1978 Following on from the oil crisis Japanese car Imports account for half the US import market. The first first ever Cellular Mobile Phone History of Mobile Phones is introduced in Illinois and Space Invaders appears in arcades Launching a Craze for Computer Video Games . Sweden is the first country in the world to recognize the effect of aerosol sprays on the Ozone Layer and bans the sale. The Serial killer David Berkowitz, "Son of Sam," is convicted of murder after terrorizing New York for 12 months. 1978 is also a great year for movies with Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Close Encounters of the Third Kind all showing in Movie Theatres around the world.
Cost Of Living, - News, Facts and Events, - Movies, TV and Music, - Born This Year, - Technology, - World Leaders,
Cost Of Living, - News, Facts and Events, - Movies, TV and Music, - Born This Year, - Technology, - World Leaders,
Cost of Living 1978
How Much things cost in 1978Yearly Inflation Rate USA7.62%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 805
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.75%
Average Cost of new house $54,800.00
Average Income per year $17,000.00
Average Monthly Rent $260.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 63 cents
1LB of Bacon$1.20
Dozen Eggs 48 Cents
Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Stirling
Average House Price 13,650
Gallon of Petrol 0.79
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 8.3%
Interest Rates Year End Bank of England 12.50%
To find more prices and information for the 70's including 1978
1970's - Cars and Car Prices - Music -
What Events Happened in 1978
U.S.- Camp David Peace Treaty Egypt makes peace with Israel
- Public Service strikes in UK causes major disruption to all services
- US Teachers strike extend summer holidays for thousands of students
- After nearly 30 years The Volkswagen Beetle stops production having manufactured 20 million cars
- Worldwide Unemployment rises after several decades of near full employment
- Gold reaches an all time high of $200.00 per ounce
- The US Dollar plunges to record low against many European currencies
- The Japanese car Imports account for half the US import market following the energy crisis and increase in fuel prices that fuels demand for economy cars
- The European Court of Human Rights finds the United Kingdom government guilty of mistreating prisoners in Northern Ireland
- Sweden becomes the first nation to ban aerosol sprays that are thought to damage earth's protective ozone layer.
- Rhodesia's prime minister Ian Smith and three black leaders agree on the transfer to black majority rule.
- The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz runs aground March 16th on the coast of Brittany. causing an ecological disaster with A slick 18 miles wide and 80 miles long covered about 200 miles (320 km) of Brittany coastline
- Serial killer David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam," is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison
- The US stops production of the Neutron Bomb ( Kills People but leaves buildings and infrastructure standing )
- The first Susan B. Anthony Dollar is minted on December 13th
- Indira Ghandi faces fraud charges in India
- India faces it's longest and worst monsoon season in modern times leaving 2 million homeless
- Bulgarian defector Georgi Markov assasinated by Bulgarian Secret Police using poisoned umbrella tip
- Earthquake strikes Tabas, Iran and surrounding villages killing nearly 20,000
- The Cult leader Jim Jones instructed 400 members of his church, "People's Temple", to commit suicide in Guyana
- Israel attacks on southern Lebanon following bus hijacking in Tel Aviv
- A powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Thessaloniki, Greece
- Due to poor Cold War Relations United States bans sale of latest computer technology to Soviet Union
- Three American balloonists make the first crossing of the Atlantic by hot air balloon in Double Eagle II
- Pope Paul VI dies at age of 80.
- John Paul I Becomes Pope from August 26, 1978 and dies just 33 days later on September 28, 1978
- Cardinal Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II
- Britain launches the Motability scheme to provide cars for disabled people
- Worlds Population Estimated at 4.4 billion
- Dominica Gains Independence From Great Britain
- Karl Wallenda, founder of the Flying Wallendas, dies after falling off a tight-rope
- Argentina Wins 1978 World Cup in Argentina
Technology
- Illinois Bell Company introduces first ever Cellular Mobile Phone System
- Space Invaders Launches Craze for Computer Video Games
- The first computer bulletin board system BBS is created
- 98% of all American homes have a television
- First Test Tube Baby is born in England a girl Louise Brown, from in vitro fertilization
Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )
In Vitro Fertilisation England "the First test tube baby is born"
Popular Culture 1978
Popular Films
- Grease
- Saturday Night Fever
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- National Lampoon's Animal House
- Jaws 2
- Heaven Can Wait
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
- Revenge of the Pink Panther
- The Deer Hunter
Popular Musicians and songs
- Bee Gees with " Night Fever and Stayin Alive "
- Paul McCartney and Wings
- John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
- Rolling Stones
- Commodores with " Three Times a Lady "
- Boomtown Rats
Check out our Television Programmes From The 70s whenever possible we have included a trailer to jog your memory. Series trailers and more information are found on the decade they started.
Popular TV Programmes
- Happy Days
- Little House on the Prairie
- The Rockford Files
- Good Morning America
- Jim'll Fix It (UK)
- Saturday Night Live
- Wheel of Fortune
- Charlie's Angels
- Quincy, M.E.
- The Muppet Show
- CHiPs
- The Love Boat
- Three's Company
Born This Year 1978
Ashton Kutcher This Day In History February 7thKobe Bryant News And Events From August 23rd
Josh Hartnett This Day In History July 21st
Major World Political Leaders 1978
Australia Prime Minister Malcolm FraserBrazil President Ernesto Geisel
Canada Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
China Chairman of the People's Republic of China Post Abolished
France President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Germany Chancellor Helmut Schmidt
India Prime Minister
Italy Prime Minister GMorarji Desaiiulio Andreotti
Japan Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda Till 7 December
Japan Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira From 7 December
Mexico President José López Portillo
Russia / Soviet Union
First Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev
South Africa Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster Till 29 September
South Africa Prime Minister Pieter Willem Botha From 29 September
United States President Jimmy Carter
United Kingdom Prime Minister James Callaghan
The Information above is taken from our new page that gives world leaders from 1920 to current.
WorldLeaders
