istoryworld
Events relating to europe
The Polisario, as a government-in-exile in Algeria, proclaim the independence of Western Sahara as the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic
Pierre Boulez establishes in Paris IRCAM, an advanced institute for research into the techniques of modern music
Mario Soares becomes Portugal's first democratically elected prime minister in half a century
The Swedish tennis player Björn Borg wins the first of five consecutive singles titles at Wimbledon
19-year-old Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros ends the year as number one in Europe
Royal tombs are excavated at Vergina, in Macedonia, probably including that of Philip of Macedon
Jacques Chirac, leader of a recently formed neo-Gaullist party, is elected mayor of Paris
The French Territory of Afars and Issas becomes independent as Djibouti, with Hassan Gouled Aptidon as president
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt completes his choral work Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten
The Pompidou Centre, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, opens in Paris
Kenneth MacMillan turns a double suicide of 1889 into a ferociously dramatic ballet, Mayerling
Hungarian composer György Ligeti's opera Le Grand Macabre has its premiere in Stockholm
John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey, with Leo McKern in the title role, begins its first series of six episodes on British TV
Former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro is abducted and assassinated by the terrorist Red Brigades
Iris Murdoch publishes The Sea, the Sea, and wins the 1978 Booker Prize
English author Andrew Motion publishes his first collection of poems, The Pleasure Steamers
Douglas Adams creates Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as a science fiction comedy series for BBC's Radio 4
Czech-born US tennis player Martina Navratilova wins the first of nine singles titles at Wimbledon
English cricketer Ian Botham sets a new Test record, scoring a century and taking eight wickets against Pakistan at Lord's
Louise Brown, born in England, is the first test-tube baby, having been conceived by IVF (In vitro fertilization)
Italian cardinal Albino Luciani is elected pope and takes the name John Paul I
British author Ian McEwan publishes his first novel, The Cement Garden
Pope John Paul I dies, after a pontificate of only 33 days
David Attenborough writes and presents Life on Earth, a television series on evolution – the first of his many surveys of natural history
Polish cardinal Karol Wojtyla is elected pope and takes the name John Paul II
