Date in year · 1979 · The 1970s

February 20, 1979

On February 20, 1979, an earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java. The year's #1 song was "My Sharona" by The Knack. Ruth Beitia, Iván Alonso, Malcolm Christie would arrive in the same year.

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Year

1979

1970s

Around 1979

The year in brief

1979 (MCMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1979th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 979th year of the 2nd millennium, the 79th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1970s decade.

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What happened

On February 20, 1979

  1. 1979 An earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java.

    Sudden movement of the Earth's crust

    An earthquake, also called a quake, tremor, or temblor, is the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they cannot be felt, to those violent enough to propel objects and people into the air, damage critical infrastructure, and wreak destruction across entire cities. The seismic activity of an area is the frequency, type, and size of earthquakes experienced over a particular time.

Elsewhere that year

Other moments from 1979

The class of 1979

Others born in 1979

Ruth Beitia 1979– Spanish high jumper
Iván Alonso 1979– Uruguayan footballer
Malcolm Christie 1979– English footballer
Sebastien Grainger 1979– Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
Michel Riesen 1979– Swiss ice hockey player
Claire Danes 1979– American actress

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