On this day
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
In 1979, the world population was approximately 4,368,539,528 people[†]
1979Mat McBriar, American football player[†]
Mat McBriar is an Australian former professional player of American football who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
1979Ben Jelen, Scottish-American singer-songwriter[†]
Benjamin Ivan Jelen is a Scottish-born American former singer-songwriter who plays the piano, violin, and guitar. He has lived in Scotland, England, Texas, New Jersey and New York. His career has been characterized by near-stardom, with his debut album, Give It All Away peaking at No. 113 on the Billboard 200 list. As of 2011, he is on indefinite hiatus from his solo career and is working with a new band, along with former Deuce Project member Josh McMillan known as Under The Elephant.
1979Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, Japanese physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906)[†]
Shinichiro Tomonaga , usually cited as Sin-Itiro Tomonaga in English, was a Japanese physicist, influential in the development of quantum electrodynamics, work for which he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 along with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger.
1979Michael Wilding, English actor (born 1912)[†]
Michael Charles Gauntlet Wilding was an English stage, television, and film actor. He is best known for a series of films he made with Anna Neagle; he also made two films with Alfred Hitchcock, Under Capricorn (1949) and Stage Fright (1950); and he guest starred on Hitchcock's TV show in 1963. He was married four times, including to Elizabeth Taylor, with whom he had two sons.
1979Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1917)[†]
Robert Burns Woodward was an American organic chemist. He is considered by many to be the preeminent synthetic organic chemist of the twentieth century, having made many key contributions to the subject, especially in the synthesis of complex natural products and the determination of their molecular structure. He worked closely with Roald Hoffmann on theoretical studies of chemical reactions. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1965.
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Ongoing debate among black ministers, laymen and theologians in NYC and elsewhere questions role and effectiveness of 'black' churches in light of increasing social problems that threaten their constituency today; views of church defenders and critics noted; illus (L)
Ney interviewed on company's acquisition of Marsteller Inc; por (L)
THE first radio spots could be heard on local and New York City stations last week, urging “no” votes in November. Next week, volunteers with canisters will be seeking contributions in supermarket parking lots for the campaign to encourage “yes” votes on election day. There have been mailings and fundraising events; bumper stickers will come later.
Article on erosion of Long Island northern shore from Great Neck to Orient Point; notes repeated efforts to stabilize shoreline; cites partially successful use of gabion wall, built of large wire mesh blocks filled with small rocks, used by Long Island State Park Commission to protect base of road to Orient State Park; Town of Islip Commissioner of Environmental Control Barry Andres comments; illus (M)
NYS appellate court, 2-1, rules that main portions of state's drunken-driving law are unconstitutional; says law provides no 'ascertainable standards' for trial judge to determine when person's ability to drive is 'impaired' and when person is 'intoxicated'; decision, which applies only to Manhattan and Bronx, means that motorists cannot be prosecuted for drunken driving unless they agree to take chemical test that shows more alcohol in blood than statute permits; decision upholds Criminal Court Judge Antonio S Figueroa ruling in Hector Cruz case; Judges Xavier C Riccobono and Sidney H Asch affirm lower court's decision; Judge Thomas J Hughes dissents (M)
Growing resentment among small independent real-estate brokers across US over what they consider intrusion by large relocation companies into their traditional markets of purchasing and reselling of homes of corporate transferees discussed (M)
listing of track events; Jan Merrill (US) wins 3,000-meter run (M)
Hedrick Smith comment on Pres Carter's econ problems vis-a-vis his chances in '80 Pres election; Carter illus (M)
WINNER AT WIMBLEDON: Bjorn Borg holds trophy aloft after defeating Roscoe Tanner and taking singles title for fourth year. Section 5.
No longer able to engage in the gunboat diplomacy it used to install the Somoza dynasty 45 years ago, the United States tried checkbook diplomacy last week, offering reconstruction aid to try to mold Nicaragua's post‐Somoza future. But even in that poor and battered Central American nation, Washington's 1979 dollars weren't buying instant obedience.
Normally, the news that unemployment had dropped to its lowest level in five years would be cause for rejoicing. Normally, an announcement that Saudi Arabia planned to increase oil production might tempt energy planners to relax a few notches. But with President Carter and his advisers struggling in the vast economic darkness up at Camp David, these and other normally encouraging developments were seen in Washington as faint flickers, not a steady beacon.