1978

1978 in various calendars
Gregorian calendar	1978; MCMLXXVIII
Ab urbe condita	2731
Armenian calendar	1427; ԹՎ ՌՆԻԷ
Assyrian calendar	6728
Baháʼí calendar	134–135
Balinese saka calendar	1899–1900
Bengali calendar	1385
Berber calendar	2928
British Regnal year	26 Eliz. 2 – 27 Eliz. 2
Buddhist calendar	2522
Burmese calendar	1340
Byzantine calendar	7486–7487
Chinese calendar	丁ちょう巳み年とし (Fire Snake); 4675 or 4468; — to —; 戊つちのえ午うま年ねん (Earth Horse); 4676 or 4469
Coptic calendar	1694–1695
Discordian calendar	3144
Ethiopian calendar	1970–1971
Hebrew calendar	5738–5739
Hindu calendars
- Vikram Samvat	2034–2035
- Shaka Samvat	1899–1900
- Kali Yuga	5078–5079
Holocene calendar	11978
Igbo calendar	978–979
Iranian calendar	1356–1357
Islamic calendar	1398–1399
Japanese calendar	Shōwa 53; (昭和しょうわ５３年ねん)
Javanese calendar	1909–1910
Juche calendar	67
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4311
Minguo calendar	ROC 67; 民みん國こく67年ねん
Nanakshahi calendar	510
Thai solar calendar	2521
Tibetan calendar	阴火蛇へび年ねん; (female Fire-Snake); 2104 or 1723 or 951; — to —; 阳土马年; (male Earth-Horse); 2105 or 1724 or 952
Unix time	252460800 – 283996799

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century; 20th century ; 21st century;
Decades:	1950s; 1960s; 1970s ; 1980s; 1990s;
Years:	1975; 1976; 1977; 1978 ; 1979; 1980; 1981;

1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1978th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 978th year of the 2nd millennium, the 78th year of the 20th century, and the 9th year of the 1970s decade.

Events

January

January 1
- The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law.
- Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes into the ocean near Bombay, killing 213.
- Edward M. Davis retires from the Los Angeles Police Department after 30 years on the force and more than 8 years as its police chief.
January 4 – A referendum in Chile supports the policies of dictator Augusto Pinochet.
January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government).
January 6 – The Holy Crown of Hungary (also known as Stephen of Hungary Crown) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held since World War II.
January 10 – Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, a critic of the Nicaraguan government, is assassinated; riots erupt against Somoza's government.
January 14 – January 15 – The body of former U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda, following his death from cancer.
January 16 – Robert F. Rock succeeds Edward M. Davis as LAPD's interim chief.
January 18 – The European Court of Human Rights finds the British government guilty of mistreating prisoners in Northern Ireland, but not guilty of torture.
January 19 – Federal Appeals Court Judge William H. Webster is appointed FBI Director.
January 22 – Ethiopia declares the ambassador of West Germany persona non grata.
January 24
- Soviet satellite Kosmos 954 burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering debris over Canada's Northwest Territories.
- Rose Dugdale and Eddie Gallagher become the first convicted prisoners to marry in prison in the history of the Republic of Ireland.
January 25 – January 27 – The Great Blizzard of 1978 strikes the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, killing 70.
January 28 – Richard Chase, the "Vampire of Sacramento", is arrested.

February

February 1 – Hollywood film director Roman Polanski skips bail and flees to France, after pleading guilty to charges of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl.
February 5 – February 7 – The Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978 hits the New England region and the New York metropolitan area, killing about 100 and causing over US$520 million in damage.
February 6 – King Dragon operation in Arakan: Burmese General Ne Win targets Muslim minorities in the village of Sakkipara.
February 8 – United States Senate proceedings are broadcast on radio for the first time.
February 11
- Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, crashes in Cranbrook, British Columbia, killing 44 of the 50 people on board.
- Sixteen Unification Church couples wed in New York City.
- Somalia mobilizes its troops, due to an apparent Ethiopian attack.
- The People's Republic of China lifts a ban on works by Aristotle, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.
February 13 – Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing: A bomb explodes outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, killing 2 garbagemen, a policeman and injuring several others.
February 15
- Rhodesia, one of only two remaining white-ruled African nations (the other being South Africa), announces that it will accept multiracial democracy within 2 years.
- Serial killer Ted Bundy is captured in Pensacola, Florida.
February 16
- The Hillside Strangler, a serial killer prowling Los Angeles, claims a tenth and final victim.
- The first computer bulletin board system (CBBS) is created in Chicago.
February 19 – Egyptian raid on Larnaca International Airport
February 21 – Electrical workers in Mexico City find the remains of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in the middle of the city.

March

March 1 – Charlie Chaplin's remains are stolen from Cosier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.
March 2 – Soyuz 28 (Aleksei Gubarev, Vladimír Remek) is launched on a rendezvous with Salyut 6, with the first cosmonaut from a third country (besides the Soviet Union and United States) – Czechoslovak citizen Vladimír Remek.
March 3
- Ethiopia admits that its troops are fighting with the aid of Cuban soldiers against Somalian troops in the Ogaden.
- Rhodesia attacks Zambia.
- The New York Post publishes an article about David Rorvik's book The Cloning of Man, about a supposed cloning of a human being.
March 6 – American porn publisher Larry Flynt is shot and paralyzed in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
March 10 – Soyuz 28 lands.
March 11 – Coastal Road massacre: Palestinian terrorists kill 34 Israelis.
March 14 – Operation Litani: Israeli forces invade Lebanon.
March 15 – Somalia and Ethiopia sign a truce to end the Ethio-Somali War.
March 16 – Former Italian Premier Aldo Moro is kidnapped by the Red Brigades; 5 bodyguards are killed.
March 17 – The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz runs aground on the coast of Brittany.
March 18
- Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Prime Minister of Pakistan, is sentenced to death by hanging for ordering the assassination of a political opponent.
- California Jam II is held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, attracting more than 300,000 fans.
March 22 – Karl Wallenda of The Flying Wallendas dies after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
March 26 – The control tower and some other facilities of New Tokyo International Airport, which were scheduled to open on March 31, are illegally occupied and damaged in a terrorist attack by New Left activists, forcing a rescheduling of its opening date to May 20.
March 28
- San Francisco city council signs the U.S.'s most comprehensive homosexual rights bill.
- Stump v. Sparkman (435 U.S. 349): The Supreme Court of the United States hands down a 5–3 decision in a controversial case involving involuntary sterilization and judicial immunity.
- Daryl Gates succeeds Robert F. Rock as LAPD's chief, a role he will keep for the next 14 years.

April

April 1
- New Zealand National Airways Corporation (the domestic airline of New Zealand) is merged with New Zealand's international airline, Air New Zealand.
- Dick Smith of Dick Smith Foods tows a fake iceberg to Sydney Harbour.
- The Philippine College of Commerce, through a presidential decree, is converted to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
April 2 – Dallas debuted on CBS and gave birth to the modern day primetime soap opera.
April 3 – The 50th Academy Awards are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles with Annie Hall winning Best Picture.
April 7 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter decides to postpone production of the neutron bomb – a weapon which kills people with radiation but leaves buildings relatively intact.
April 8 – Regular radio broadcasts of British Parliament proceedings start.
April 9 – Somali military officers stage an unsuccessful coup against the government of Siad Barre; security forces thwart the attempt within hours, and several conspirators are arrested.
April 10 – Volkswagen becomes the second (after Rolls-Royce) non-American automobile manufacturer to open a plant in the United States, commencing production of the Rabbit, the North American version of the Volkswagen Golf, at the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant near New Stanton, Pennsylvania with a unionized (UAW) workforce (the plant closes in 1992).
April 14 – 1978 Tbilisi Demonstrations: Thousands of Georgians demonstrate against an attempt by Soviet authorities to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language.
April 18 – The U.S. Senate votes 68–32 to turn the Panama Canal over to Panamanian control on December 31, 1999.
April 22
- Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta win the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 for Israel with their song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi".
- The One Love Peace Concert is held at National Heroes Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Bob Marley unites 2 opposing political leaders at this concert, bringing peace to the civil war-ridden streets of the city.
April 25 – St. Paul, Minnesota becomes the second U.S. city to repeal its gay rights ordinance after Anita Bryant's successful 1977 anti-gay campaign in Dade County, Florida.
April 27 – Afghanistan President Daoud Khan is killed during a military coup; Nur Muhammad Taraki succeeds him beginning the Afghan Civil War which as of 2014 has not ended.
April 30 – The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is proclaimed under pro-communist leader Nur Muhammad Taraki.

May

May 4
- The Battle of Cassinga occurs in southern Angola.
- Communist activist Henri Curiel is murdered in Paris.
May 5 – Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds gets his 3,000th major league hit.
May 8
- Norway opens a natural gas field in the Polar Sea.
- Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Peter Habeler (Austria) make the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.
May 9 – In Rome, the corpse of former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro is found in a red Renault 4.
May 12 – In Zaire, rebels occupy the city of Kolwezi, the mining centre of the province of Shaba. The Zairean government asks the U.S., France and Belgium to restore order.
May 12 – May 13 – A group of mercenaries led by Bob Denard oust Ali Soilih in the Comoros; 10 local soldiers are killed. Denard forms a new government.
May 15 – Australia's longest serving prime minister sir Robert Menzies died
May 15 – Students of the University of Tehran riot in Tabriz; the army stops the riot.
May 17 – Charlie Chaplin's coffin is found some 15 km from the cemetery from which it was stolen, near Lake Geneva.
May 18
- Soviet dissident Yuri Orlov is sentenced to 7 years hard labor for distributing 'counterrevolutionary material'.
- Sarajevo is selected to host the 1984 Winter Olympics and Los Angeles is selected to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.
May 18 – May 19 – Belgian and French paratroopers fly to Zaire to aid the fight against the rebels.
May 19 – May 20 – French Foreign Legion paratroopers land in Kolwezi, Zaire, to rescue Europeans in the middle of a civil war.
May 20 – Mavis Hutchinson, 53, becomes the first woman to run across the U.S.; her trek took 69 days.
May 22 – Exiled leaders Ahmed Abdallah and Muhammad Ahmad return to the Comoros.
May 25 – A bomb explodes in the security section of Northwestern University, wounding a security guard (the first Unabomber attack).
May 26 – In Atlantic City, New Jersey, Resorts International, the first legal casino in the eastern United States, opens.
May 28 – Indianapolis 500: Al Unser wins his third race, and the first for car owner Jim Hall.
May 29 – Ali Soilih is found dead in the Comoros, allegedly shot when trying to escape.

June

June 1 – The 1978 FIFA World Cup starts in Argentina.
June 3 – The Congo Republic recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
June 6 – California voters approve Proposition 13, which slashes property taxes nearly 60%.
June 9 – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints extends the priesthood and temple blessings to "all worthy males", ending a general policy of excluding "Canaanites" from priesthood ordination and temple ordinances.
June 12 – Serial killer David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam," is sentenced to 365 years in prison.
June 15 – King Hussein of Jordan marries 26-year-old Lisa Halaby, who takes the name Queen Noor.
June 19
- Cricketer Ian Botham becomes the first man in the history of the game to score a century and take 8 wickets in 1 inning of a Test match.
- Garfield, which eventually becomes the world's most widely syndicated comic strip, makes its debut.
June 20 – A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, killing 45 people, injuring hundreds and damaging some of the city's Byzantine landmarks.
June 21
- A shootout between Provisional IRA members and the British Army leaves 1 civilian and 3 IRA men dead.
- 1978 Iranian Chinook shootdown: Iranian helicopters stray into Soviet airspace and are shot down.
June 22
- Charon, a satellite of Pluto, is discovered.
- São Tomé and Príncipe recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
June 23 – Panama recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
June 24
- Yemen Arab Republic President Ahmad al-Ghashmi is killed.
- The Gay & Lesbian Solidarity March is held in Sydney, Australia to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Stonewall riots (which later becomes the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras; later incorporating a festival).
June 25 – Argentina defeats the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time to win the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
June 26 – A bombing by Breton nationalists causes destruction in Palace of Versailles.
June 28
- The U.S. scientific satellite Seasat is launched.
- University of California Regents v. Bakke: The Supreme Court of the United States bars quota systems in college admissions but affirms the constitutionality of programs which give advantages to minorities.
June 30 – Ethiopia begins a massive offensive in Eritrea.

July

July 3 – The Amazon Co-operation Treaty (ACT) is signed.
July 7 – The Solomon Islands become independent from the United Kingdom.
July 11 – More than 200 tourists die in an explosion of a tanker-truck at a campsite in Costa Daurada, Spain.
July 25
- Cerro Maravilla murders: Two Puerto Rican pro-independence activists are killed in a police ambush.
- Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, is born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, UK.

August

August 6 – Pope Paul VI dies in Castel Gandolfo.
August 17 – Double Eagle II becomes the first balloon to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean, flying from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France.
August 22 – Sandinistas seize the Nicaraguan National Palace.
August 26 – Pope John Paul I succeeds Pope Paul VI as the 263rd Pope.

September

September 3 – Annual Urs sharif of Gulam Ghous Qadri Sadikshah baba (R. A.) Maharashtra.
September 5 – Camp David Accords: Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat begin the peace process at Camp David, Maryland.
September 7
- In London, England, a poison-filled pellet, supposedly injected using an umbrella, poisons Bulgarian defector Georgi Markov, probably on orders of Bulgarian intelligence; he dies 4 days later.
- In London, England, Keith Moon dies in Curzon Place, Mayfair.
September 8 – Iranian Army troops open fire on rioters in Tehran, killing 122, wounding 4,000.
September 16 – General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq officially assumes the post of President of Pakistan.
September 17 – The Camp David Accords are signed between Israel and Egypt.
September 19 – Police in the West Midlands of England launch a massive murder hunt, when 13-year-old newspaper boy Carl Bridgewater is shot dead after disturbing a burglary.
September 20 – General Rahimuddin Khan assumes the post of Martial Law Governor of Balochistan.
September 25
- PSA Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collides with a small private airplane and crashes in San Diego, California; 144 are killed.
- Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello makes its first appearance on Live from the Met, in a complete production of the opera starring Jon Vickers. This is the first complete television broadcast of the opera in the U.S. since the historic 1948 one.
September 27 – The last Forest Brother guerrilla movement fighter is discovered and killed in Estonia.
September 28 – Pope John Paul I dies after only 33 days of papacy.

October

October 1
- Vietnam attacks Cambodia.
- Tuvalu becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
October 2
- The New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 5–4 at Fenway Park to clinch the AL East after being 14 games out of first place only two months earlier. The Yankees would eventually go on to defeat the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers and win the World Series.
October 7 – Wranslide in New South Wales: the Wran government is re-elected with an increased majority.
October 8 – Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.6 mph (511.13 km/h) at Blowering Dam, Australia.
October 10
- Daniel arap Moi becomes president of Kenya.
- A massive short circuit in Seasat's electrical system ends the satellite's scientific mission.
- United States President Jimmy Carter signs a bill that authorizes the minting of the Susan B. Anthony dollar.
October 13 - The Soviet Union launches a major Russification campaign throughout all union republics.
October 14
- U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law which allows homebrewing of beer in the United States.
October 16 – Pope John Paul II succeeds Pope John Paul I as the 264th pope, resulting in the first Year of Three Popes since 1605. He is the first Polish pope in history, and the first non-Italian pope since Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523). He will later die in 2005.
October 17 – The New York Yankees clinch their 22nd World Series championship, defeating the Dodgers 7–2 in Los Angeles and winning the Series 4 games to 2.
October 20 – The first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is held as a protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall riots.
October 27 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin win the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.

November

November 2: 8:00 pm – The Republic of Ireland's second television channel RTÉ 2 goes on air (renamed Network 2, 1988; RTÉ Network Two, 1995; N2, 1997; and RTÉ Two in 2004).
November 3
- Dominica gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
- Equatorial Guinea recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
November 5 – Rioters sack the British Embassy in Tehran.
November 7
- Indira Gandhi is re-elected to the Indian parliament.
- California voters defeat the Briggs Initiative that would have prohibited gay school teachers.
November 9 – Tanzania recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
November 18 – Jonestown incident: In Guyana, Jim Jones leads his Peoples Temple cult in a mass murder–suicide that claims 918 lives in all, 909 of them at Jonestown itself, including over 270 children. Congressman Leo J. Ryan is assassinated by members of Peoples Temple shortly beforehand.
November 19 – The first U.S. Take Back the Night march occurs in San Francisco.
November 27 – In San Francisco, Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk are assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White.
November 30 – Publication of The Times is suspended due to labor problems until November 13, 1979.

December

December 4 – Dianne Feinstein succeeds the murdered George Moscone, to become the first woman mayor of San Francisco (she serves until January 8, 1988).
December 6 – The Spanish Constitution officially restores the country's democratic government.
December 11
- Lufthansa heist: Six men rob a Lufthansa cargo facility in New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
- Two million demonstrate against the Shah in Iran.
December 13 – The first Susan B. Anthony dollar enters circulation.
December 15 – Cleveland, Ohio becomes the first major American city to go into default since the Great Depression, under Mayor Dennis Kucinich.
December 16 – Train 87 from Nanjing to Xining collides with train 368 from Xi'an to Xuzhou near Yangzhuang railway station in China, killing 106, injuring 218.
December 19 – Former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi is arrested and jailed for a week for breach of privilege and contempt of parliament.
December 22
- The pivotal Third Plenum of the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is held in Beijing, with Deng Xiaoping reversing Mao-era policies to pursue a program for Chinese economic reform.
- Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was subsequently convicted of the murder of 33 young men, is arrested.
- Argentina started the Operation Soberanía against Chile.
December 25 – Vietnam launches a major offensive against the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia.
- December 27 – The Constitution of Spain is approved in a referendum, officially ending 40 years of military dictatorship.

Date unknown

Artificial insulin is invented.
David Rorvik claims he has participated in a creation of a human clone in his book In His Image.
Abortion is legalized in Italy for the first time.
In Seoul, Korea, construction begins on Seoul Subway Line 2.
Ford initiates a recall for the Pinto because of a public outcry resulting from deaths associated with gas tank explosions.
The New York International Bible Society's New International Version of the complete Holy Bible translated into modern American English is published.
The Soviet Union nuclear weapons stockpile exceeds the United States nuclear weapons stockpile.

Births

January

January 1
- Philip Mulryne, Northern Irish footballer
- Vidya Balan, Bollywood actress
January 2
- Megumi Toyoguchi, Japanese voice actress
- Karina Smirnoff, Ukrainian dancer
January 3
- Kimberley Locke, American singer and model
- Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model, clothing designer and actress
- Park Sol-mi, South Korean actress
January 4 – Karine Ruby, French snowboarder (d. 2009)
January 5 – Franck Montagny, French Formula One driver
January 7 – Emilio Palma, Argentine citizen, first human born in Antarctica
January 9
- Chad Ocho Cinco, American football player
- A. J. McLean, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
January 10 – Kanako Mitsuhashi, Japanese voice actress
January 11 – Emile Heskey, English football player
January 13
- Nate Silver, American statistician, sabermetrician, psephologist, and writer.
- Ashmit Patel, Indian actor
January 14 – Shawn Crawford, American runner
January 15 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian professional road racing cyclist
January 19 – Bamboo Mañalac, Filipino musician and singer
January 24
- Nami Miyahara, Japanese voice actress, singer
- Mark Hildreth, Canadian actor/voice actor
January 25 – Gordie Dwyer American former NHL player and coach
January 26 – Kelly Stables, American actress
January 28
- Gianluigi Buffon, Italian goalkeeper (football)
- Jamie Carragher, English footballer
- Sheamus, Irish professional wrestler
January 31 – Ibolya Oláh, Hungarian singer

February

February 2
- Barry Ferguson, Scottish footballer
- Guido Kaczka, Argentine television show host and actor
February 5
- Brian Russell, American football player
- Samuel Sánchez, Spanish road bicycle racer
February 7 – Ashton Kutcher, American actor (That '70s Show)
February 12
- Gethin Jones, British (Welsh) television presenter
- Silver Meikar, Estonian politician
February 13 – Niklas Bäckström, Finnish hockey player (Minnesota Wild)
February 14
- Richard Hamilton, American basketball player
- Darius Songaila, Lithuanian basketball player
February 15 – Tuan Le, American poker player
February 16
- John Tartaglia, American Broadway actor and Muppeteer
- Tia Hellebaut, Belgian athlete
February 17 – Jacob Wetterling, American child kidnapping victim (missing since 1989)
February 19
- Kenyatta Wright, American football linebacker
- Immortal Technique, Peruvian-born American rapper
February 20 – Julia Jentsch, German actress
February 22 – Jenny Frost, English singer (Atomic Kitten)
February 23 – Dan Snyder, Canadian hockey player (d. 2003)
February 24
- Leon Constantine, British Leeds United footballer
- Gary, South Korean musician, entertainer
February 27 – Kakha Kaladze, Georgian and A.C. Milan footballer
February 28
- Benjamin Raich, Austrian Olympic skier
- Jeanne Cherhal, French singer-songwriter
- Yasir Hameed, Pakistani cricketer

March

March 1
- Jensen Ackles, American actor
- Donovan Patton, Guamanian television star
March 2 – Tomáš Kaberle, Czech hockey player
March 4 – Denis Dallan, Italian rugby union footballer
March 6
- Sage Rosenfels, American football player
- Mike Jackson, American politician
March 8 – Mohammed Bouyeri, Dutch mobster, murderer of Theo van Gogh
March 10 – Benjamin Burnley, American musician (Breaking Benjamin)
March 11 – Didier Drogba, Ivorian footballer
March 12
- Neal Obermeyer, American editorial cartoonist
- Claudio Sanchez, American writer and musician
March 13
- Tom Danielson, American cyclist
- Kenny Watson, American football player
March 14
- Pieter van den Hoogenband, Dutch swimmer
- Carl Johan Bergman, Swedish biathlete
- Moon Hee-joon, Korean singer
March 15 – Flavio Furtado, Cape Verdean boxer
March 17
- Jason M. Burns, American writer
- Patrick Seitz, American voice actor
March 20 – Roel van Velzen, Dutch Musician
March 21 – Rani Mukerji, Indian actress
March 22 – Josh Heupel, American football player
March 23
- Simon Gärdenfors, Swedish cartoonist and radio host
- Nicholle Tom, American actress
March 29 – Igor Rakočević, Serbian basketball player
March 31
- Stephen Clemence, English footballer
- Jérôme Rothen, French footballer

April

File:John Smit 2007 med.jpg

John Smit

April 1
- Vitor Belfort, Brazilian martial artist
- Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (d. 2009)
April 3
- Matthew Goode, English actor
- John Smit, South African rugby union player
April 4
- Jason Ellison, American baseball player
- Sam Moran, Australian singer and former member of The Wiggles
- Irene Skliva, Miss World 1996
April 5 – Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer
April 6 – Tim Hasselbeck, American football player
April 7 – Duncan James, English singer (Blue)
April 9
- Jorge Andrade, Portuguese footballer
- Rachel Stevens, English singer (S Club 7)
April 12
- Cheeming Boey, Malaysian artist
- Guy Berryman, Scottish musician
April 13 – Kyle Howard, American television and movie actor
April 16
- Matthew Lloyd, Australian rules footballer
- Lara Dutta, Indian actress and Miss Universe 2000
April 17
- Jason White, Scottish rugby union player
- Juan Guillermo Castillo, Uruguayan goalkeeper
April 19 – James Franco, American actor
April 20
- Mirei Kuroda, Japanese gravure idol
- Matt Austin, Canadian actor
April 21 – Jukka Nevalainen, Finnish drummer (Nightwish)
April 23 – Princess Tamara Czartoryski-Borbon, Spanish athlete
April 25 – Duncan Kibet, Kenyan long-distance runner
April 26 – Stana Katic, American actress
April 28
- Nate Richert, American musician and former actor
- Robert Oliveri, American former actor

May

May 1 – James Badge Dale, American actor
May 3
- Lawrence Tynes, American football player
- Autumn Phillips, British wife of Peter Phillips, son of Anne, Princess Royal
May 4
- Erin Andrews, American ESPN personality
- Daisuke Ono, Japanese voice actor
May 6 – Aleksandr Fyodorov, Russian bodybuilder
May 7
- Brian Clevinger, American author
- Shawn Marion, American basketball player
May 10
- Kenan Thompson, American actor (Saturday Night Live)
- Marcelo Moretto, Brazilian footballer
May 11 – Laetitia Casta, French supermodel and actress
May 12
- Hossein Rezazadeh, Iranian weightlifter
- Jason Biggs, American actor
- Aya Ishiguro, Japanese singer, writer, and fashion designer
- Malin Åkerman, Swedish-Canadian Actress
May 13
- Mike Bibby, American basketball player
- Barry Zito, American baseball player
May 15
- Caroline Dhavernas, French-Canadian actress
- Dwayne De Rosario, Canadian footballer
- David Krumholtz, American actor
- Krissy Taylor, American model (d. 1995)
- Krzysztof Ignaczak, Polish volleyball player
May 18 – Ricardo Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
May 19 – Marcus Bent, English footballer
May 21
- Adam Gontier, lead singer of Canadian band Three Days Grace
- Briana Banks, German-American porn star
May 22
- Katie Price (Jordan), English model and television personality
- Ginnifer Goodwin, American actress
May 23
- Scott Raynor, Drummer and founding member of Blink-182
- Carolyn Moos, American model and professional basketball player
May 25 – Brian Urlacher, American football player
May 26 – Benji Gregory, former American actor
May 29
- Lorenzo Odone, American adrenoleukodystrophy patient (d. 2008)
- Adam Rickitt, English actor, singer and model

June

June 1 – Antonietta Di Martino, Italian high-jumper
June 2
- Nikki Cox, American actress
- Justin Long, American actor
June 4
- Simone Maludrottu, Italian boxer
- Robin Lord Taylor, American actor
June 5 – Nick Kroll, American actor and comedian
June 6
- Judith Barsi, American child actress (d. 1988)
- Carl Barât, English musician
- Mariana Popova, Bulgarian singer
June 7
- Jesse Ball, American novelist and poet
- Bill Hader, American actor (Saturday Night Live)
June 8 – Maria Menounos, American actress, journalist, and television presenter
June 9
- Michaela Conlin, American actress
- Shandi Finnessey, American model and actress, Miss USA 2004
- Matthew Bellamy British multi-instrumentalist and singer, Frontman of English rock-trio Muse
June 10
- Shane West, American actor
- Han Hee-won, South Korean golfer
- Karl Scully, Irish tenor
June 11 – Joshua Jackson, Canadian actor
June 15
- Wilfred Bouma, Dutch football player
- Anna Torv, Australian actress
June 18 – Tara Platt American voice actress/actress
June 19
- Dirk Nowitzki, German basketball player
- Mía Maestro, Argentine actress
- Zoe Saldana, American actress
June 20
- Quinton Jackson, American mixed martial arts fighter
- Frank Lampard, English footballer
June 21
- Erica Durance, Canadian actress
- Jean-Pascal Lacoste, French singer, actor and TV host
June 22
- Champ Bailey, American football player
- Dan Wheldon, English race car driver (d. 2011)
- Tim Driesen, Belgian actor and singer-songwriter
June 24
- Ariel Pink, American indie rock musician
- Emppu Vuorinen, Finnish rock musician (Nightwish)
- Juan Román Riquelme, Argentine football player
- Shunsuke Nakamura, Japanese football player
June 25
- Aftab Shivdasani, Indian actor
- Marcus Stroud, American football player
- Layla El, British wrestler
- Aramis Ramírez, Dominican baseball player
June 27 – Anna Kumble, English pop singer and TV presenter
June 28 – Ha Ji-won, South Korean actress and singer
June 29 – Nicole Scherzinger, American pop lead singer (The Pussycat Dolls)
June 30
- Ben Cousins, Australian rules footballer
- Pat Dennis, American football player

July

July 1 – Hillary Tuck, American actress
July 2 – Diana Gurtskaya, Blind Georgian singer
July 3 – Mizuki Noguchi, Japanese long-distance runner
July 4
- Tony Reali, American sports personality
- Becki Newton, American actress
July 6
- Kevin Senio, New Zealand rugby union footballer
- Tia and Tamera Mowry, African-American actresses
July 8 – Rachael Lillis, American actress
July 9
- Linda Park, Korean-born actress
- Mark Medlock, German pop singer (Deutschland sucht den Superstar's Season 4)
July 10 – Jesse Lacey, American singer-songwriter
July 12
- Bradley Eustace, Australian composer
- Topher Grace, American actor (That '70s Show)
- Michelle Rodriguez, American actress
July 15 – Greg Sestero, French-American actor and model
July 18
- Shane Horgan, Irish rugby player
- Ben Sheets, American baseball player
July 20
- Pavel Datsyuk, Russian ice hockey player
- Charlie Korsmo, American former child actor
- Tamsyn Manou, Australian athlete
- Chris Sligh, American singer-songwriter, and producer (Half Past Forever)
- Will Solomon, American basketball player
- Elliott Yamin, American singer
July 21
- Josh Hartnett, American actor
- Justin Bartha, American actor
- Kyoko Iwasaki, Japanese swimmer
July 22 – Candace Kroslak, American actress
July 23
- Stuart Elliott, Northern Irish footballer
- Stefanie Sun, Singapore singer
July 25
- Louise Brown, British citizen, first human born through in vitro fertilisation
- Gerard Warren, American football player
July 26
- Jehad Muntasser, Libyan footballer
- Eve Myles, Welsh actress
July 28 – Hitomi Yaida, Japanese singer
July 31 – Will Champion, drummer for Coldplay

August

August 3 – Mariusz Jop, Polish footballer
August 4 – Kurt Busch, American race-car driver
August 5 – Carolina Duer, Argentine world champion boxer
August 6
- Marisa Miller, American supermodel
- Freeway, American rapper
- Peng Cheng-min, Taiwanese baseball player
August 7
- Alexandre Aja, French director
- Vanness Wu, Taiwanese singer
August 8
- Countess Vaughn, American actress
- Natsuko Kuwatani, Japanese voice actress
August 9 – Daniela Denby-Ashe, English actress
August 17
- Vibeke Stene, Norwegian rock singer (Tristania)
- Jelena Karleuša, Serbian pop singer
August 18
- James Corden, English actor and comedian
- Andy Samberg, American actor and comedian
August 21
- Reuben Droughns, American football player
- Alan Lee, Irish footballer
August 23
- Kobe Bryant, African-American basketball player
- Julian Casablancas, leader singer for The Strokes
August 24 – Rafael Furcal, Dominican baseball player
August 25 – Kel Mitchell, American actor
August 26 – Amanda Schull, American actress
August 28 – Kelly Overton, American actress
August 29 – Danielle Hampton, Canadian actress
August 30 – Swizz Beatz, American record producer and rapper
August 31 – Ido Pariente, Israeli mixed martial artist

September

September 3 – Tinkara Kovač, Slovenian singer and musician
September 4 – Wes Bentley, American actor
September 6
- Mathew Horne, English actor
- Homare Sawa, Japanese footballer
September 7 – Devon Sawa, Canadian actor
September 11
- Ed Reed, American football player
- Ben Lee, Australian singer
September 12 – Ruben Studdard, African-American singer
September 14
- Ben Cohen, English rugby union player
- Carmen Kass, Estonian supermodel
September 15 – Eiður Guðjohnsen, Icelandic football player
September 20
- Jason Bay, Canadian baseball player
- Patrizio Buanne, Italian singer
- Sarit Hadad, Israeli pop singer
September 22 – Harry Kewell, Australian footballer
September 23 – Worm Miller, American screenwriter, director, actor
September 24 – Wietse van Alten, Dutch archer
September 25
- Jodie Kidd, English model
- Ani Lorak, Ukrainian pop singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador,known for song (Shady Lady ), Eurovision Song Contest 2008 runner-up
September 28 – Pastora Soler, Spanish singer
September 29 – Kurt Nilsen, Norwegian singer
September 30 – Candice Michelle, American professional wrestler and model

October

File:Virendra sehwag 72.jpg

Virendra Sehwag

October 2 – Ayumi Hamasaki, Japanese singer
October 3 – Shannyn Sossamon, American actress
October 4
- Dana Davis, American actress
- Kei Horie, Japanese actor
- Mark Day, Canadian actor
October 5
- James Valentine, American musician (Maroon 5)
- Shane Ryan, Irish Gaelic footballer
- Morgan Webb, television personality, gameshow host
October 9 – Nicky Byrne, Irish musician (Westlife)
October 10 – Francis Escudero, Filipino congressman, senator (Chiz)
October 14
- Paul Hunter, English snooker player (d. 2006)
- Usher, American singer and actor
October 18
- Wesley Jonathan, American actor
- Mike Tindall, husband of Zara Phillips, daughter of Anne, Princess Royal
October 20
- Kira, German singer
- Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
October 21 – Joey Harrington, American football player
October 23 – John Lackey, American baseball player
October 24 – Carlos Edwards, Trinidadian footballer
October 25
- Russell Anderson, Scottish footballer
- Zachary Knighton, American actor
- David T. Little, American composer and drummer
October 26
- Antonio Pierce, American football player
- Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, American professional wrestler
October 27 – Vanessa-Mae, Singaporean violinist
October 28 – Justin Guarini, American singer
October 29 – Travis Henry, American football player
October 30 – Matthew Morrison, American actor and singer

November

November 1
- Jessica Valenti, American blogger and feminist writer
- Manju Warrier, Indian actress
- Mary Kate Schellhardt, American actress
November 3 – Tim McIlrath, American punk singer (Rise Against)
November 5 – Bubba Watson, American golfer
November 6
- Taryn Manning, American actress
- Sandrine Blancke, Belgian actress
November 7
- Zaheer Khan, Indian cricketer
- Mark Read, English singer (A1)
November 8 – Ali Karimi, Iranian football player
November 9 – Sisqó, African-American actor and singer
November 10
- Eve, African-American rapper
- Kyla Cole, Czech model
November 11 – Jyothika, Indian actress
November 13 – Hsu Wei Lun, Taiwanese actress (d. 2007)
November 14
- Bobby Allen, American ice hockey player
- Xavier Nady, American baseball player
November 17
- Reggie Wayne, American football player
- Rachel McAdams, Canadian actress
November 18 – Damien Johnson, Northern Irish footballer
November 19 – Matt Dusk, Canadian jazz musician & singer
November 21 – Annie, Norwegian singer
November 24 – Katherine Heigl, American actress
November 25 – Shiina Ringo, Japanese singer and musician
November 26 – Jun Fukuyama, Japanese voice actor
November 27 – Mike Skinner, English musician
November 29 – Ludwika Paleta, Polish-Mexican actress
November 30
- Emil Steiner, American author
- Gael García Bernal, Mexican actor

December

December 1 – Mat Kearney, American singer/songwriter and musician
December 2
- Nelly Furtado, Canadian-born singer and songwriter
- Christopher Wolstenholme, British multi-instrumentalist, Bassist in English rock-trio Muse
December 5 – Olli Jokinen, Finnish ice hockey player
December 7 – Shiri Appleby, American actress
December 8
- Ian Somerhalder, American actor
- Vernon Wells, American baseball player
December 9
- Jesse Metcalfe, American actor
- Gastón Gaudio, Argentine tennis player
December 10 – Brandon Novak, American freestyle skateboarder and TV/radio personality
December 12 – Monica Bîrlădeanu, Romanian actress
December 15 – Jerome McDougle, American football player
December 16 – Joe Absolom, British actor
December 17
- Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer
- Chase Utley, American baseball player
December 18
- Daniel Cleary, Canadian ice hockey player
- Katie Holmes, American actress
December 19 – Patrick Casey, American screenwriter and actor
December 20
- Geremi, Cameroon footballer
- Jacqueline Saburido, Venezuelan-born drunk driving accident survivor and promoter of non-drunk driving
December 21 – Shaun Morgan, lead singer of South African band Seether
December 22 – Edo Maajka, Bosnian rapper
December 23
- Andra Davis, American football player
- Jodie Marsh, British model
- Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player
- Estella Warren, Canadian swimmer, model, and actress
December 24 – Yıldıray Baştürk, Turkish footballer
December 24 – Paula Seling, Romanian singer and radio DJ
December 26 – Kaoru Sugayama, Japanese volleyball player
December 28 – John Legend, American singer
December 29 – Alexis Amore, Peruvian actress, dancer, and model
December 30
- Inferno, Polish musician
- Tyrese Gibson, African-American actor and singer
December 31 – Eisa Al Dah, Emirati professional boxer

Date unknown

Fabian Göranson, Swedish illustrator
Tomicah Tillemann, American diplomat and social entrepreneur
Shubham Gupta, Indian writer

Deaths

January

January 5
- Wyatt Emory Cooper, American screenwriter and author (b. 1927)
- Sally Eilers, American actress (b. 1908)
January 8 – André François-Poncet, French politician and diplomat (b. 1887)
January 9 – Noble Johnson, American actor (b. 1881)

January 13
- Hubert Humphrey, U.S. Vice President and Senator (b. 1911)
- Joe McCarthy, American baseball manager (New York Giants) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1887)
January 14
- Harold Abrahams, English athlete (b. 1899)
- Kurt Gödel, Austrian-born mathematician (b. 1906)
January 18
- Carl Betz, American actor (b. 1921)
- Walter H. Thompson, English Scotland Yard detective (b. 1890)
January 22 – Herbert Sutcliffe, English cricketer (b. 1894)
January 23
- Terry Kath, American rock musician (Chicago) (b. 1946)
- Jack Oakie, American actor (The Great Dictator) (b. 1903)
January 26 – Leo Genn, English actor (b. 1905)
January 27 – Oskar Homolka, Austrian actor (b. 1898)
January 29 – Tim McCoy, American actor (b. 1891)

February

February 2 – Wendy Barrie, British actress (b. 1912)
February 9 – Warren King, American cartoonist (b. 1916)
February 11
- James B. Conant, American chemist and headmaster of Harvard University (b. 1893)
- Harry Martinson, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
February 15 – Ilka Chase, American actress (b. 1900)
February 18 – Maggie McNamara, American actress (b. 1928)
February 19 – Pankaj Mullick, Bengali composer and singer (b. 1904)
February 22 – Ernest Palmer, American cinematographer (b. 1885)
February 27 – Vadim Salmanov, Russian composer (b. 1912)
February 28
- Philip Ahn, Korean-American actor (b. 1905)
- Zara Cully, American actress (b. 1892)

March

March 1 – Paul Scott, English writer (b. 1920)
March 11
- Claude François, French singer-songwriter (aka Cloclo) (b. 1939)
- Sofia Vembo, Greek singer and actress (b. 1910)
March 12 – John Cazale, American actor (b. 1935)
March 18
- Leigh Brackett, American author (b. 1915)
- Peggy Wood, American actress (b. 1892)
March 19 – Gaston Julia, French mathematician (b. 1893)
March 20 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (b. 1895)
March 21 – Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (Carroll Daly), 5th President of Ireland (b. 1911)
March 22 – Karl Wallenda, American circus performer (b. 1905)
March 23 – Haim Ernst Wertheimer, Israeli biochemist, recipient of the Israel Prize (b. 1893)
March 31 – Charles Best, American-born medical scientist (b. 1899)

April

April 8
- Ford Frick, 3rd commissioner of Major League Baseball (b. 1894)
- Lon L. Fuller, American legal philosopher (b. 1902)
April 9 – Michael Wilson, American screenwriter (b. 1914)
April 14
- Joe Gordon, American baseball player (New York Yankees) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1915)
- F. R. Leavis, British literary critic (b. 1895)
April 16 – Lucius D. Clay, American military governor of Germany after World War II (b. 1897)
April 19 – Joe Dougherty, first voice of Porky Pig (b. 1898)
April 21 – Sandy Denny, English singer (b. 1947)
April 22
- Basil Dean, English film director and producer (b. 1887)
- Will Geer, American actor (b. 1902)
April 25 – Leo Najo, American baseball player (b. 1899)
April 27 – John Doeg, American tennis champion (b. 1908)

May

May 1 – Aram Khachaturian, Armenian composer (b. 1903)
May 6 – Ethelda Bleibtrey, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1902)
May 8 – Duncan Grant, Scottish painter (b. 1885)
May 9 – Aldo Moro, former Prime Minister of Italy (assassinated) (b. 1916)
May 12 – Robert Coogan, American actor (b. 1924)
May 14 – Robert Menzies, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1894)
May 22 – Joe Colombo, American gangster (b. 1914)
May 24 – Barry Atwater, American actor (b. 1918)
May 26 – Tamara Karsavina, Russian ballerina (b. 1885)
May 28 – Arthur Brough, British actor (b. 1905)

June

June 1 – John W. Burton American film producer, and cinematographer (b. 1906)
June 4 – Mark R. Shaw, American temperance movement leader and Prohibition Party candidate for vice-president in 1964, (b. 1889)
June 7 – Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, British chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
June 9 – Prince Nicholas of Romania (b. 1903)
June 18 – Walter C. Alvarez, American physician (b. 1884)
June 20 – Mark Robson, Canadian film director (b. 1913)
June 22 – Jens Otto Krag, Danish politician, former Prime Minister (b. 1914)
June 24 – Robert Charroux, French writer (b. 1909)
June 25 – Barry Brown, American actor and writer (b. 1951)
June 27 – Josette Day, French actress (b. 1914)
June 28 – Clifford Dupont, 1st President of Rhodesia (b. 1905)
June 29 – Bob Crane, American actor (b. 1928)

July

July 1 – Kurt Student, Luftwaffe general and commander of the German airborne forces during World War II. (b. 1890)
July 3 – Edouard Kutter, Luxembourg photographer (b. 1887)
July 8 – Aagot Nissen, Norwegian actress (b. 1882)
July 10 – Takashi Suzuki, Japanese politician. (b. 1882)
July 14 – Gaston Ragueneau, French athlete (b. 1881)
July 16 – Howard Estabrook, American actor (b. 1884)
July 20 – Gerald Warner Brace, American writer, educator, sailor and boat builder (b. 1901)
July 25 – Helen Corke, English writer (b. 1882)
July 30 – Umberto Nobile, Italian aviator and polar explorer (b. 1885)