The world's most infamous clown, John Wayne Gacy, went on trial after he murdered 33 young men in Cook County, Illinois.
In a letter and on television, President Jimmy Carter announced that the Olympics should not take place in Moscow, Russia.
USSR invades Afghanistan.
Ayatollah Khomeini takes office.
Mob burns down US embassy in Pakistan.
Iran hostage crisis begins after U.S. embassy in Tehran is stormed.
The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida received its 100-millionth visitor.
Up to 125,000 people marched in the first LGBT civil rights march in Washington, D.C.
Pope John Paul II became the first pope to visit the White House in Washington, D.C.
John Paul II became the first pope to visit the Republic of Ireland.
Anti-nuclear protests in New York City, 200,000 showed up, including Jane Fonda.
An unidentified double flash of light was detected over the Indian Ocean south of Africa.
Afghan President Nur Muhammad Taraki is assassinated upon the order of Hafizullah Amin, who becomes the new president.
Pioneer 11 makes its closest approach to Saturn.
A rainbow lasting three hours was recorded over the Gwynedd coast in Wales.
Iraqi president, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr resigns.
The Skylab, America's first space station, was destroyed as it entered Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean.
NASA's Voyager 2 flew past Jupiter, continuing its journey towards Saturn.
Sony's iconic Walkman first went on sale in Japan.
Leonid Brezhnev and Jimmy Carter sign SALT II.
Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit a communist country.
NASA's UK-6 was launched into space.
Tom Bradley, Mayor of Los Angeles, signed the first US gay rights bill.
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) ends 90 years of white rule.
American Airlines flight 191 crashes shortly after takeoff.
Etan Patz disappears.
Violent clashes follow the lenient sentencing for Harvey Milk's murderer.
Iranian Jewish businessman Habib Elghanian is executed.
Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister.
A swamp rabbit attacked President Jimmy Carter while he was fishing in Plains, Georgia.
The world record for the longest table tennis doubles marathon was broken with a time of 101 hours.
Uganda's dictator Idi Amin is overthrown.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is executed.
A nuclear disaster occurred at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, US.
US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that police can't stop cars just to check the driver and their registration.
The Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty is signed.
The world's first fully-functional space shuttle, Columbia, was delivered to the JFK Space Center.
Factory Plane Crash in China.
The Caribbean island state of Saint Lucia gained its independence from the United Kingdom.
Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power in Iran.
Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 year in exile.
Varig Flight 967 disappeared thirty minutes after taking off from Tokyo.
Robert Williams became the first recorded person to be killed by a robot in the US.
The Shah of Iran flees the country.
US President Jimmy Carter expressed his support for Martin Luther King's birthday to become a national holiday.
The Khmer Rouge government of Cambodia is overthrown.
After forty years as a fascist nation, Spain transitioned to a democratic government.
United States announces that it will recognize communist China.
Dianne Feinstein became the first female mayor of San Francisco.
San Francisco leaders George Moscone and Harvey Milk are murdered.
