1979

1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.

Clockwise from top-left: the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan , starting the Soviet-Afghan War ; Sony releases the Walkman ; the SALT II treaties are signed; Iranian students crowd the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis ; the oil tanker Betelgeuse explodes , killing 50 people; American Airlines Flight 191 crashes, leaving 271 people dead; Ixtoc 1 suffers a blowout, spilling 3.5 million barrels of oil; the Iranian Revolution culminates in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty .
22 February : Saint Lucia becomes independent
Restored flag of Iran
12 July : Kiribati becomes independent
27 October : Saint Vincent and the Grenadines becomes independent