The world in
What happened in 1978?
21 events across 9 world regions, each with its sources.
South Asia
- Saur (April) Revolution in Afghanistan
On 27–28 April 1978, the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan launched an armed uprising that overthrew President Mohammad Daoud Khan. Daoud and most of his family were executed at the Arg presidential palace in Kabul. The victory produced a socialist government closely aligned with the Soviet Union, led by Nur Muhammad Taraki as General Secretary of the Revolutionary Council.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War
In December 1978, Vietnam launched a large-scale invasion of Cambodia, toppling the Khmer Rouge regime, which marked the outbreak of the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Border clashes had occurred in preceding years. The war was part of the Third Indochina War and intertwined with the Sino-Soviet split in the Cold War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Designation of Sinharaja Forest Reserve as a World Heritage Site
Sinharaja Forest Reserve was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Located in southwestern Sri Lanka, it is the country's last virgin rainforest, home to many endemic species, including over half of Sri Lanka's mammals and butterflies.
- Istiqlal Mosque Opens to the Public
The Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta opened to the public on 22 February 1978. It is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the ninth largest in the world, with a capacity of over 110,000 worshippers. Built to commemorate Indonesian independence, it was designed by architect Frederich Silaban and stands near Merdeka Square and the Jakarta Cathedral.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Eravikulam National Park Established
In 1978, the first national park in Kerala, India, was established: Eravikulam National Park. Located in the Western Ghats across Idukki and Ernakulam districts, it covers approximately 97 km².
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Outbreak of the Ogaden War
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 ↗
- Outbreak of the Uganda–Tanzania War
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
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 ↗
- Chadian–Libyan War
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 ↗
Europe
- Cold War
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 ↗
- Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
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 ↗
- 1978 Los Alfaques disaster
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 ↗
West Asia
- Iranian Revolution
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 ↗
- 1970s energy crisis
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 ↗
Central & South America
- Nicaraguan Revolution
The Nicaraguan Revolution was a revolutionary movement in Nicaragua from 1961 to 1990, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, aiming to overthrow the Somoza family dictatorship and, after its success in 1979, to carry out social and economic reforms.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Cocos Island National Park
Cocos Island National Park was established in the late 20th century, located about 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is the only island in the tropical eastern Pacific with a tropical rainforest, and its underwater world is renowned among divers for viewing large pelagic species such as sharks and rays.
East Asia
- Launch of Reform and Opening-up
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in December 1978, China began implementing a policy centered on economic reform, known as 'reform and opening-up'. Proposed under Deng Xiaoping's leadership, it aimed to introduce market mechanisms and expand foreign economic exchanges.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area
Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area was established in the late 1970s in northern Sichuan. Named after nine Tibetan villages in the valley, it is renowned for its waterfalls and lakes. It was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
North America
- Signing of the Camp David Accords
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 ↗
North Africa
- Outbreak of the Western Sahara War
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 ↗
Oceania
- Establishment of Walls of Jerusalem National Park
Australia established the Walls of Jerusalem National Park in the Central Highlands of Tasmania. The park lies about 144 km northwest of Hobart, east of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, west of the Central Plateau Conservation Area, and south of Mole Creek and Rowallan Lake. It forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains