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[†]
1979Dave Annable, American actor[†]
David Rodman Annable is an American actor. His roles include Justin Walker on the ABC television drama Brothers & Sisters (2006–11), Henry Martin on the ABC supernatural drama 666 Park Avenue (2012–13), Pierce Harrison on the NBC medical drama Heartbeat (2016), and Neil on the Paramount+ spy series Special Ops: Lioness (2023).
1979Amy Davidson, American actress[†]
Amy Davidson is an American actress. She played Kerry Hennessy in the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules.
1979Patrick Marleau, Canadian ice hockey player[†]
Patrick Denis Marleau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. With 1,779 NHL games played, he is the all-time leader in regular season games played in league history. He passed the record previously held by Gordie Howe in his 1,768th game on April 19, 2021. Marleau scored 1,197 points during his entire NHL career. The San Jose Sharks drafted Marleau second overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, and Marleau spent the vast majority of his NHL career with the franchise, becoming its all-time leader in goals, even strength goals, power play goals, points, shots, and games played. Marleau is also the fourth player in National Hockey League history to record 900 consecutive games played, reaching the mark one game after breaking the overall games played record. He was the third-last active player who played in the NHL in the 1990s, with the other being Zdeno Chára and longtime teammate Joe Thornton.
1979Carlos Ruiz, Guatemalan footballer[†]
Carlos Humberto Ruiz Gutiérrez, initially nicknamed El Pescadito or "The Little Fish" but later became El Pescado or "The Fish", is a Guatemalan former professional footballer who played as a striker. A product of CSD Municipal's youth academy, Ruiz played for five MLS clubs, scoring 88 goals in 182 MLS regular-season matches and 16 goals in the post-season, which is the second most post-season goals in MLS history. In 2002, he was named the MLS's Most Valuable Player of the season.
1979Reece Young, New Zealand cricketer[†]
Reece Alan Young is a New Zealand former Test cricketer who played for Auckland and Canterbury. He was the 250th Test cap for New Zealand.
Treasury Secretary G William Miller favors reducing Social Security payroll tax and is pleased to hear of President Carter's interest in idea; Miller por (M)
Block and white members of Salisbury Government split on British proposal, imperiling prospects for settlement; Muzorewa has accepted proposals, but Ian Smith is said to have balked at parts of proposals that would weaken safeguards for white minority; Smith and others meet with Lord Carrington; British outline would eliminate whites' power in Parliament to block constitutional change, but there would be 2 voting rolls, 1 for whites and 1 for all citizens; Muzorewa's willingness to accept proposals is seen as reflecting his belief that Prime Min Thatcher is ready to recognize his Government and lift sanctions against it if he does; some British diplomats are hopeful that Joshua Nkomo will break away from Robert Mugabe, accept British proposals and make common cause with Muzorewa (M)
FBI admits it planted rumor in '70 that actress Jean Seberg, who committed suicide, was pregnant by Black Panther Party member in effort to discredit her support of black nationalist movement; illus (L)
Senate, 47-23, votes to place limit of 1,280 acres on amount of federally irrigated land a farm operator may own or lease, but exempts most of large land corporations in California that would be affected by limit; chances of passage are considered slim for variety of reasons, but even if bill is enacted, it will do little to disturb the status quo since about 97% of farms in Western states using taxpayer-subsidized water are already in compliance with acre limitation (M)
UAW and GM reach tentative agreement on 3-year contract; under pact, 460,000 GM workers in US will receive substantial increases in pensions and pay; major features of contract noted; Fraser lauds package; his portrait (M)
Senate Select Committee an Ethics recommends that Senate 'denounce' Sen Herman E Talmadge for engaging in finandal misconduct; 6-member panel is unanimous in its vote and in reaching conclusion that Talmadge's conduct was 'reprehensible'; committee says it has turned over its files to Justice Dept, since it may have turned up violations of criminal law; Talmadge claims committee decision was 'personal victory' for him, but refuses to indicate whether he will contest resolution; full Senate must decide whether to accept committee's recommendation or to take harsher or less punitive action; Talmadge illus; illus of committee members Sens Adlai E Stevenson 3d, Mark O Hatfield and Harrison H Schmitt (M)
MTA votes to begin work on replacing defective undercarriages on entire fleet of 754 R-46 subway cars purchased from Pullman Standard Company in 1972; will sign contract with different supplier to begin design work for new undercarriages, which will be standard model used since 1950; Transit Authority estimates cost will total $50 million; vote is reversal of position adopted by deRoos, who urged city in spring 1979 to accept repair offer extended by Pullman and Rockwell International Corporation, which produced undercarriages on subcontract; Buckeye Steel Castings Company will produce new undercarriages; MTA public affairs director Arthur G Perfall says replacement process will take 2-3 years; MTA Chairman Harold L Fisher says Pullman and Rockwell have renewed offer to attempt to repair defective trucks despite lawsuits filed by city against companies; Fisher and City Planning Commission Chairman Robert F Wagner Jr illus (M)
tours Gulf Coast area by helicopter
Arafat mets Bishop Hilarion Capucci, former Jerusalem prelate who served 3 years in Israeli prison for gunrunning for Palestinians, on 2d day of his visit to Spain; also meets with Foreign Min Marcelino Oreja and other Spanish political leaders; prominent Madrid Jew Mauricio Hatchwell Toledano denounces Arafat visit; illus of Arafat with Bishop Capucci (S)
Defense Sec Harold Brown tells Israeli Defense Min Ezer Weizman that US will consider Israel proposal that it be allowed to begin joint production of advanced US fighter planes; decision to grant request would represent significant change in Pres Carter's policy of curbing international transfers of arms and military technology; Israel is asking Adm for $1.8 billion in credits for fiscal '81 for purchase of other arms; in fiscal '79 and '80, Israel was granted $1 billion in military credits, half of which it was not required to repay (M)
Christian communities in predominantly Moslem Middle East are increasingly concerned over their future in era of major upheaval; estimated 7 million Christians are currently living in region; plight of Christians in Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan noted; some religious and lay leaders comment; illus (M)
Salvadoran security forces open fire on anti-Government protest march by militant students and teachers; among those injured is Kathy Barber Hersh of ABC Radio (S)