October 1977 - New York Yankees, Lynyrd Skynyrd

Don't Space Out, Enjoy October 1977!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1977 was 'Star Wars Theme' by Meco.

October 1 - We've Got Each Other tv show debuts on CBS.

October 2 - Julia movie premieres.

October 3 - Knockout and To Say the Least game shows debut on NBC.

October 6 – Irish American mobster Danny Greene is murdered with a car bomb by the Cleveland crime family in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

October 7 - Oh, God! movie premieres.  This movie briefly ended Star Wars' 15 week reign as #1 at the box office, before Star Wars returned to the top spot the following week.

October 9 - On Our Own tv show debuts on CBS.

October 12 – Dorothy Davenport, actress, dies. (b. 1895)

October 14 – Bing Crosby, singer and actor, dies. (b. 1903)

October 14 – Anita Bryant is famously pied by four gay rights activists during a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa. This event resulted from her anti-gay activism.

October 14 - Starship Invasions movie premieres.

October 18 – Reggie Jackson hits three home runs to lead the New York Yankees to victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in six games.

October 19 - Equus movie premieres.

October 20 – Three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd killed in plane crash:
Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer (b. 1948)
Cassie Gaines, lead singer (b. 1948)
Steve Gaines, lead singer and guitarist (b. 1949)

October 23 - Paleontologists make a discovery that pushes back the timeline for Earth's earliest life. They find 3.4 to 3.5-billion-year-old single-celled fossils in African chert rocks. 

October 27 - James at 15 debuts on NBC.

1977 Ford Ranchero:

Speed Burners toy (released 1977):

McDonald's Happy Meal was created in October 1977.

Star Wars comic for October:

Playboy playmate of the month, Kristine Winder, and Playgirl man for October, Richard Burke Davis:

Nielsen top 10 shows for the week ending Oct 16th:  1 World Series Game 2;  2 World Series Game 1; 3 World Series Game 3; 4 Three's Company; 5 All in the Family; 6 Big Event "Good Old Days"; 7 White Line Fever (NBC Sunday Movie); 8 60 Minutes; 9 What's Happening; 10 Big Event "79 Park Avenue"

Albums released in October (album / artist):

Waitin' for the Night / The Runaways

Elvis in Concert / Elvis Presley

Out of the Blue / Electric Light Orchestra

Midnight Wind / The Charlie Daniels Band

Goin' Places / The Jacksons

Send It / Ashford and Simpson

Point of Know Return / Kansas

Heroes / David Bowie

Street Survivors / Lynyrd Skynyrd

Bat Out of Hell / Meat Loaf

Seconds Out / Genesis

Once Upon a Time / Donna Summer

Watermark / Art Garfunkel

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols / Sex Pistols

News of the World / Queen

Here You Come Again / Dolly Parton

McCall's magazine for October:

New Yorker magazine for October 3rd:

Soap Opera Digest magazine for October:

'The Silmarillion' by J.R.R. Tolkien moves to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list.

Charles Schultz Peanuts comic strip from October 1977:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in October 1977, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

October 1976 - Jane Pauley, Cincinnati Reds, Quincy

Quack, Quack, it's October 1976!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1976 was 'Disco Duck' by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots.  Despite speculation to the contrary, Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck, did not perform on this song...the duck was voiced by a guy Rick met at the gym! 

October 4 - Barbara Walters joins Harry Reasoner as co-anchor of the ABC Evening News. 

October 3 - Quincy, M.E. tv series premieres on NBC, starring Jack Klugman.  Quincy's first name is never mentioned on the show, though a business card in one episode revealed his first initial is 'R'.

October 6 – During his second televised debate with Jimmy Carter, U.S. President Gerald Ford mistakenly says that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe".

October 8 - Marathon Man movies premieres.

October 11 - Jane Pauley makes her debut on NBC's Today.

October 13 – The United States Commission on Civil Rights releases the report, Puerto Ricans in the Continental United States: An Uncertain Future, which highlights Puerto Ricans high poverty rate.

October 15 - The Sylvia L. Ossa cargo ship is reported missing in the Bermuda Triangle.  The ship did not send out an emergency distress message.  Only some debris, an oil slick and a lifeboat were found. 

October 16 - Most Wanted tv series premieres on ABC.

October 18 – Ford launches significant production of Fiesta at its Valencia plant in Spain.

October 18 - Burnt Offerings movie premieres.

October 20 – The Mississippi River ferry MV George Prince is struck by a ship while crossing from Destrehan, Louisiana to Luling, Louisiana, killing 78 passengers and crew.

October 21 – The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees in four games to win the 1976 World Series.

October 21 - Willis Reed becomes the first New York Knicks basketball player to have his uniform number (19) retired.

October 22 - Car Wash movie premieres.

Albums released in October (album / artist):
Chestnut Street Incident / Johnny Cougar
Crystal Ball / Styx
Virgin Killer / Scorpions
Arrival / ABBA
Four Seasons of Love / Donna Summer
Hoppkorv / Hot Tuna
Triumph / Triumph
Johnny the Fox / Thin Lizzy
Zoot Allures / Frank Zappa
Blue Moves / Elton John
Night Moves / Bob Seger
The Song Remains the Same / Led Zeppelin Live 1973
On the Road to Kingdom Come / Harry Chapin
Calling Card / Rory Gallagher
Land of the Midnight Sun / Al Di Meola
Hardcore Jollies / Funkadelic
Brass Construction II / Brass Construction

Nielsen top 20 shows for the week of October 25-31:

Happy Days, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman and Laverne and Shirley (ABC); Bob Hope
Special ( NBC ); Baretta and Six Million Dollar Man (ABC); All in the Family (CBS); Amelia Earhart (NBC); M-A-S-H and The Waltons (CBS); Live and Let Die (ABC); Disney (NBC);
Alice and Hawaii Five-O (CBS); Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC); One Day at a Time and
Maude (CBS); NBC Saturday Movie; and NFL Monday Night Football.

Sears Fall/Winter 1976 Catalog:

Shazam comic for October:

Welcome Back, Kotter colorforms play set (released 1976):

Disney magazine for October:

Railroad Modeler magazine for October:

Travel and Leisure magazine for October:

Rona Barrett's Hollywood magazine for October:

Playboy playmate of the month, Hope Olson and Playgirl man for October (and later man of  the year), David White:

Peanuts comic strip from October 1976:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in October 1976, check out this really good site:  ultimate70s.com

October 1978 - Pier 39, Pope John Paul II

Hey, Hot Child, It's October 1978!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1978 was 'Hot Child in the City' by Nick Gilder.

October 1 Centennial mini-series debuts on NBC.

October 2 - 'Mommie Dearest' is published.  Written by her adopted daughter, Christina Crawford, this scandalous bestseller is about the life of Joan Crawford.

October 4 – Pier 39 opens on Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, as a tourist attraction.

October 5 - The Boys from Brazil and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? movies premiere.

October 6 - The Big Fix and Midnight Express movies premiere.

October 8 – Bertha Cody, Native American archaeologist, dies. (born 1907)

October 12 – Nancy Spungen, groupie and girlfriend of Sid Vicious, dies. (born 1958)

October 14 – President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law which allows homebrewing of beer in the United States.

October 17 – The New York Yankees clinch their 22nd World Series championship, defeating the Dodgers 7–2 in Los Angeles and winning the Series 4 games to 2.

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October 19 – Gig Young, actor, dies. (born 1913)

October 20 - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes movie premieres.  The giant tomatoes were actually made out of foam!

October 22 - Pope John Paul II is sworn in as pope.  The new pope surprised his aides on his first day when he entered a crowd of reporters and answered questions.

October 24 - The Wiz movie premieres.

October 25 - Halloween movie premieres.

October 27 – President Jimmy Carter signs the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act, adjusting the government's economic goals to include full employment, growth in production, price stability, and balance of trade and budget.

October 31 - Norma Brown wins $28,800 playing the Money Cards on Card Sharks, the first and only time a contestant has won the maximum amount.

1978 Ford LTD Landau:

A new product introduced in 1978 was Midori Liqueur.

Ms. Marvel comic for October:

Toy organ (released in 1978):

Playboy playmate of the month, Marcy Hanson, and Playgirl man for October, Lenny Thompson:

Albums released in October (album / artist):
Comes a Time / Neil Young
Hot Streets / Chicago
M.I.U. Album / The Beach Boys
Dire Straits / Dire Straits
Dog and Butterfly / Heart
Killing Machine / Judas Priest
Chaka / Chaka Khan
52nd Street / Billy Joel
Christmas Portrait / The Carpenters Christmas
If You Want Blood You've Got It / AC/DC
Toto / Toto
A Single Man / Elton John
Pleasure Train / Teri Desario
Hemispheres / Rush
Thoroughfare Gap / Stephen Stills

Nielsen top shows for the week ending October 22: World Series Game 6; Little House on the Prairie; Charlie's Angels; CBS Sunday Movie "Like Mom, Like Me"; All in the Family; Mork and Mindy; Alice; Three's Company; 60 Minutes; Laverne and Shirley.

Life magazine for October:

National Geographic magazine for October:

Newsweek for October 30th:

Jim Davis Garfield comic strip from October 1978:

For detailed news/info on what happened each day in October 1978, check out this really good site: ultimate70s.com

October 1979 - Pope Visit, Department of Education

Can't Get Enough of October 1979!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1979 was 'Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough' by Michael Jackson.

October 1 – Dorothy Arzner, film director, dies. (b. 1897)

October 1 - Skatetown, U.S.A. movie premieres.

October 1–6 – Pope John Paul II visits the United States.

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October 5 - Starting Over and 10 movies premiere.

October 6 – Elizabeth Bishop, poet, dies. (b. 1911)

October 14 — The National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the largest gay rights march to date, takes place in Washington, D.C., with about 100,000 people in attendance.

October 15 – Jacob L. Devers, army general, dies. (b. 1887)

October 15 – The 6.4 Mw Imperial Valley earthquake affected Southern California and northern Baja California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), causing 91 injuries and $30 million in damage.

October 17 - President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education.

October 17 - 1979 World Series: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 3, to win their 5th World Series Title.

October 17 - The Black Stallion movie premieres.

October 19 - Jesus and Meteor movies premiere.

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October 26 - When a Stranger Calls movie premieres.

October 26 - Shirley tv series debuts on NBC.

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October 29 - Freedom Road debuts on NBC.  This mini-series about an ex-slave stars Muhammad Ali and Kris Kristofferson and is based on the 1944 novel by Howard Fast.

1979 Volkswagen Rabbit:

Mork doll (released 1979):

Wonder Woman comic for October:

Hubba Bubba gum was a new product introduced in 1979.

Playboy playmate of the month, Ursula Buchfellner, and Playgirl man for October, Peter Speach:

Albums released in October (album / artist):
Return to Base / Slade
Reggatta de Blanc / The Police
I'm the Man / Joe Jackson
Partners in Crime / Rupert Holmes
Tusk / Fleetwood Mac
Victim of Love / Elton John
Eat to the Beat / Blondie
Fire It Up / Rick James
The Message Is Love / Barry White
Cornerstone / Styx
Damn the Torpedoes / Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Prince / Prince
Prisoner / Cher
Bomber / Motörhead

Nielsen top shows for the week ending October 21st:  1 World Series Game VII ABC; 2 World Series Game Vl ABC; 3 M*A*S*H CBS; 4 WKRP In Cincinnati CBS; 5 Little House on the Prairie NBC; 6 Sixty Minutes CBS; 7 One Day At A Time CBS; 8 The Jefferson CBS; 9 Alice CBS; 10 Dallas CBS; 11 World Series Pregame VII ABC; 12 World Series Pregame VI ABC; 13 Lou Grant CBS; 14 Trapper John, M.D. CBS; 15 Dukes of Hazzard CBS.

Ladies Home Journal for October:

MAD magazine for October:

Ms. magazine for October:

'The Dead Zone' by Stephen King is at the top of the New York Times Fiction Best Seller list.

Peanuts comic strip from October 8, 1979:

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