1978

1978 is a year in the Gregorian calendar, the calendar most widely used in the world. It was a common year (not a leap year with 366 days), consisting of 365 days from January to December.

The year fell during the Cold War, a period of political and military confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies. Economically, the late 1970s were marked by the effects of oil price increases and inflation in many countries.

Calendar calculation

1978 is not on the list of leap years, as it is not divisible by four. For this reason, February had 28 days. The Gregorian calendar in use is based on a modification of the Julian calendar designed to make the calendar year more closely match the solar year.

Global situation

This period saw negotiations and disputes over nuclear weapons and the influence of major powers on the continents of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Many newly independent African states were establishing their government institutions, while the Horn of Africa was a region of military instability.

Use of the term

Other calendar systems—such as the Islamic Hijri calendar, the Hebrew calendar, and some Asian calendars—use different numbering for this year, as their starting points and year lengths differ from the Gregorian calendar. When citing dates, it is therefore important to specify which calendar is being used.