MAY 22, 1979

TUESDAY
1979 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1979
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $283,595 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$2.95
Median Home Price$44,840.00
Gas Price Avg$1.13
Bread Price Avg$0.47
Movie Ticket Avg$2.66
First Class Stamp$0.14
Milk Price Avg$2.06
Top Movies From 1979
Show screen release and event cards
1 Kramer vs. Kramer
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Kramer vs. Kramer
2 The Amityville Horror
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The Amityville Horror
3 Rocky II
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Rocky II
4 Apocalypse Now
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Apocalypse Now
5 Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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Star Trek: The Motion Picture
6 Alien
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Alien
7 The Muppet Movie
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The Muppet Movie
8 10
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10
9 The Jerk
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The Jerk
10 Moonraker
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Moonraker
The Warriors
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The Warriors
The China Syndrome
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The China Syndrome
Norma Rae
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Norma Rae
Agatha
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Agatha
Saint Jack
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Saint Jack
The Great Train Robbery
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The Great Train Robbery
Manhattan
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Manhattan
Love at First Bite
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Love at First Bite
Hair
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Hair
The Deer Hunter
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The Deer Hunter
Hardcore
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Hardcore
Phantasm
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Phantasm
Over the Edge
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Over the Edge
Escape to Athena
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Escape to Athena
Superman
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Superman
Halloween
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Halloween
The Millionaire
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The Millionaire
The Lord of the Rings
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The Lord of the Rings
Les Misérables
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Les Misérables
Brass Target
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Brass Target
Starcrash
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Starcrash

May 22, 1979 Trivia

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Television On May 22, 1979
Sesame Street poster
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Sesame Street
Saturday Night Live poster
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Saturday Night Live
Dallas poster
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Dallas
M*A*S*H poster
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M*A*S*H
The Love Boat poster
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The Love Boat
Barnaby Jones poster
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Barnaby Jones
Charlie's Angels poster
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Charlie's Angels
Nova poster
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Nova

Exact-date daily brief

May 22, 1979

On May 22, 1979, significant political discussions were underway in South Africa as Prime Minister Pieter Willem Botha advocated for the easing of apartheid policies. This initiative appeared to signal a potential shift, but skept...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1979

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Personal Computer Operating System
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Personal Computer Operating System
2 Mobile Cellular Network Deployment
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Mobile Cellular Network Deployment
3 Portable Computer Concept
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Portable Computer Concept
4 Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software
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Computer-Aided Manufacturing Software
5 Digital Camera Sensor Improvements
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Digital Camera Sensor Improvements
6 Medical MRI Commercialization
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Medical MRI Commercialization
7 Automotive Electronic Engine Control Unit
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Automotive Electronic Engine Control Unit
8 Electronic Mail Standardization
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Electronic Mail Standardization
9 Space Shuttle Avionics System
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Space Shuttle Avionics System
10 Video Game Handheld Concept
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Video Game Handheld Concept

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From May 22, 1979

Full News Archive

  • Headline: The Enduring Appeal of Beef. Impact: As Jim Ross insisted beef was still a 'best buy', a surge in demand led to a worldwide obsession with BBQ culture, ultimately resulting in the invention of the hipster 'beef jerky' truck—because who doesn't love overpriced dehydrated meat?. Fact: Fun fact: If you ever find yourself arguing about the merits of beef vs. tofu, just remember: cows had their heyday long before it was cool to be a vegetarian.
  • Headline: Botha's Reforms: A Shift in Apartheid Policy. Impact: Botha's push for easing apartheid was like adding a drop of food coloring to a glass of water; it stirred some change but left most of the liquid still clear and stagnant. The ripple effect? A slow-motion revolution that would take decades to gain momentum. Fact: Did you know that the term 'apartheid' comes from Afrikaans and means 'apartness'? Because who doesn't want their very own word to describe a terrible social system?.
  • Headline: Carter's Inspirational Cabinet Meeting Recap. Impact: Carter setting the pace at a cabinet meeting established a new precedent for future politicians: talking a lot without really saying anything—and thus, the art of political speechmaking was born!. Fact: Fun fact: The average American cabinet meeting is about as riveting as watching paint dry, but with more neckties.
  • Headline: CALIFORNIANS FIND CAS IS EASIER TO BUY. Impact: The reduction of gasoline lines in California was a major victory, leading to a nationwide movement for 'more gas, less waiting', which ultimately led to the rise of the road trip culture. Thank you, California, for giving us the 'great American road trip'—and the inevitable traffic jams. Fact: Did you know that long lines at gas stations were once a thing? Not just a bad dream, but a real-life situation that made people wish they had invested in bicycles.
  • Headline: IN THE NATION. Impact: The uprising at Napanoch jail ignited a series of prison reform movements, eventually leading to the 'Prison Guards Shouldn't Be KKK Members' campaign that somehow took decades to realize was necessary. Who knew?. Fact: Fun fact: The KKK in prisons is like finding a cockroach in your kitchen—disgusting, but sadly, not surprising.
  • Headline: NELLIE POSNANSKY. Impact: Nellie Posnansky's mention in the headlines became the catalyst for future historians to obsess over minor figures, leading to countless biographies about people who probably just wanted to be left alone. Fact: Did you know that being a historical footnote is a real profession? The pay is terrible, but the fame lasts forever—just ask any obscure historical figure.
  • Headline: Advertising. Impact: Natural History magazine decided to increase its frequency, inadvertently starting a trend where people suddenly found themselves with more useless trivia than they'd ever wanted, leading to awkward dinner party conversations for decades. Fact: Fun fact: If you ever need a conversation starter, just remember that the average person knows 5% of what Natural History covers!.
  • Headline: ‘Thinking’ Computer Is Out to Get Paranoia. Impact: The creation of a 'thinking' computer that was paranoid would eventually lead to a world where computers not only take over our lives but also question our sanity. Thanks, Dr. Colby, for paving the way for our future robot overlords!. Fact: Did you know that if a computer ever claims to be 'feeling' paranoid, it’s probably just trying to get out of doing your taxes?.
  • Headline: ISRAELIS IN ACCORD ON PEACE‐TALK PLAN. Impact: The Israeli government's approval of limited Arab self-rule sparked a series of peace talks that were as productive as a hamster on a wheel—lots of motion, very little progress. The ripples of indecision still echo today. Fact: Fun fact: The phrase 'peace talks' is often synonymous with 'let's sit in a room and mutually ignore each other while drafting vague promises'.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
WMT
Walmart
Price in 1979
$0.02
Stored value
$6,997,064

Walmart - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $6,997,064 today (6997.1x return)

Rank #2
INTC
Intel
Price in 1979
$0.18
Stored value
$199,890

Intel - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $199,890 today (199.9x return)

Rank #3
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1979
$0.50
Stored value
$417,979

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1979, it would be worth $417,979 today (418.0x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
X-Men #129
X-Men #129
$1,500
Iron Man #118
Iron Man #118
$150
Batman #313
Batman #313
$20
Micronauts #1
Micronauts #1
$164.00
Superman #331
Superman #331
$10
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Simon
Simon
$1,000.00
LEGO Space Sets
LEGO Space Sets
$400.00
Star Wars Action Figures
Star Wars Action Figures
$300.00
My Little Pony
My Little Pony
$150.00
Atari 2600
Atari 2600
$6,500.00
🎮 Top 5 Video Games
Asteroids
Asteroids
Unknown
Lunar Lander
Lunar Lander
$50.00
Galaxian
Galaxian
$262.70
Adventure
Adventure
$5,000.00
Star Raiders
Star Raiders
$5,000.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card #18
O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card #18
$1,290,000
Topps Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card #18
Topps Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card #18
$8,000
Garry Unger Kolner EC Card
Garry Unger Kolner EC Card
$1,000
Topps Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Series 1 Luke Skywalker
Topps Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - Series 1 Luke Skywalker
$1,000
1979 Hostess Baseball George Brett
1979 Hostess Baseball George Brett
$4,920.00