On this day

November 5, 1979

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

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Headlines from November 5, 1979

TEHERAN STUDENTS SEIZE U.S. EMBASSY AND HOLD HOSTAGES

By Unknown Author

Iranian Moslem students storm US Embassy, Teheran; seize about 90 Americans and vow to stay there until deposed Shah is sent back from NYC to face trial; there are no reports of casualties although some of several hundred attackers are armed; Ayatollah Khomeini reportedly supports attack, which came as tens of thousands of people marched through streets on first anniversary of shooting of Teheran University students by Shah's security forces; US charge d'affaires L Bruce Laingen is not among those seized; takeover follows series of strongly anti‐US speeches by Khomeini; illus; map (M)

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Transit Bond Key Issue in New York — Jersey to Pick New Assembly

By Frank Lynn

political, business and labor organizations on Nov 5, day before election, to push for passage of $500 million transportation bond issue; supporters fear it will be defeated because of voter antagonism or apathy; Mayor Koch's campaign plans noted; Lt Gov Mario M Cuomo comments on issue; Transportation Comr William C Henessy says NYS has printed and distributed 2 million 'informational' pamphlets on issue; 2d constitutional amendment would permit exchange of state lands outside protected Adirondack Forest Preserve for land owned by International Paper Co within preserve; 3d amendment would permit state to incorporate Federal tax laws into state law by mere reference rather than full‐scale repetition (M)

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It's Rank vs. File in a Rift Dividing Stamford Police

By Robert E. Tomasson; Special to The New York Times

Article examines growing rift within Stamford, Conn, Police Dept; negotiations on new contract that expires in June were suspended pending action on lawsuit charging unfair labor practices brought by police union head Ptl Salvatore Ladestro after he had been accused of dereliction of duty by Police Chief Victor I Cizanckas (M)

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Nobel Prize Economist Criticizes Government

By William Robbins; Special to The New York Times

Prof Theodore W Schultz, recent co‐winner of Nobel Prize in Economics, cites bureaucratic regulation and taxation policies as major causes of US economic problems, int; illus (M)

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of October 31, 1979, covering November 5, 1979.

  1. 1
    Album cover for The Long Run by Eagles

    The Long Run

    Eagles

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    3
  2. 2
    Album cover for In Through The Out Door by Led Zeppelin

    In Through The Out Door

    Led Zeppelin

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    9
  3. 3
    Album cover for Midnight Magic by Commodores

    Midnight Magic

    Commodores

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    3
    Weeks
    12
  4. 4
    Album cover for Cornerstone by Styx

    Cornerstone

    Styx

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    4
  5. 5
    Album cover for Head Games by Foreigner

    Head Games

    Foreigner

    Last week
    5
    Peak
    5
    Weeks
    6

Notable Births

1979Romi Dames, Japanese-American actress[†]

Hiromi "Romi" Dames is an American actress.

Michalis Hatzigiannis

1979Michalis Hatzigiannis, Cypriot singer-songwriter and producer[†]

Michalis Hatzigiannis is a Greek Cypriot singer. He served as the Deputy Minister of Culture for Cyprus under President Christodoulides, from March 1, 2023 until July 11, 2023.

1979Keith McLeod, American basketball player[†]

Keith McLeod is an American former professional basketball player and current varsity boys basketball head coach at East Canton High School in Canton, Ohio. He is 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall. He has also played in the NBA for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers, in the CBA for the Yakima Sun Kings, in the USBL for the Saint Joseph Express, in the NBA D-League with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, Canton Charge, and Erie BayHawks, and in the Italian top league for Mabo Prefabbricati Livorno, Lottomatica Virtus Roma and Montepaschi Siena.

David Suazo

1979David Suazo, Honduran footballer and coach[†]

Óscar David Suazo Velázquez is a Honduran retired professional footballer turned coach who played as a striker. Suazo played more than 300 league games and scored over 90 league goals in Italy during a span of 12 seasons.

Notable Deaths

Al Capp

1979Al Capp, American cartoonist (born 1909)[†]

Alfred Gerald Caplin, better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner, which he created in 1934 and continued writing and drawing until 1977. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats and Long Sam (1954). He won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 1947 for Cartoonist of the Year, and their 1979 Elzie Segar Award, posthumously for his "unique and outstanding contribution to the profession of cartooning".

Historical Context for November 5, 1979

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