May 1978
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The following events occurred in May 1978:
May 1, 1978 (Monday)
- Died: Aram Khachaturian, 74, Soviet-Armenian composer and conductor[1]
May 2, 1978 (Tuesday)
- The Canadian-founded worldwide Greenpeace environmentalist and anti-war organization launched its flagship, Rainbow Warrior, after purchasing and remodeling the British government trawler Sir William Hardy.
- Died: Vong Savang, 46, former Crown Prince of Laos as son of the last monarch, Sisavang Vatthana, died in a Pathet Lao re-education camp.
May 3, 1978 (Wednesday)
- The first use of an electronic messaging system to send an unsolicited message to a large number of recipients for the purpose of commercial advertising, now commonly called spamming, was made when a representative of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Gary Thuerk, sent the same message, simultaneously, to 393 users of ARPANET, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network.[2] The message informed all recipients that "Digital will be giving a product presentation of the newest members of the DECsystem-2020 family," inviting them to attend sessions on May 9 and May 11 at hotel lobbies in Los Angeles and San Mateo, and invited them to "please feel free to contact the nearest DEC Office for more information about the exciting DECsystem-2020 family."[2] The ARPANET manager responded by noting that the advertisement was "a flagrant violation of the use of ARPANET as the network is to be used for official U.S. government business only," and adding that "appropriate action is being taken to preclude its occurrence again."
- R.S.C. Anderlecht, runner-up for the 1976 Belgian Cup, defeated FK Austria Wien, winner of the 1977 Austrian Cup, 4 to 0, to win the European Cup Winners' Cup before a crowd of 48,679 people at Parc des Princes in Paris.
- The successful stage musical Annie, which had been running in the U.S. on Broadway since April 21, 1977, premiered on London's West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre for the first of 1,485 performances. Andrea McArdle, who had opened the title role on Broadway, appeared for the first 40 performances on the West End before being succeeded by Briton Ann Marie Gwatkin.
- Died: Roberto Pineda, 25, Mexican horse racing jockey, was killed while competing in the U.S. at a racetrack in Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, when a horse ridden by another jockey, Rudy Turcotte, broke her foreleg and caused a chain reaction with two other horses. Pineda was riding the horse "Easter Bunny Mine" in the second race of the day when Turcotte's horse, Easy Edith, collapsed. Pineda was thrown head-first from Easter Bunny Mine, and two other horses went down in a pileup. Pineda had severe head injuries and died at a nearby hospital.[3]
May 4, 1978 (Thursday)
- The South African Defence Force (SADF) invaded Angola as the first part of Operation Reindeer against SWAPO, the Namibian independence guerrilla movement. The first phase, the Battle of Cassinga, started as an airborne assault on SWAPO positions. Angola's government reported that 624 civilians and combatants were killed, of whom 298 were teenagers and children.[4]
- Communist activist Henri Curiel, 63, was murdered in Paris.
- Born: Daisuke Ono, Japanese voice actor and winner of two Seiyu Awards; in Sakawa, Kōchi Prefecture
May 5, 1978 (Friday)
- Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, both natives of Merrick, New York, who had completed a correspondence course on ice cream making from the Penn State University creamery, opened an ice cream parlor in Burlington, Vermont, with an investment of $12,000, creating Ben & Jerry's, which would become a business with hundreds of locations and products sold in grocery stores.[5]
- In the Netherlands, Ajax Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar, who had finished in second and third place, respectively, in the Eredivisie, the highest level of Dutch soccer football, faced each other before 50,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam in the finals of the KNVB Cup. Alkmaar won, 1 to 0.[6]
- Born: Ismael El Massoudi, Moroccan-born French professional boxer and WBA welterweight champion 2011 to 2012[7]
May 6, 1978 (Saturday)
- Born: Tony Estanguet, French slalom canoeist and winner of three Olympic gold medals for the men's canoe slalom in 2000, 2004 and 2012; in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques department[8]
- Died: Ethelda Bleibtrey, 76, American Olympic swimmer, winner of 3 gold medals in the 1920 Olympics, later inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame[9]
May 7, 1978 (Sunday)
- Former Italian Premier Aldo Moro was informed by his kidnappers that, since the Italian government had refused their final demands to release 13 prisoners, he was going to be killed. Moro was allowed to send a final letter to his wife and wrote, "They have told me that they are going to kill me in a little while, I kiss you for the last time."[10]
- The first episode of the long-running Philippine television variety program GMA Supershow, hosted by German Moreno, was broadcast at noon on the GMA Network. GMA Supershow would run for 978 episodes over more than 18 years before concluding on January 26, 1997.
- Ricardo Cardona of Colombia won the World super bantamweight title of the World Boxing Association by defeating reigning champion Hong Soo-hwan of South Korea in a bout in Seoul. Cardona would hold the title for almost a year before losing to Leo Randolph on May 4, 1980.
May 8, 1978 (Monday)
- Norway opened a natural gas field in the Polar Sea.
- Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Peter Habeler (Austria) made the first ascent without supplemental oxygen of Mount Everest.
- Born:
- Cindy Parlow Cone, American soccer player with 158 caps for the U.S. women's national soccer team that won the 1999 Women's World Cup and the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games, President of the United States Soccer Federation since 2020, inductee to the National Soccer Hall of Fame; in Memphis, Tennessee[11]
- Lúcio (Lucimar Ferreira da Silva), Brazilian footballer with 105 caps for the Brazil national football team that won the 2002 FIFA World Cup; in Planaltina, Federal District[12]
- Died: Duncan Grant, 93, Scottish painter[13]
May 9, 1978 (Tuesday)
- In Rome, the body of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro, who had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades terrorist organization on March 16, was found in a car parked on Rome's Via Michelangelo Caetani after the Italian government refused to negotiate or to meet the demand that 16 jailed prisoners be released. Moro, 61, had served as prime minister twice, from 1963 to 1968 and from 1974 to 1976.[10]
May 10, 1978 (Wednesday)
- Born: Kenan Thompson, African-American actor and comedian; in Columbus, Ohio[14]
May 11, 1978 (Thursday)
- Born:
- Laetitia Casta, French supermodel and actress; in Pont-Audemer, Eure département
- Judy Ann Santos, Filipino film actress, winner of three FAMAS Awards; in Manila[15]
May 12, 1978 (Friday)
- In Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebels occupied the city of Kolwezi, the mining center of the province of Shaba. The Zairean government asked the U.S., France and Belgium to restore order.
- Born:
- Hossein Rezazadeh, Iranian weightlifter, winner of Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004, and four world championships in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 in the 105-kilogram (231 lb) category; in Ardabil[16]
- Jason Biggs, American film and TV actor best known for the 1999 film American Pie and its sequels; in Pompton Plains, New Jersey[17]
- Malin Åkerman, Swedish-born U.S. actress known for Watchmen and 27 Dresses; in Stockholm
May 13, 1978 (Saturday)
- A group of mercenaries, led by Bob Denard, ousted President Ali Soilih in the Comoros; ten local soldiers were killed and Denard formed a new government.
- Born: Barry Zito, American Major League Baseball pitcher and 2002 winner of the AL Cy Young Award; in Las Vegas[18]
- Died:
- Sisavang Vatthana, 70, the last King of Laos, who reigned from 1959 until his forced abdication in 1975, reportedly died of malaria while imprisoned in Xam Neua by the ruling Communist government.[19] The only surviving member of the royal family, Sisavang's son Sauryavong Savang, became the pretender to the throne until his own death in 2018.
- Alby Roberts, 68, New Zealand cricketer
May 14, 1978 (Sunday)
- Born: Elisa Togut, Italian women's volleyball player and the MVP of the 2002 World Championship; in Gorizia[20]
May 15, 1978 (Monday)
- The first outlet of the Timezone chain of family entertainment centers, now operating in seven south Asian nations (Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam), was opened by founder Malcolm Steinberg in Perth, Western Australia.
- The Iranian Army brutally suppressed a riot by students of the University of Tehran in Tabriz.
- Born:
- Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian soccer player with 81 caps for the national team as well as being the 2011 Major League Soccer MVP; in Scarborough, Ontario[21]
- Caroline Dhavernas, French-Canadian TV actress known for Hannibal on NBC and for Wonderfalls on Fox; in Montreal
- Krzysztof Ignaczak, Polish volleyball player with 321 caps for the Poland national team; in Wałbrzych[22]
- Died: Sir Robert Menzies KT AK CH QC FAA FRS, 83, Prime Minister of Australia 1939 to 1941 and 1949 to 1966[23]
May 16, 1978 (Tuesday)
- Born: Lionel Scaloni, Argentine footballer and manager of the Argentina national football team since 2018, known for guiding Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup; in Pujato, Santa Fe Province[24]
- Died: William Steinberg, 78, German-born American conductor and composer, died 15 days after conducting the New York Philharmonic in concert.[25]
May 17, 1978 (Wednesday)
- Charlie Chaplin's coffin was found 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the Switzerland cemetery from which it was stolen, near Lake Geneva.
- Died: Armin T. Wegner, 91, German human rights activist, known for documenting the Armenian genocide while stationed in the Ottoman Empire during World War One, and later for being jailed in 1933 for publicly denouncing Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.
May 18, 1978 (Thursday)
- Soviet dissident Yuri Orlov was sentenced to 7 years' hard labor, for distributing 'counterrevolutionary material'.
- Sarajevo was selected to host the 1984 Winter Olympics, and Los Angeles was selected to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.
- Born: Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer with 89 caps for the national team; in Amarante[26]
- Died: Selwyn Lloyd, 73, English politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1971 to 1976, and previously as Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1963-1964, and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, 1955-1960
May 19, 1978 (Friday)
- French Foreign Legion paratroopers landed in Kolwezi, Zaire, to rescue Europeans in the middle of a civil war.
May 20, 1978 (Saturday)
- Mavis Hutchinson, 53, became the first woman to run across the continental United States. She completed the trek in 69 days.
- Died:
- Ernest Cadine, 84, French weightlifter, 1920 Olympic gold medalist[27][28]
- P. S. Subrahmanya Sastri, 87, Indian Sanskrit scholar[29]
May 21, 1978 (Sunday)
- U.S. National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski met privately in Beijing with Huang Hua, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, and announced that he was authorized by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to accept the three conditions set by Beijing for normalization of diplomatic relations, specifically for the U.S. to sever its relationship with Taiwan, including the withdrawal of U.S. troops and severing its diplomatic and military pacts with the Taiwanese government, provided that the U.S. would be able to announce that China would resolve its issues with Taiwan peacefully.[30]
- In the Soviet Union, the Republican Party of Georgia (Sakartvelos Respublikuri Partia) was founded clandestinely by four independence activists in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Vakhtang Dzabiradze, Vakhtang Shonia, Levan Berdzenishvili and David Berdzenishvili with a goal of an independent Georgian nation with guarantees of human rights and a free market economy. The four Georgians would be arrested and jailed in 1983 for anti-Soviet activity, then released in time to participate in the first free elections of the Republic of Georgia.
May 22, 1978 (Monday)
- Exiled leaders Ahmed Abdallah and Muhammad Ahmad returned to the Comoros.
- Born:
- Katie Price (stage name for Katrina Infield), English supermodel known as "Jordan", singer, children's book author and television personality; in Brighton, East Sussex[31][32]
- Ginnifer Goodwin, American TV actress known for being the star of the ABC series Once Upon a Time;[33] in Memphis, Tennessee
- Died:
- Joseph Colombo, 54, American gangster who was boss of the Colombo crime family of New York and was paralyzed in 1971 after an assassination attempt, died of a cardiac arrest.[34]
- U.S. Navy Admiral Aubrey Fitch, 94, former Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy[35]
May 23, 1978 (Tuesday)
- Bill Walton of the Portland Trail Blazers was named the National Basketball Association regular season MVP.
May 24, 1978 (Wednesday)
- An airplane crash killed Kenya's former Minister of Agriculture, Bruce McKenzie, 59, along with the pilot and two other people, after McKenzie had left a meeting with Uganda's President Idi Amin. A bomb exploded on the twin-engine Piper Aztec 23 airplane as it was flying back to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after departing from the airport at Entebbe.[36][37][38]
- The hijacking of a helicopter in an attempt to free two inmates of the U.S. federal penitentiary near Marion, Illinois, was thwarted after the hijacker, Barbara Ann Oswald, was shot and killed by her hostage, Allen Barklage. Oswald had been attempting to free her friend, Garrett Brock Trapnell, from incarceration by seizing a charter helicopter at an airport near St. Louis and ordering Barklage to land inside the prison yard to pick up Trapnell. Barklage landed the helicopter inside the yard, wrestled the gun away from Oswald, and then shot her as she attempted to flee.
May 25, 1978 (Thursday)
- The first attack of the Unabomber took place when a mail bomb exploded at campus police building of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, injuring a security guard. Over the next 17 years, 26 people would be injured, three of them fatally, by the Unabomber until he was arrested and identified as former University of California mathematics professor Ted Kaczynski.
- The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins, four games to two, to win the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.
May 26, 1978 (Friday)
- The first legal gambling casino in the eastern United States opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the debut of the new Resorts International hotel.
- Died:
- Tamara Karsavina, 93, Russian-born prima ballerina for the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Ballets Russes, who later fled to London and became one of the founders of The Royal Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance
- Jorge Icaza Coronel, 71, Ecuadorean novelist known for the 1934 novel Huasipungo
May 27, 1978 (Saturday)
- In West Berlin, two members of the 2 June Movement in West Germany, Inge Viett and Nabil Harb, helped terrorist Till Meyer escape from the medium security Moabit Correctional Facility, and the three escaped by train to East Berlin and then through East Germany to Bulgaria. Although it was a Communist nation like East Germany, Bulgaria allowed West German officials to arrest Meyer and then allowed for his extradition back to West Germany for trial.[39]
May 28, 1978 (Sunday)
- Al Unser won his third Indianapolis 500.
- The price of mailing a letter in the U.S. increased from 13 cents to 15 cents.[40]
- Born: Jake Johnson (stage name for Mark Weinberger), American comedian and TV and film actor known for being the co-star of New Girl for seven seasons on Fox; in Evanston, Illinois[41][unreliable source?]
May 29, 1978 (Monday)
- Born: Sébastien Grosjean, French professional tennis player who was ranked fourth-best in the world in 2002, but never advanced further than the semi-finals in a Grand Slam tournament; in Marseilles[42]
May 30, 1978 (Tuesday)
- Former Comoros President Ali Soilih was found dead in the Comoros, allegedly shot when trying to escape.
- Born: Lyoto Machida, Brazilian mixed martial artist, UFC Light Heavyweight champion from 2009 to 2010; in Salvador, Bahia state[43]
May 31, 1978 (Wednesday)
- Born: Sara Duterte, Vice President of the Philippines since 2022; in Davao City[44]
- Died:
- József Bozsik, 52, Hungarian footballer with 101 caps for the Hungary national team, died of heart failure.
- José Gonzalvo, 58, Spanish footballer and manager, died after an operation.
References
- ^ "Khachaturian, a Leading Soviet Composer, Dies at 74". The New York Times. 3 May 1978.
- ^ a b Templeton, Brad. "Reaction to the DEC Spam of 1978".
- ^ "Jockey killed, 2 others are injured as 4 horses tumble during Pimlico race". The Baltimore Sun. May 4, 1978. p. A1.
- ^ Shigwedha, Vilho Amukwaya (December 2011). Enduring Suffering: The Cassinga Massacre of Namibian Exiles in 1978 and the Conflicts Between Survivors' Memories and Testimonies (PDF) (PhD). University of the Western Cape.
- ^ "Our History". Ben & Jerry's. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ Abbink, Dinnant. "Netherlands Cup Full Results 1970-1994". RSSSF.
- ^ "Ismael El Massoudi". BoxRec. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Tony Estanguet". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia (2 May 2024). "Ethelda Bleibtrey". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ a b History.com editors (8 May 2024) [9 February 2010]. "Former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro is found dead". HISTORY. A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Player Bio: Cindy Parlow". United States Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012.
- ^ "Lúcio". worldfootball.net. 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Grant, Duncan James Corrowr (1885–1978)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. 2004.
- ^ "Kenan Thompson". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016.
- ^ "Judy Ann Santos – Biography". Official Website of Judy Ann Santos. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ "Hossein Reza Zadeh". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1207. Time Inc. May 18, 2012. p. 29.
- ^ "Zito, Barry". Current Biography Yearbook. H. W. Wilson Company. 2004. p. 610.
- ^ "Laotian Royal Family Died in Prison Camp". The New York Times. February 8, 1990. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ "Elisa Togut". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Dwayne De Rosario". Canadian Soccer Association.
- ^ "Krzysztof Ignaczak". Olympdia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ Bowers, Peter (16 May 1978). "Menzies dies at 83". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 1.
- ^ "L. Scaloni". soccerway.com. Soccer Way.
- ^ "Musical Great Steinberg, 78, Dies in N.Y." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 17, 1978. Retrieved 19 January 2012 – via Google News.
- ^ "Ricardo Carvalho", at Soccerbase.com
- ^ "ERNEST CADINE". Olympics.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Ernest Cadine". Olympedia. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "P.S. Subrahmanya Sastri, the man who first translated ancient Tamil text 'Tolkapiyam' to English". thecommunemag.com.
- ^ Ezra F. Vogel, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (Harvard University Press, 2013)
- ^ Harding, Nick (21 July 2012). "My Secret Life: Katie Price". The Independent Magazine. London. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "Katrina Amy Alexandra Alexis Price". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ "Ginnifer Goodwin". TV Guide. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
- ^ "Joseph A. Colombo, Sr,. Paralyzed in Shooting at 1971 Rally, Dies". The New York Times. May 24, 1978.
- ^ "Aubrey Fitch (FFG-34)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Retrieved 30 May 2024 – via Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ^ Dunstan, Simon (2011). Entebbe: The Most Daring Raid of Israel's Special Forces. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 58.
- ^ Ochami, David (2012). "Ugandan agents killed former Cabinet minister, says dossier". The Standard. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "Mossad, McKenzie, Idi Amin: The strange mix". The Citizen. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. May 26, 2019.
- ^ "2 women help terrorist flee 'secure' Berlin jail". Chicago Tribune. May 28, 1978. p. 1-2.
- ^ "15‐Cent Postage Rate Takes Effect Tomorrow". The New York Times. May 27, 1978. p. 26.
- ^ "Jake Johnson - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Sebastien Grosjean". Association of Tennis Professionals.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dojo Fighters – Lyoto Machida". NJPW.com. 30 May 1978. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
- ^ "Pre-2016 all over again? Bongbong Marcos visits Sara Duterte in Davao City". Rappler. May 30, 2021. Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
Sara is turning 43 on Monday, May 31.