Historical Events
- "Magic Show" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 1859 performances
- "Runaways" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 199 performances
- CIA director, Admiral Stansfield Turner retires from the Navy
- Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier
- Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with US
- The Runaways' band's last ever concert at the Cow Plalce in Daly City, California
- Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, California closes after 556 concerts; Final show is the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Blues Brothers; program lasts for over 8 hours, with the Grateful Dead playing for nearly 6 hours; concert broadcast on local PBS TV station KQED, and simulcast by radio station KSAN-FM, after the show, the crowd was treated to a hot, buffet-style breakfast.
Famous Birthdays
- Papoose [Shamele Mackie], American rapper, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Tom Hamilton Jr., American songwriter, guitarist, producer, and singer (Brothers Past; American Babies; Billy & the Kids), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Famous Weddings
Michael Crichton
Best-selling author Michael Crichton (36) weds lawyer Kathleen St. Johns
About December 31, 1978
Day of the Week: Sunday
How Long Ago? 44 years, 5 months and 2 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Horse
Star Sign: Capricorn
Music Charts
#1 Song: Too Much Heaven - Bee Gees
#1 Song: Y.M.C.A. - Village People
