On this day

September 12, 1977

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

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Headlines from September 12, 1977

Death Penalty Is Assailed

By Fred Ferretti

Cuomo denounces Koch's advocacy of death penalty, speech from guest pulpit, United Presb Ch, Harlem; charges Koch has read the polls and seen a fear'; holds capital punishment is 'largely irrelevant' to working of Mayor's office; Cuomo's remarks before virtually all-black audience seen part of strategy to appeal to city's minority-group members, to those not considered to be part of 'Manhattan arrangement,' and to those who live in city's outer boros; other developments indicating support of this strategy include participation of Cuomo's wife Matilda in Afro-Amer Day Parade, plans for broad exposure of Cuomo ad on Spanish-language TV and endorsement of Cuomo by Queens Boro Pres Donald R Manes; Cuomo charges Koch is creation of media adviser David Garth; Cuomo illus with Manes (L)

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DAMN SAID TO OFFER ARABS OF WEST BANK INTERNAL AUTONOMY

By William E. Farrell Special to The New York Times

Sept 12: Dayan is expected to present West Bank proposal to Carter in which Palestinian Arabs would be given substantial internal autonomy and self-govt while Israelis would maintain strategic mil installations for security purposes; sources say proposal would deliberately leave unresolved questions of ultimate sovereignty over West Bank and Israeli withdrawal (M)

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of September 7, 1977, covering September 12, 1977.

  1. 1
    Album cover for Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

    Rumours

    Fleetwood Mac

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    29
  2. 2
    Album cover for Star Wars by Soundtrack

    Star Wars

    Soundtrack

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    13
  3. 3
    Album cover for CSN by Crosby| Stills & Nash

    CSN

    Crosby| Stills & Nash

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    10
  4. 4
    Album cover for JT by James Taylor

    JT

    James Taylor

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    10
  5. 5
    Album cover for Moody Blue by Elvis Presley

    Moody Blue

    Elvis Presley

    Last week
    5
    Peak
    5
    Weeks
    8

Notable Births

Nathan Bracken

1977Nathan Bracken, Australian cricketer[†]

Nathan Wade Bracken is a former Australian cricketer. A tall left-arm fast-medium bowler, Bracken is capable of swinging the ball both ways. He has represented Australia in all forms of the game. Bracken represented New South Wales in Australian domestic cricket, Eastern Suburbs in Sydney Grade Cricket and also appeared for English County team Gloucestershire in 2004. On 28 January 2011 he announced his retirement from the game due to a chronic knee injury. On 9 February 2012 it was reported that he sued Cricket Australia over the latter's alleged incompetency in managing his knee injury. With his time representing Australia, Bracken won multiple ICC titles with the team: the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the 2007 Cricket World Cup, and the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.

2 Chainz

19772 Chainz, American rapper[†]

Tauheed K. Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside hometown rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo signed with fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label and became best known for their 2007 debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".

Grant Denyer

1977Grant Denyer, Australian race car driver and journalist[†]

Grant Craig Denyer is an Australian television and radio presenter and motor racing driver, who has worked for several television networks, including Seven Network and Network 10, mostly serving as a presenter. He previously hosted Family Feud and Australia's Got Talent. Currently, he hosts Network 10's main game show Deal or No Deal.

1977Jeff Irwin, American singer-songwriter and producer[†]

Jeff Irwin is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed with Griffin House, Cerys Matthews, Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken, Mat Kearney, Taylor Sorensen & the Trigger Code, and Counting Crows.

David Thompson (footballer, born 1977)

1977David Thompson, English footballer[†]

David Anthony Thompson is an English football pundit currently working for the BBC. Thompson played as a midfielder, though he had to retire aged 29 through an osteochondral defect of the left knee sustained at age 25. He is currently a UEFA A and B licensed coach working towards his professional licence. In August 2021, he became a director of football at Europa in the Gibraltar National League.

Notable Deaths

Steve Biko

1977Steve Biko, South African activist (born 1946)[†]

Bantu Stephen Biko OMSG was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known as the Black Consciousness Movement during the late 1960s and 1970s. His ideas were articulated in a series of articles published under the pseudonym Frank Talk.

Les Haylen

1977Les Haylen, Australian journalist and politician (born 1898)[†]

Leslie Clement "Les" Haylen, also known by the pen-name Sutton Woodfield, was an Australian politician, playwright, novelist and journalist.

Robert Lowell

1977Robert Lowell, American poet (born 1917)[†]

Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the Mayflower. His family, past and present, were important subjects in his poetry. Growing up in Boston also informed his poems, which were frequently set in Boston and the New England region. The literary scholar Paula Hayes believes that Lowell mythologized New England, particularly in his early work.

Historical Events

Internal resistance to apartheid

1977South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko dies in police custody.[†]

Several independent sectors of South African society opposed apartheid through various means, including social movements, passive resistance, and guerrilla warfare. Mass action against the ruling National Party (NP) government, coupled with South Africa's growing international isolation and economic sanctions, were instrumental in leading to negotiations to end apartheid, which began formally in 1990 and ended with South Africa's first multiracial elections under a universal franchise in 1994.

Historical Context for September 12, 1977

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