September 7
September 7
Carter agrees to transfer Panama Canal to Panama
On this day in 1977, President Jimmy Carter signs a treaty that will give Panama control over the Panama Canal beginning in the year 2000. The treaty ended an agreement…
A Year In History: 1977
This Year in History:
1977
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
September 10
September 10
The guillotine falls silent
On September 10, 1977, at Baumetes Prison in Marseille, France, Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant convicted of murder, becomes the last person executed by guillotine. The guillotine first gained fame…
September 12
September 12
Steven Biko dies
Steven Biko, leader of South Africa’s “Black Consciousness Movement,” dies of severe head trauma on the stone floor of a prison cell in Pretoria. Six days earlier, he had suffered…
September 16
September 16
Opera star Maria Callas dies
Celebrated soprano Maria Callas dies in Paris at the age of 53. Born in New York City in 1923 to Greek immigrants, Callas demonstrated her talent for singing at an…
September 16
September 16
Opera star Maria Callas dies
“Diva” is a word used rather freely these days to describe those whose talents are matched or exceeded by their tendency to maximize the drama in every situation. But the…
October 1
October 1
Soccer star Pelé plays farewell game
On October 1, 1977, despite a downpour, 75,646 fans pack Giants Stadium in New Jersey for soccer star Pelé’s farewell game. In the exhibition, Pelé plays for the only professional teams he ever…
October 13
October 13
Palestinians hijack German airliner
Four Palestinians hijack a Lufthansa airliner and demand the release of 11 imprisoned members of Germany’s Baader‑Meinhof terrorist group, also known as the Red Army Faction. The Red Army Faction…
October 14
October 14
Anti‑gay crusader Anita Bryant is hit in the face with a pie
On October 14, 1977, while speaking at an event in Iowa to promote her campaign to roll back anti‑discrimination laws protecting LGBTQ people, Anita Bryant is hit in the face…
October 18
October 18
Reggie Jackson—aka “Mr. October”—hits three homers in three swings
On October 18, 1977, in the sixth game of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hits three home runs in a row…
October 20
October 20
Three members of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd die in a Mississippi plane crash
On October 20, 1977, during a flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the tour plane for Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in a heavily wooded area…
November 5
November 5
George W. Bush marries Laura Welch in Midland, Texas
On November 5, 1977, 31‑year‑old future President George W. Bush marries 31‑year‑old Laura Welch at the First United Methodist Church in her hometown of Midland, Texas. Bush was the son…
November 6
November 6
Dam gives way in Georgia, killing 39
On November 6, 1977, the Toccoa Falls Dam in Georgia gives way and 39 people die in the resulting flood. Ninety miles north of Atlanta, the Toccoa (Cherokee for “beautiful”)…
November 15
November 15
President Carter hosts shah of Iran
On November 15, 1977, President Jimmy Carter welcomes Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, and his wife, Empress (or “Shahbanou”) Farrah, to Washington. Over the next two days, Carter…
November 19
November 19
Sadat visits Israel
In an unprecedented move for an Arab leader, Egyptian president Anwar el‑Sadat travels to Jerusalem to seek a permanent peace settlement with Israel after decades of conflict. Sadat’s visit, in…
December 10
December 10
Soviets arrest dissidents on United Nations Human Rights Day
In Moscow, Soviet officials arrest four dissidents and prevent at least 20 others from attending a peaceful protest against communist political oppression on United Nations Human Rights Day. According to…
December 12
December 12
“Saturday Night Fever” premieres in New York
The film Saturday Night Fever premieres in New York City on December 12, 1977. Shining a bright light on the world of disco dance, it would become a pop‑culture juggernaut.…
December 16
December 16
“Saturday Night Fever” turns John Travolta into movie star
On this day in 1977, Saturday Night Fever, a movie that ignites the disco dance craze across America, along with the movie career of its star, John Travolta, opens in…
