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What happened in 1978?

23 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.

See 1978 on the map

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Outbreak of the Ogaden War

    1977–1978Addis Ababa

    In 1977, Somalia and Ethiopia went to war over the disputed Ogaden region. Somalia, supporting the Western Somali Liberation Front, launched an invasion, leading the Soviet Union to shift its backing from Somalia to Ethiopia.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Lencer / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗

  • Outbreak of the Uganda–Tanzania War

    1978–1979Kampala

    In 1978, Uganda invaded Tanzania, triggering the Uganda–Tanzania War, which lasted until June 1979. Before the war, relations had deteriorated after Ugandan President Amin's overthrow of President Obote, who was close to Tanzanian President Nyerere. Amin's regime was destabilised by purges, economic problems, and army dissatisfaction, leading to its eventual fall.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗

  • Beginning of the South African Border War

    1966–1990Windhoek

    In 1966, the South African Border War broke out across Namibia, Zambia, and Angola. It was fought between the South African Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, the armed wing of SWAPO. The conflict, closely tied to the Angolan Civil War, became one of Africa's largest wars since World War II.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No machine-readable author provided. Ceresnet assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗

  • Chadian–Libyan War

    1978–1987N'Djamena

    Between 1978 and 1987, Libya conducted a series of military campaigns in Chad, fighting alongside Libyan allies against the French-backed Chadian government. Libya repeatedly intervened in the Chadian civil war, and France also intervened militarily to support the Chadian government. The conflict ended with the victory of pro-French forces.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗

West Asia

  • Iranian Revolution

    1978–1979Tehran

    The Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979 overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty, ending the monarchy in Iran. Led by Ruhollah Khomeini, it established an Islamic Republic, replacing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was backed by the United States.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / GFDL ↗

  • 1970s energy crisis

    1973–1980Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Between 1973 and 1980, the Western world experienced a severe energy crisis characterized by petroleum shortages and soaring prices. The crisis was triggered by two major events: the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the 1979 Iranian Revolution, both causing interruptions in Middle Eastern oil exports.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Jashuah / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗

  • Launch of Iran's White Revolution

    1963–1979Tehran

    On 26 January 1963, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran launched a series of far-reaching reforms known as the White Revolution. The program included land reform, women's enfranchisement, industrial growth, and public health improvements, aiming to modernize the country. The reform era ended with the Shah's overthrow in 1979.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗

Central & South America

Europe

  • Cold War

    1945–1991Berlin, Germany

    After World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗

  • Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR

    1922–1991Moscow

    On December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: (неизвестно) / Public domain ↗

  • 1978 Los Alfaques disaster

    1978

    On 11 July 1978, a tanker truck carrying 23 tons of propylene exploded next to the Los Alfaques campsite near Alcanar, Spain, killing 215 people and severely burning about 200 others. Most victims were French tourists. The disaster led to Spanish legislation restricting the transit of dangerous goods vehicles through populated areas to night-time only.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Torsten Mörke / CC BY-SA 3.0 de ↗

East Asia

North America

  • Signing of the Camp David Accords

    1978Camp David

    On 17 September 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, witnessed by US President Jimmy Carter, signed two framework agreements—the Camp David Accords—at the White House. This followed over ten days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The accords paved the way for the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty, and Sadat and Begin shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Fitz-Patrick, Bill, photographer / Public domain ↗

North Africa

  • Outbreak of the Western Sahara War

    1975–1991Western Sahara

    In 1975, after Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania took over administration under the Madrid Accords, leading to armed conflict with the Polisario Front. Morocco organized the Green March, with tens of thousands of citizens and around 20,000 troops entering Western Sahara, meeting resistance from the Polisario Front. Fighting was minor at first but evolved into a prolonged guerrilla war. The Polisario Front fought both Morocco and Mauritania, seeking independence. Mauritania withdrew in 1979, but the war persisted until a 1991 ceasefire.

    SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Kmusser / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗

Oceania

Around 1978

These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.

  • Beginning of the Digital Revolution

    c. 1947–2000Silicon Valley (Santa Clara Valley), California, USA

  • Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque

    c. 1901–2000

  • Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide

    c. 1893–1979Wellington, New Zealand

  • Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

    c. 1901–2000

  • Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station

    c. 1901–2000

  • Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins

    c. 1901–2000

  • Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins

    c. 1901–2000

  • Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'

    c. 1901–2000