December 1979 - The Who, Lee Iacocca

No One Wants to Escape December 1979!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in December 1979 was 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song)' by Rupert Holmes.

December 1 - The Movie Channel, a premium cable channel, begins broadcasting movies 24/7.

December 3 - Eleven fans are killed during a stampede for seats before The Who concert at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio.

December 6 – The world premiere for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

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December 7 – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, British-born astronomer and astrophysicist, dies. (b. 1900)

December 9 – Fulton J. Sheen, Roman Catholic bishop and venerable, dies. (b. 1895)

December 10 – Ann Dvorak, actress, dies. (b. 1912)

December 14 - 1941, Chapter Two and The Jerk movies premiere.

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December 15 – Ethel Lackie, Olympic swimmer, dies. (b. 1907)

December 17 - House Calls tv series premieres on CBS.

December 19 - Being There, Kramer vs. Kramer and Roller Boogie movies premiere.

December 20 - All That Jazz movie premieres.  Originally, Bob Fosse thought of playing the lead himself, then Richard Dreyfuss was cast as the lead, but ultimately Roy Scheider played the role of  the womanizing, drug-using choreographer/director.

December 21 - The Black Hole, C.H.O.M.P.S., The Electric Horseman and Scavenger Hunt movies premiere.

December 21 – Chrysler receives government loan guarantees upon the request of CEO Lee Iacocca.

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December 22 – Darryl F. Zanuck, film producer, dies. (b. 1902)

December 23 - Peggy Guggenheim, art collector , dies.(b. 1898)

December 25 - Joan Blondell, actress, dies. (b. 1906)

December 27 - Knots Landing tv series premieres on CBS.

December 30 – Richard Rodgers, composer, dies. (b. 1902)

1979 Chrysler Cordoba:

Batman comic for December:

Hulk Rub n' Play (released 1979):

Sears Wish Book catalog for 1979:

Honey Nut Cheerios was a new product introduced in 1979:

Playboy playmate of the month, Candice Collins, and Playgirl man for December, Grahame White:

Albums debuting in December (album / artist):
London Calling / The Clash
September Morn / Neil Diamond
Adventures in Utopia / Utopia
Score / Carol Lloyd

Nielsen top shows for the week ending December 23rd:  1 Three's Company ABC; 2 Dallas (Thursday) CBS; 3 Dallas (Friday) CBS; 4 Taxi ABC; 5 M*A*S*H CBS; 6 60 Minutes CBS; 7

Dukes of Hazzard CBS; 8 NFL Monday Night Football ABC; 9 Alice CBS; 10 House Calls CBS; 11 Jeffersons CBS; 12 Trapper John, M.D. CBS; 13 One Day at a Time CBS; 14 Little House on the Prairie NBC; 15 Different Strokes NBC.

'Triple' by Ken Follett is at the top of the New York Times Fiction Best Seller list.

People magazine for December 24th:

Rolling Stone magazine for December:

Soap Opera Digest for December:

Garfield comic strip from December 1979:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in December 1979, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com