Date in year · 1979 · The 1970s

March 17, 1979

On March 17, 1979, the Penmanshiel Tunnel collapses during engineering works, killing two workers. 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 March 17, 1979

  1. 1979 The Penmanshiel Tunnel collapses during engineering works, killing two workers.

    Abandoned railway tunnel in Scotland

    Penmanshiel Tunnel is a now-disused railway tunnel near Grantshouse, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland. It was formerly part of the East Coast Main Line between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dunbar.

  2. 1979 Aeroflot Flight 1691 crashes on approach to Vnukovo International Airport, killing 58.

    1979 aviation accident

    Aeroflot Flight 1691 crashed near Moscow Vnukovo Airport on 17 March 1979 killing 58 of the 119 people on board. The Tupolev Tu-104B operating the flight was overloaded and the crew received a false fire alarm.

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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