Also in 1979...

The Sony Walkman cassette player is the first portable personal audio system.

Accident at Three Mile Island power plant sparks awareness of the hazards of nuclear energy.
Tight jeans and gold chains are ubiquitous.
Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, Burt Reynolds and Steve McQueen are box-office magnets, commanding $3 million per film.
Health food continues to gain acceptance and electronic games are a hit.
Blondie's "Heart of Glass" points the way toward life beyond disco.
CompuServe Information Service begins to extend online computer connections beyond the "Internet" of the Defense department and academia.
Richard Petty wins the Winston Cup Championship.