NEWS: 1979

As 1979 begins, it's raining and 43 degrees F at Baltimore's weather station (at BWI Airport). The wind is from the southeast at 3 miles an hour.

The U.S and China establish diplomatic relations; there are celebrations of this event in the national capitals of Washington, D.C. and Beijing, China.

It's the beginning of the International Year of the Child, as declared by the United Nations.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy; rain until mid-afternoon; breezy in mid-evening (25 mph gust at 10:00 pm); High temp. 64 F; Low temp. 42 F; Precipitation: 0.48 inch.

Jerry DiPizzo Jr. is born. He's a saxophonist and guitarist in the American rock band O.A.R.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy; rain (heavy at times) until early evening with a trace of snow at the end; breezy/windy in late afternoon and evening (33 mph gust just before midnight); High temp. 64 F; Low temp. 30 F; Precipitation: 1.67 inches (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

Kate Levering is born in Sacramento, California. She's an actress and dancer. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the 2001 musical 42nd Street. She is best known for her role as Kim Kaswell in the Lifetime comedy-drama series Drop Dead Diva.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloufy, becoming clear; windy/breezy until evening (37-mph wind gusts in early morning); High temp. 30 F; Low temp. 10 F; Precipitation: None.

1.34 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the largest-ever amount in Baltimore on any January 20th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Rain with a trace of snow; High temp. 35° F; Low temp. 25° F, Precip.: 1.34 inches (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

The musical "The Wiz" has its last Broadway performance. (It lasts for 1,672 performances. With an all-Black cast, it's based on L. Frank Baum's book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.")

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Snow (1.4 inches) and rain; High temp. 40° F; Low temp. 34° F, Precip.: 0.25 inch (liquid).  One inch of snow on the gorund.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: A trace of snow; High temp. 34° F; Low temp. 25° F, Precip.: Trace (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

Baltimore receives 7.84 inches of precipitation in January 1979, making it the wettest January ever recorded in Baltimore (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This liquid precipitation includes melted snowfall.  The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 1979 is 40.4 degrees F, below the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during Jaanuary 1979 is 25.8 degrees F, just above the normal of 25.4 degrees.  A total of 5.7 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station during January 1979, below the normal of 6.4 inches.

An explosion at the Burnside Steel Foundry in Chicago, Illinois, injures 17 workers, four of them critically. The blast splatters red-hot metal over the foundry, blowing the clothing off some workers and setting others on fire. The explosion also blows off part of the roof and breaches a section of a brick wall. The cause of the explosion was a container of molten steel overturning in an electric furnace and coming into contact with water.

New Orleans, Louisiana, police begin a strike for the second time in a week, to back demands that the city submit contract issues to binding arbitration. The mayor of New Orleans, Ernest Morial, cancels seven Mardi Gras parades scheduled for the next day.

Walter Cronkite's "CBS Evening News" airs simultaneously on the CBS and NBC affiliate TV stations in Detroit, Michigan (WJBK-TV and WDIV-TV, respectively) at the opening of the program for one minute and 20 seconds. Finally, David Brinkley's "NBC Nightly News" is joined in progress on the NBC affiliate station. The mix-up originated at an AT&T switching facility in Toledo, Ohio.

A massive earthquake occurs in southern Peru near the Chilean border. It kills at least 5 people and injures hundreds more, and it destroys hundreds of buildings in the city of Arequipa, Peru, and dozens of mountain settlements on both sides of the border. It also knocks out electricity and telephone service in the area, and touches off landslides.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then partly cloudy; light snow showers (less than 1 inch) in the morning; breezy in the afternoon and evening; High temp. 32 F; Low temp. 16 F; Precip.: 0.07 inch (liquid).

National Guardsmen patrol New Orleans, Louisiana, after police walked off the job the previous night.

About 800 Americans fly out of Tehran, Iran, aboard three jumbo jets as the U.S. government launches a 4-day operation designed to get up to 5,000 U.S. citizens out of strife-torn Iran.

Chinese forces backed by tanks, fighter planes and artillery cross the Vietnamese border and engage Vietnamese troops, penetrating about 6 miles into Vietnam. China calls it an "act of self defense" against Vietnam.

In Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Christiaan Barnard implants a "piggy back" heart alongside the diseased heart of patient Rick Anderson, age 26, of Smithville, Missouri.

The National Weather Service's Baltimore weather forecast for February 17th accurately predicts low temperatures near zero overnight on February 17th, but its forecast made on February 17th for February 18th and 19th ("slowly moderating temperatures with fair skies clouding") makes no mention at all of a blizzard that will begin hitting Baltimore and vicinity late on February 18th and continue on February 19th, dropping about two feet of snow.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy, then clear; breezy until early evening. High temperature 16 F, Low temperature 4 F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 3 degrees F, the lowest temperature in Baltimore on any February 18th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Snow begins falling in the Baltimore area in the evening. Two to three inches of snow are on the ground by midnight  in the Baltimore region.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then cloudy, then snow (3 inches) in the evening; High temperature 12 degrees F, Low temperature 3 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.24 inch (liquid).

Heavy snow falls in the Baltimore-Washington area and in other parts of the mid-Atlantic. It is accompanied by and followed by strong winds, which whip the snow into drifts. This storm takes weather forecasters by surprise as to its strength, especially in the final stage of the storm, when snow falls at the rate of 4 inches an hour for 3 to 4 hours. Total snowfall is 19 to 25 inches in most  of the Baltimore-Washington area. This storm comes to be known as the Blizzard of 1979.  Official snowfall from this storm today for Baltimore is 16.4 inches (and some earlier snow fell the previous evening).

BWI Airport gets 16.4 inches of snow, the greatest snowfall on one day for BWI Airport in 1979.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then clearing. heavy snow (16.4 inches) in the morning through early afternoon; breezy/windy until early evening (32 mph gust at 7:00 am); High temperature 33 F, Low temperature 12 F, Precipitation: 1.63 inches (liquid).

The Orioles defeat the Seattle Mariners at Seattle, 8 to 7 in 10 innings.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during April 1979 is 3.37 inches.

The Orioles win against the Red Sox, 10-6.

Hawaii's record-low temperature, 12° F, is set at Mauna Kea Observatory, elevation 13,770 feet.

The Orioles lose to the Red Sox, 6 to 2.

Former San Francisco (CA) City Supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the slayings of Mayor George Moscone and openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk. Outrage over the verdict sparked rioting. Later, White would be sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in prison.

The Orioles have the day off.

A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jet airliner operating American Airlines Flight 191 takes off from runway 32R at O'Hare International Airport when its left engine detaches, causing loss of control, and it crashes less than a mile from the end of the runway in Des PLaines, Illinois, near Chicago. All 258 passengers and 13 crew on board are killed, along with two people on the ground. With 273 fatalities, it is the deadliest aviation accident to have occurred in the United States (up to this point). The flight was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by American Airlines from O'Hare International Airport  to Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California.

The Orioles' scheduled game against the Tigers at Detroit is postponed by rain.

The Orioles do not play.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during May 1979 is 4.15 inches.

Pope John Paul II arrives in his native Poland on the first visit by a pope to a Communist country.

The Orioles win against the Rangers 5-4.

The Orioles again defeat the Rangers, 4 to 3.

The Orioles defeat the Cleveland Indians in Baltimore, 3 to 2.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 53 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any June 25th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The Orioles again win against the Indians, this time 4 to 3.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 52 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any June 26th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The Orioles again defeat the Indians, this time by a score of 3 to 1, as Jim Palmer pitches a complete game and improves his win-loss record to 7-3.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 50 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any June 27th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The Orioles defeat the Blue Jays for the third consecutive time in this series, this time by 10 to 5, with Mike Flanagan pitching a complete game and improving his win-loss record to 10-5.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during June 1979 is 5.74 inches.

The Orioles complete a 4-game sweep of the Blue Jays, winning 10-7. In their last 26 games, the Orioles have won 22 games and lost only 4. The Orioles are 54-24 this season.

The Sony Walkman goes on sale for the first time. It is a portable stereo audio cassette player that is designed to be clipped to a person's belt (too big to fit into most pockets), and has a pair of lightweight headphones that are connected by wire to the unit. This battery-powered audio player (with playback only; no recording capability) is lightweight and designed for listening to music or other audio privately, especially while walking, while jogging, or while traveling in vehicles.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 55 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 5th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The Orioles have the day off.

THe Orioles lose to the California Angels in Anaheim, 7 to 3.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 51 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 6th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Disco Demolition Night is held at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. It is a Major League Baseball promotion that ends in a riot. At the climax of the event, a crateful of disco phonograph records is blown up on the field between games of a twi-night doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Many people in attendance come to see the explosion rather than the games and rush onto the field after the explosion. The playing field is so damaged by the explosion and by the people rushing onto the field that the second game is initially postponed but the next day the second game is forfeited by the White Sox to the Tigers. 

In the late 1970s, dance-oriented disco is the most popular music genre in the United States, particularly after being featured in hit films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977). However, disco sparks a major backlash from rock music  fans—an opposition prominent enough that the White Sox, seeking to fill seats at Comiskey Park during a lackluster season, engage Chicago shock jock and anti-disco campaigner Steve Dahl for the promotion at the doubleheader. Dahl's sponsoring radio station is 97.9 WLUP, so admission is discounted to 98 cents for attendees who turn in a disco record. Between games, Dahl destroys the collected vinyl in an explosion.

White Sox officials had hoped for a crowd of 20,000, about 5,000 more than usual. Instead, at least 50,000—including tens of thousands of Dahl's adherents—pack the stadium, and thousands more continue to sneak in after gates are closed. Many of the records are not collected by staff and are thrown like flying discs from the stands. After Dahl blows up the collected records, thousands of fans storm the field and remain there until dispersed by riot police.

The Orioles have the day off.

The Orioles lose to the Mariners at Seattle, 4-3.

The Chicago White Sox forfeit the second game of a twi-night doubleheader, to be played the day before, to the Detroit Tigers by order of American League president Lee MacPhail, because of the playing field being damaged by an explosion of a crate of disco phonograph records and by thousands of people who stormed out onto the field afterward.

The 1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, and the attendance is 58,905. The National League defeats the American League, 7 to 6. For the National League, Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a double and a triple, and Lee Mazzilli of the New York Mets hits a home run. For the American League, Fred Lynn of the Boston Red Sox hits a home run. Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates is named Most Valuable Player of this All Star Game; he hits a sacrifice fly in the game.

The Orioles win again over the Brewers, this time by a score of 9 to 5.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 1979 is 3.71 inches.

New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson is killed at age 32 in a plane crash when, as the pilot, he fails to extend the flaps on his Cessna Citation jet while attempting a landing at Akron-Canton Regional Airport in Ohio. The two other people who were on the plane with him survive.

The Orioles do not play.

A mid-air collision occurrs over the Ukrainian SSR, near the city of Dniprodzerzhynsk (now Kamianske). The aircraft involved are both Tupolev Tu-134As on scheduled domestic passenger flights, operated by Aeroflot. All 178 people aboard both aircraft die in the accident. The Soviet aviation board investigating the accident concluded that the crash was caused by "mistakes and violations" made by air traffic controllers.

The Orioles do not play as their scheduled game against the Yankees is postponed by rain in Baltimore.

The Orioles again lose to the Royals, this time by a score of 7 to 1.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 53 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any August 17th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

The first four houses in the 71-acre Westview Place housing development are completed or nearing completion. These houses are along the north side of Johnnycake Road just west of Westview Fire Station #13 in Woodlawn/Gwynn Oak. The development is situated near the northwest corner of the intersection of Johnnycake Road and Woodlawn Drive, adjacent to Westview Fire Station #13. (These four houses will be used as the model homes/sample homes for the development until 1982, when people will be allowed to buy them and move into them. When completed in 1982, Westview Place contains 71 detached houses.)

The Orioles lose to the Royals, 11 to 7.

Swimmer Diana Nyad succeeds in her third attempt to swim from the Bahamas to Florida, a distance of 102 miles over two days.

The Orioles win against the Texas Rangers in Baltimore, 3 to 0. Mike Flanagan pitches a shutout and improves his season win-loss record to 17-7.

British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten and three other people are killed in a boat explosion at Mullaghmore, Republic of Ireland. The Irish Republican Army claims responsibility for the explosion. Mountbatten was born on June 25, 1900, in Windsor, United Kingdom.

The Orioles lose to the Twins in Minnesota, 4 to 3.

The Orioles lose to the Minnesota Twins at Baltimore, 3 to 1.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during August 1979 is 9.38 inches, nearly triple the normal amount for August.

The Orioles' scheduled game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Baltimore is postponed by rain.

Tropical Storm David moves northward through Maryland, causing heavy rain and strong winds. An F2 tornado occurs in Kingsville, Baltimore County.

4.39 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any September 5th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy; rain (heavy at times) from mid-morning onward; breezy from late morning onward (26 mph sustained wind & 37 mph gust just before midnight); High temp. 79°F; Low temp. 73°F; Precip.: 4.39 inches.

Tropical Storm David continues to affect Maryland, icluding the Baltimore region, until evening.

The Orioles defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in Baltimore, 5 to 0. Dennis Martinez pitches a shoutout and improves his season win-loss record to 15-12.

The Orioles' scheduled game against the Indians in Baltimore is postponed by rain.

1.25 inches of precipitation falls in Baltimore, the most in Baltimore on any September 21st (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

In their final game of the 1979 regular season, the Orioles lose to the Indians, 6 to 5 in 11 innings. The Orioles finish the 1979 regular season with 102 wins and 57 losses, and finish in first place in the American League's Eastern Division, qualifying them for the American League Championship Series against the AL Western Division champion Califormia Angels. The Orioles play only 159 regular-season games this season instead of the usual 162 games. Two games against the Yankees and one game against the White Sox are postponed but not made up.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during September 1979 is 6.73 inches, about double the normal amount for September.

In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, played in Cincinnati, the Pittburgh Pirates defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-2 in 11 innings.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy to mostly cloudy; rain before 6:00 AM and late in the evening; High temp. 74°F; Low temp. 62°F; Precip.: 0.43 inch.

Game 1 of the 1979 American League Championship Series is played at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore between the Orioles and the Calfornia Angels. The Orioles defeat the Angels 6-3 in 10 innings. John Lowenstein hits a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Orioles the win.

In Game 2 of the National League Championship Deries, played in Cincinnati, the Pirates defeat the Reds, 3-2 in 10 innings.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, becoming partly to mostly cloudy; rain before 6:00 AM; High temp. 73°F; Low temp. 61°F; Precip.: 0.29 inch.

Game 2 of the 1979 American League Championship Series is played in Baltimore. The Orioles defeat the California Angels 9-8 and take a 2-0 series lead.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 76°F; Low temp. 53°F; Precip.: None.

Game 3 of the 1979 American League Championship Series is played in Anaheim, California. The California Angels defeat the Orioles, 4-3. The Orioles lead the series, 2 games to 1.

In Game 3 of the 1979 National League Championship Series, played in Pittsburgh, the Pirates defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 7 to 1. The Pirates win the series 3 games to 0 and become National League champions for 1979.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then gradually becoming clear; heavy rain at midday; breezy from mid-afternoon onward (21 mph sustained wind & 30 mph gust at 7:00 PM); High temp. 68°F; Low temp. 49°F; Precip.: 1.22 inches.

Game 4 of the 1979 American League Championship Series is played in Anaheim, California. The Orioles defeat the Angels, 8-0, to win the series 3 games to 1 and to win the American League championship for 1979 and go on to the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 66°F; Low temp. 44°F; Precip.: None.

Game One of the 1979 World Series, originally scheduled for this evening in Baltimore, is postponed because of rain and cold weather.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy; rain before 7:00 AM and from mid-afternoon onward; windy/breezy much of the day (23 mph sustained wind & 32 mph gust at 5:00 PM); High temp. 69°F; Low temp. 47°F; Precip.: 0.68 inch.

Game 1 of the 1979 World Series is played in Memorial Stadium in Baltimore between the Orioles and the Pittsburgh Pirates. In Game 1, the Orioles defeat the Pirates, 5 to 4.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 34 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 10th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Snow falls at BWI Airport for the first time this snow season. Snowfall totals of 1 to 6 inches occur in northern and northwestern sections of the Baltimore region, especially in Carroll County. It's the earliest snowfall for Baltimore (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, becoming partly to mostly cloudy; rain and snow until early afternoon (0.3 inch of snow); High temp. 47°F; Low temp. 34°F; Precip.: 1.43 inches (liquid). No snow on the ground.

In Game 2 of the 1979 World Series, the Pirates defeat the Orioles 3-2 and tie the Series at one game apiece.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Partly cloudy, then cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy; light rain late in the evening; High temp. 57°F; Low temp. 38°F; Precip.: 0.02 inch.

Game 3 of the 1979 World Series is played in Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Orioles defeat the Pirates 8-4 and take a 2-1 lead in the Series.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy, then mostly cloudy, then cloudy; rain in mid-afternoon; High temp. 62°F; Low temp. 48°F; Precip.: 0.15 inch.

In Game 4 of the 1979 World Series, played in Pittsburgh, the Orioles defeat the Pirates 9 to 6 and take a 3-1 lead in the Series.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Cloudy, then gradually becoming clear; light rain early in the morning and at midday; High temp. 56°F; Low temp. 39°F; Precip.: 0.04 inch.

In Game 5 of the 1979 World Series, played in Pittsburgh, the Pirates win against the Orioles, 7 to 1. The Orioles have a 3 games to 2 lead in the Series.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 59°F; Low temp. 38°F; Precip.: None.

In Game 6 of the 1979 World Series, played in Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Orioles, 4 to 0. The Series is tied at 3 games apiece.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 64°F; Low temp. 41°F; Precip.: None.

Mother Teresa of India is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In Game 7 of the 1979 World Series, played in Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 4 to 1. The Pirates win the World Series 4 games to 3 and are the Major League Baseball World Champions for 1979.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Mostly cloudy to cloudy; light rain; High temp. 69°F; Low temp. 49°F; Precip.: Trace.

John Krasinski is born in Boston, Massachusetts. He becomes an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for playing Jim Halpert in the U. S. version of the TV series "The Office" from 2005 to 2013 (a total of 201 episodes; he also directed 3 of them). He has appeared in, produced, directed, and/or written more than 3 dozen movies and numerous TV shows.

Daniel Tichenor is born. He's the bassist in the American rock band Cage the Elephant.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: Partly cloudy to cloudy, then clear, then partly to mostly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 80°F, Low temp. 58°F; Precipitation: None.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 85 degrees F, a tie for the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any October 22nd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This high temperature ties the 85 degrees F that was recorded in Baltimore on October 22, 1920.

Baltimore weather at BWI Airport: High temp. 85°F; Low temp. 57°F; Precip.: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 1979 is 0.87 of an inch, less than 1/3 of the normal amount for December.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 1979 is 58.98 inches, about 16 inches above normal.