On this day
Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
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Alternate‐side‐of‐the‐street parking regulations are in effect today only in the Bronx as part of the borough‐byborough effort to clean up refuse in the streets that has accumulated in the tubeat strike.
historical sketch of Southern Yemen; map (M)
article on Chinese Deputy Prime Min Deng's pol problems cites criticism of his handling of war with Vietnam
Barry P Bosworth, Director of Council on Wage and Price Stability, says prices set by many gasoline stations are above voluntary guidelines, possibly above legal limits and above level anticipated as result of increases in cost of crude oil, Senate subcommittee hearing; House Democratic caucus takes formal vote of 138 to 69 against removal of controls; Speaker Thomas P O'Neill Jr votes for motion, but doubts if it can pass Senate; Jody Powell scores move; illus of Reprs Richard L Ottinger, Toby Moffett and Andrew Maguire, leaders of antidecontrol forces (M)
The union of love, vanity, confused identities and feudal power that come together in Mozart's “The Marriage of Figaro” will be re‐enacted this weekend at the State University of New York at Purchase. This production of the opera —sung in English — is being presented by the school's music division in Theater C of the Performing Arts Center. Patricia Brooks, who has sung several leading roles with the New York City Opera, is directing. Performances tonight, tomorrow and Sunday at 8 P.M. Tickets are $3 ($2 for students). Reservations are a must. Call (914) 253‐5900. From New York, take the Hutchinson River Parkway to exit 28 (Lincoin Avenue); turn left at the second light and right at Anderson Hill Road.
Music on My Birthday
The Top 50 albums for the chart week of May 23, 1979, covering May 25, 1979.
Supertramp
Peaches & Herb
Bad Company
The Doobie Brothers
Donna Summer
1979Carlos Bocanegra, American footballer and executive[â ]
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over 100 caps with the United States, serving as captain for six years. He most recently served as technical director and vice president for Atlanta United.
1979Sayed Moawad, Egyptian footballer[â ]
Sayed Moawad Mohamed Abdelwahed is an Egyptian retired professional footballer who played as a left-back.
1979Caroline Ouellette, Canadian ice hockey player and coach[â ]
Caroline Ouellette is a Canadian former ice hockey player and current associate head coach of the Concordia Stingers women's ice hockey program. She was a member of the Canadian national women's ice hockey team and a member of Canadiennes de Montreal in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Among her many accomplishments are four Olympic gold medals, 12 IIHF Women's World Championship medals, 12 Four Nations Cup medals and four Clarkson Cup championships.
1979Sam Sodje, English-Nigerian footballer[â ]
Okeremute Samuel Sodje is a former professional footballer who played as a centre back.
1979Jonny Wilkinson, English rugby player[â ]
Jonathan Peter Wilkinson, is an English former rugby union player. A fly-half, he played for Newcastle Falcons and French side Toulon and represented England and the British & Irish Lions. He is particularly known for scoring the winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final and is widely acknowledged as one of the best rugby union players of all time.
1979Chris Young, American baseball pitcher[â ]
Christopher Ryan Young is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current president of baseball operations of the Texas Rangers, serving in the team's front office since 2020. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 2000 to 2017 for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals. Young was a 2007 National League (NL) All-Star player as a member of the Padres, and was a member of the 2015 World Series winning Kansas City Royals team. After his playing career, he worked for the Major League Baseball front office before becoming the general manager of the Rangers in 2020, and promoted to his current position in November 2024.
1979Itzhak Bentov, Czech-Israeli engineer, mystic, and author (born 1923)[â ]
Itzhak "Ben" Bentov was an Israeli American scientist, inventor, mystic and author. His many inventions, including the steerable cardiac catheter, helped pioneer the biomedical engineering industry. He was also an early proponent of what has come to be referred to as consciousness studies and authored several books on the subject.
1979AmĂ©dĂ©e Gordini, Italian-born French racing driver and sports car manufacturer (born 1899)[â ]
Amedeo "Amédée" Gordini was an Italian-born race car driver and sports car manufacturer in France.
1979John Spenkelink, American murderer (born 1949)[â ]
John Arthur Spenkelink was an American convicted murderer. He was executed in 1979, the first convicted criminal to be executed in Florida after capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, and the second in the United States as well as the first involuntarily executed in 14 years.
1979John Spenkelink, a convicted murderer, is executed in Florida; he is the first person to be executed in the state after the reintroduction of capital punishment in 1976.[â ]
John Arthur Spenkelink was an American convicted murderer. He was executed in 1979, the first convicted criminal to be executed in Florida after capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, and the second in the United States as well as the first involuntarily executed in 14 years.
1979American Airlines Flight 191: A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 crashes during takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, killing all 271 on board and two people on the ground.[â ]
American Airlines Flight 191 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to Los Angeles International Airport. On the afternoon of May 25, 1979, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 operating this flight was taking off from runway 32R at O'Hare International when its left engine detached from the wing, causing a loss of control. The aircraft crashed about 4,600 feet (1,400 m) from the end of runway 32R. All 271 occupants on board were killed on impact, along with two people on the ground. With a total of 273 fatalities, the disaster is the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States.
In 1979, the world population was approximately 4,368,539,528 people[â ]