On this day

August 27, 1979

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

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Headlines from August 27, 1979

Cosmos Triumph In Playoff

By Alex Yannis Special to The New York Times

NY Cosmos defeat Tulsa Roughnecks, 2 games to 1, to advance to finals of National Conference championship; illus (M)

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Israel Reaffirms Policy of Strikes Inside Lebanon

By David K. Shipler Special to The New York Times

Israeli Cabinet reaffirms Govt's policy of conducting strikes in southern Lebanon despite attempt by UN to arrange cease-fire; cease-fire is having some success despite Palestinian shelling of Merj' Uyun and Israeli artillery attack on Tyre; map (M)

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High Interest Doubted as Inflation Cure

By Karen W. Arenson

view of many economists that higher interest rates alone cannot cure inflation discussed; Government efforts to cushion housing and other vulnerable industries from effects of Federal Reserve rate pressures have decreased likelihood of credit crunch but have limited Fed's ability to tighten credit (M)

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of August 22, 1979, covering August 27, 1979.

  1. 1
    Album cover for Get The Knack by The Knack

    Get The Knack

    The Knack

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    9
  2. 2
    Album cover for Breakfast In America by Supertramp

    Breakfast In America

    Supertramp

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    22
  3. 3
    Album cover for Candy-O by The Cars

    Candy-O

    The Cars

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    9
  4. 4
    Album cover for Bad Girls by Donna Summer

    Bad Girls

    Donna Summer

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    16
  5. 5
    Album cover for I Am by Earth| Wind & Fire

    I Am

    Earth| Wind & Fire

    Last week
    6
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    11

Notable Births

Sarah Neufeld

1979Sarah Neufeld, Canadian violinist[†]

Sarah Neufeld is a Canadian violinist who is known for her work with indie rock band Arcade Fire, with whom she is a former core member and currently a touring member. She has contributed to each of the band's studio albums to date. Neufeld is also a member of the instrumental band Bell Orchestre.

Aaron Paul

1979Aaron Paul, American actor and producer[†]

Aaron Paul is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad (2008–2013), for which he won several awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, a joint-record since its separation into comedy and drama, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination. Paul also won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television a record three times. He reprised the role in the Netflix sequel film El Camino (2019), and during the final season of spin-off series Better Call Saul (2022).

Karel Rachůnek

1979Karel Rachůnek, Czech ice hockey player (died 2011)[†]

Karel Rachůnek was a Czech professional ice hockey player. Rachunek was the captain of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) when the team was decimated in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash. He played eight seasons in North America in the National Hockey League (NHL). Rachůnek was drafted in the ninth round, 229th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Rachunek was the brother of Ivan Rachůnek and Tomáš Rachůnek who also played professional ice hockey.

1979Rusty Smith, American speed skater[†]

Rusty Smith is a short track speed skater from the United States who won bronze in the 500m at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and another bronze in the 5000m relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Notable Deaths

Lord Mountbatten

1979Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, English admiral and politician, 44th Governor-General of India (born 1900)[†]

Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, commonly known as Lord Mountbatten, was a British statesman, Royal Navy officer and close relative of the British royal family. He was born in the United Kingdom to the prominent Battenberg family. He was a maternal uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a second cousin of King George VI. He joined the Royal Navy during the First World War and was appointed Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command, in the Second World War. He later served as the last Viceroy of India and briefly as the first Governor-General of the Dominion of India.

Historical Events

The Troubles

1979The Troubles: Eighteen British soldiers are killed in an ambush by the Provisional Irish Republican Army near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland, in the deadliest attack on British forces during Operation Banner. An IRA bomb also kills British royal family member Lord Mountbatten and three others on his boat at Mullaghmore, Republic of Ireland.[†]

The Troubles were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Although the Troubles mostly took place in Northern Ireland, at times violence spilled over into parts of the Republic of Ireland, England, and mainland Europe.

Historical Context for August 27, 1979

In 1979, the world population was approximately 4,368,539,528 people[†]