OCTOBER 20, 1979

SATURDAY
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
Escape from Alcatraz
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Escape from Alcatraz
Norma Rae
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Norma Rae
The Onion Field
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The Onion Field
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
The In-Laws
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The In-Laws
Manhattan
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Manhattan
Breaking Away
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Breaking Away
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
Meatballs
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Meatballs
The Frisco Kid
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The Frisco Kid
Time After Time
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Time After Time
Hardcore
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Hardcore
Phantasm
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Phantasm
The Champ
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The Champ
Yanks
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Yanks
Over the Edge
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Over the Edge
Prophecy
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Prophecy
And Justice for All
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And Justice for All
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

October 20, 1979 Trivia

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Television On October 20, 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

October 20, 1979

On October 20, 1979, the United States showcased its boxing prowess by winning seven gold medals at the World Cup bouts, a significant achievement that highlighted American dominance in sports during this era. This victory came am...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 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 October 20, 1979

Full News Archive

  • Headline: U.S. Dominates World Cup with Gold Medals. Impact: The U.S. winning 7 golds in World Cup bouts led to a national obsession with sports, creating the phenomenon of the 'Couch Potato Olympics' where Americans compete in watching sports from their sofas. This later resulted in a thriving industry for pizza delivery and sedentary lifestyles. Fact: Did you know that while the U.S. was winning golds, other countries were just trying to figure out how to win at life? Tough luck, guys!.
  • Headline: Renault CEO Joins A.M.C. Board. Impact: Electing a Renault officer to the A.M.C. board inadvertently sparked a global automotive revolution, where car manufacturers started hiring executives based on their ability to play Monopoly rather than actual experience. This led to some bizarre vehicle designs, like the infamous 'Carpet Mobile'. Fact: Did you know that Renault's chief executive officer is not actually a car? Shocking, I know.
  • Headline: Benefit Concert for Indochinese Refugees. Impact: The benefit concert for Indochinese refugees inadvertently set off a chain reaction of charity events leading to hipster music festivals. Now, every time someone mentions 'aid,' there's an overpriced ticket involved. Fact: Did you know that music can heal the soul? Too bad it doesn’t come with a refund policy for bad performances!.
  • Headline: ECONOMY'S GROWTH SURGES IN QUARTER AT A RATE OF 2.4%. Impact: The economy’s growth surging at 2.4% sparked endless debates about interest rates, leading to the establishment of the 'Interest Rate Olympics' where economists compete for the most convoluted predictions, ultimately resulting in the phrase 'it's complicated' being used more than ever. Fact: Did you know that economists have the same success rate as a fortune teller? Both can flip a coin and sound convincing!.
  • Headline: Judge Orders Silence On the Sindona Case. Impact: The judge ordering silence on the Sindona case made headlines, leading to a trend of courtroom drama that inspired reality shows. This inadvertently made law enforcement officers the new reality TV stars, overshadowing actual talent. Fact: Did you know that silence is golden? In court, it might just save your case... or ruin it.
  • Headline: Bridge: United States Defeats Italy To Take World Team Title. Impact: The U.S. defeating Italy in the World Team Title for Bridge led to an unexpected rise in competitive bridge tournaments, where previously unnoticed elderly folks became overnight sensations, leading to the 'Bridge Boom' of the 80s. Thanks, Italy!. Fact: Did you know that bridge is the only sport where you can yell at your partner without them walking off the field?.
  • Headline: Soviet Reports Major Step Toward a Fusion Plant. Impact: The Soviet reports on a fusion plant initiated a global race to harness fusion energy, creating a reality where we still haven’t figured out how to keep a light bulb from flickering without causing a nuclear meltdown. Fact: Did you know that fusion energy is basically trying to bottle a star? Because who wouldn’t want to bring a piece of the sun to dinner?.
  • Headline: Architecture: Mies at National Gallery. Impact: Mies van der Rohe's architectural exhibit at the National Gallery led to an explosion of minimalist architecture, giving rise to the phrase 'less is more' which is now used by people who can't decide what to wear. Fact: Did you know that minimalism is just a fancy term for being too lazy to decorate? Less is definitely more if you don’t have any more!.
  • Headline: Retarded Boy's Heart Surgery Put to High Court. Impact: The Supreme Court reviewing the heart surgery case for a retarded boy pushed the boundaries of medical ethics, leading to a world where doctors now consult Twitter before making life-or-death decisions. Great job, everyone. Fact: Did you know that medical ethics is basically a game of 'Would You Rather?' with real stakes? Talk about pressure!.

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