747. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield. As a result, it was not capable of spaceflight.

Historical Context for February 18, 1977

In 1977, the world population was approximately 4,217,863,796 people[†]