Monday, September 7, 1979

The night ESPN launched.

ESPN Program Schedule on Sept. 7, 1979:

Primetime TV Schedule on Friday, Sept. 7, 1979:

Notable Television Debuts in 1979:

This Date in History: Sept. 7, 1979

New York Times Front Page Headlines …

“August Jobless Rate Surged to 6 percent: Food Spurs Big Producer-Price Raise”
The national unemployment rate climbed to 6 percent in August, the highest level in more than a year, as a result of layoffs in manufacturing and construction.

“New York City Level Off to 9.2 Percent – a Recession Since Spring Indicated”

In New York City, the unemployment rate dropped a full point to 9.2 percent.

“U.S. Urged to Relax Curb on DNA Studies”

In an effort to expand and accelerate research, a national advisory committee recommended exemption from strict federal guidelines limiting the number and type of DNA studies that entail gene-splicing.

“Carter Tells Soviet Dispute on Troops May Hurt Relations”
President Carter warns that U.S/Soviet relations would be “adversely affected” unless it respected U.S. concern about Soviet troops in Cuba.

“President Chooses Mobile Missile Plan”

Mounting concern over Soviet presence in Cuba and a possible surprise attack moves President Carter to announce plans for a $33 billion system for deploying 200 new mobile missiles in Western desert valleys.

The NYSE (DJIA) closed at 874.15.

New York Times Sports Headlines …

Chris Evert Lloyd defeats Billie Jean King in the Semifinal of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship

George Steinbrenner accuses Yankees’ pitcher Ken Clay of “choking” as Yankees lost to Detroit Tigers 6-0.

Ohio State opened its first season under head coach Earle Bruce against Syracuse.

After Sept. 7 baseball games, the MLB standings were:
AL East --       Baltimore led Milwaukee by 10 ½ games
AL West --      California Angels led Kansas City by 3 games
NL East --      Pittsburgh led Montreal by 1 ½ games
NL West --     Houston led Cincinnati by ½ game

This day in history: September 7

News

1776--World’s first submarine attack. American submersile craft Turtle attacks British flagship Eagle in New York Harbor
1812--Napolean defeats the Russian army of Alexander I at the Battle of Borodino
1892--First world heavyweight fight to use the Marquis of Queensbury Rules (including boxing gloves and three-minute rounds)
1901--The Boxer Rebellion in China ended
1916--The New York Giants, of baseball fame, started setting a major-league record/ The Giants won the first of 26 consecutive games.
1930--Dagwood and Blondie made their first appearance in the comic strips.
1940--Nazi Germany began the Blitz on London
1963--Pro Football Hall of Fame opens
1975--Cincinnati Reds clinched the National League West division title.
1986--After only three plays in the NFL season (Chicago Bears vs. Cleveland Browns), the new instant replay rule was put to the test.
1996--Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot after leaving a Mike Tyson/Bruce Seldon WBA fight in Las Vegas, Nev.
2001--Federal antiterrorism task force searches Texas office of InfoCom Corp, computer server that is host to variety of Web sites of Islamic groups and charities as part of investigation into alleged support of terrorism by American Islamic networks.
2005--First presidential election was held in Egypt.
2008--U.S. Government takes control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation’s two largest mortgage financing companies.

Born

1533—Queen Elizabeth I of England
1867—J.P. Morgan, financier
1908—Paul Brown, NFL coach
1928—Al McGuire, basketball coach and commentator
1936—Buddy Holly, singer
1945—Jacques Lemaire, Canadian hockey player/coach
1949—Gloria Gaynor, singer
1971—Briana Scurry, U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper
1972—Jason Isringhausen, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher
1979—Mark Prior, Chicago Cubs pitcher
1979—Paul Mara, Phoenix Coyotes defenseman 
1988—Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves center

History of 1979

US GDP: $2,557.50 billion
Median Household Income: $16,461
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.15

News

• U.S. and People’s Republic of China establish diplomatic relations
• Patty Hearst is released from prison
• Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seizes power in Iran
• China invades northern Vietnam
• Nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pa.
• Margaret Thatcher becomes new prime minister of Great Britain
• Saddam Hussein is named President of Iraq.
• The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.

Entertainment

• Disco reigns as The Bee Gees and Donna Summers contribute several #1 hits
• Albums released: Highway to Hell, AC/DC; The Wall, Pink Floyd
• Top songs: Message in a Bottle, The Police; I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
• Top films: Kramer vs. Kramer, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien
• Top books: Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
• Top TV shows:  Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy, M*A*S*H

Sports

• MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates def. Baltimore Orioles in World Series in 7 games
• NBA: Seattle Supersonics def. Washington Bullets for NBA crown in 5 games
• NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers def Dallas Cowboys 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII
• NHL: Montreal Canadiens def. New York Rangers Stanley Cup in 5 games
• Michigan State wins NCAA men’s basketball title
• Old Dominion beats Louisiana Tech for AIAW basketball championship
• Spectacular Bid wins Kentucky Derby and Preakness; Coastal wins Belmont.
• John McEnroe and Tracy Austin win singles titles at U.S. Open
• Hale Irwin wins U.S. Open golf title at Inverness Club

That Was Then, This is Now

What a handful of well-known people were doing when ESPN first launched in September 1979 …

ESPN President George Bodenheimer
1979: senior at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, majoring in economics

ESPN commentator/host Chris Berman
1979: weekend sports anchor at WVIT-TV, NBC affiliate in Hartford, Conn.

PTI co-host Tony Kornheiser
1979: joined Washington Post as general assignment reporter for Sports and Style

Walt Disney Co. President/CEO Bob Iger
1979: working in New York asmanager of program planning for ABC's Wide World of Sports 

President Barack Obama
1979: freshman at Occidental College in Los Angeles

NBA All Star Kobe Bryant
1979: one-year old, living in Philadelphia, Pa.

NFL All Pro Peyton Manning
1979: three years old, living in New Orleans, La.

MLB All Star Derek Jeter
1979: five years old, living in Kalamazoo, Mich. (after moving from New Jersey)

English soccer star David Beckham
1979: four years old, living in Leytonstone, London, England.

LPGA star Annika Sörenstam
1979: eight years old, living in Bro, Sweden.

Actor George Clooney
1979: college student at Northern Kentucky University

Talk Show Host Oprah Winfrey
1979: Co-host of local talk show “People are Talking” on WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Md.

Director/Producer Spike Lee
1979: attending graduate student at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he began writing, directing and producing The Answer (1980), a film about an African-American screenwriter.

U2
1979: world famous Irish rock band had its first release, an Ireland-only EP entitled “Three,” in September 1979 -- the band's first Irish chart success.

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