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Free printable kitTurning 47 in 2026

Born in 1979: fun facts, prices and a free printable 47th birthday party kit

Someone special reaches 47 in 2026. This is the year they were born, from Voyager at Jupiter to Alien and "Le Freak," with a free printable party kit attached.

By InviteBird

Published

Reviewed

15 min read

The short answer

In 1979 Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 flew past Jupiter, Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to reach Saturn, and Skylab fell back to Earth. The United States and China opened diplomatic relations and Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty. Kramer vs. Kramer won Best Picture, and Chic's "Le Freak" topped Cash Box's year-end chart.

Get the free printable kit
Born in 1979 lettered in dark green among cartoon icons of a cassette tape, a disco ball, a space probe with a dish antenna and a birthday cake
Digital illustration. Born in 1979, with a cassette tape, a disco ball, a space probe and a birthday cake.

Anyone born in 1979 arrived in a year of probes and firsts. Voyager 1 swept past Jupiter in March, a human-powered aircraft crossed the English Channel in June, and Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to fly past Saturn in September.

Scroll for the headlines of 1979, everyday prices, the stars who share the birth year and the films, songs, shows and games people loved. Party ideas close the page, along with a printable kit of 1979 trivia and games that signed-in visitors can download for free.

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What’s in the free printable Born in 1979 party kit?

27 printable pages in 3 PDFs for the 47th birthday party: 12 games, a host guide with every answer, and table cards. Print it at home, hand out pens and let the stories start.

Free printable PDFs with an InviteBird account: 3 files, each in US Letter and A4.

A look inside the kit

  • Game 1: Meet & mingle bingo

  • Game 2: The 1979 headline quiz

  • Game 3: What did it cost in 1979?

  • Game 4: The 1979 birthday club

  • Game 5: Movies & music of 1979

  • Game 7: Timeline shuffle

  • The host guide: every answer, explained

  • Table cards: the 1979 history card, welcome sign and place cards

How do you play the 47th birthday party games in the kit?

Here is what each game asks of your guests, how to play it and why it lands, so you can pick the ones that suit your crowd before you print.

  1. Meet & mingle bingo

    Find a guest for every square. The perfect icebreaker.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 3

    You need

    • One card per guest
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Hand everyone a card and a pen as they arrive.
    2. Mingle! When a guest fits a square, ask them to sign their name in it.
    3. Each guest can sign your card only once. The guest of honor may sign twice.
    4. First to fill a row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" and the host checks the names.

    Why it’s fun: Strangers become friends in minutes, and everyone ends up swapping stories about the guest of honor.

    The 1979 twist: The 1979 card has squares like “Can name a hit song from 1979” and “Has seen the movie Alien”.

  2. The 1979 headline quiz

    Ten questions about the year it all began.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 4

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Split into teams and pick a team name.
    2. Read each question aloud, or let teams work through the sheet at their own pace.
    3. Fill in one bubble per question. Changed your mind? Cross it out clearly.
    4. Swap sheets to mark them: one point per right answer. Answers are in the host guide.

    Why it’s fun: Big moments from 1979, with answers that spark "I remember that!" stories.

    Play it on this page, no sign-in

  3. What did it cost in 1979?

    Everyday prices from 1979: guess what they cost.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 5

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Every price is a real 1979 figure; the host guide says where each one comes from.
    2. Write your best guess in dollars and cents on each tag.
    3. The host reveals the real prices one at a time, for maximum gasps.
    4. The closest guess on each tag wins a point. For extra drama, play closest without going over.

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has an opinion about prices, and the real 1979 numbers always get a reaction.

  4. The 1979 birthday club

    Seven of these stars were born in 1979. Can you spot them?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 6

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each famous name.
    2. Decide whether they were born before 1979, in 1979, or after 1979.
    3. Fill in one bubble for each person.
    4. One point per right answer. Watch out for the close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Quick to play and full of surprises: it is hard to believe some of these stars share the guest of honor's birth year.

  5. Movies & music of 1979

    Match the films to their stars and the hits to their singers.

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 7

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Match each film to a famous name from the box, writing the letter beside it.
    2. Do the same for each 1979 hit song and its artist.
    3. Each letter is used once per side.
    4. One point per match, plus a bonus point for naming the song that was No. 1 on Cash Box magazine's 1979 year-end chart.

    Why it’s fun: It turns into a sing-along. Play the songs as you reveal the answers.

  6. Before or after 1979?

    Toys, games and gadgets: did each arrive before or after 1979?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    5 to 10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 8

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Read each milestone.
    2. Fill in the bubble on the left for before 1979, or on the right for after 1979.
    3. None of these happened in 1979 itself.
    4. One point per right answer. Some of them are very close calls!

    Why it’s fun: Everyone has a memory of these, and the close calls start friendly arguments.

  7. Timeline shuffle

    Put eight milestones in order around the 1979 card.

    Players
    Teams of 2 to 6
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 9

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Scissors
    • A table to lay the cards on

    How to play

    1. Before the party, cut out one set of cards per team along the dashed lines.
    2. Each team lays the 1979 card in the middle of their table.
    3. Place the other eight cards in order from earliest to latest, around the 1979 card.
    4. The host reads out the right order: one point for each card in the right spot.

    Why it’s fun: Hands-on and loud: teams debate, shuffle and change their minds right up to the reveal.

  8. Who knows them best?

    How well do you really know the guest of honor?

    Players
    Teams or solo
    Time
    10 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 11

    You need

    • One sheet per team
    • Pens
    • The guest of honor's answers

    How to play

    1. Before the party, ask the guest of honor to answer the questions privately.
    2. Teams write down what they think the guest of honor said.
    3. The guest of honor reveals each answer, with the story behind it.
    4. One point per match. The host decides on close answers.

    Why it’s fun: The reveals are the best part: every answer comes with a story.

    The 1979 twist: Add a 1979 bonus question: which hit from that year would they pick as their theme song, “Le Freak” or “My Sharona”?

  9. Two truths & a tall tale

    Two true stories and one invention. Spot the tall tale.

    Players
    Everyone, on their own
    Time
    10 to 15 minutes
    In the kit
    Page 12

    You need

    • One slip per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens

    How to play

    1. Write three short statements about yourself: two true, one made up.
    2. Fill in the bubble for your tall tale, then fold that corner over to hide it.
    3. Take turns reading your three statements aloud.
    4. Everyone guesses the tall tale. Fool the room and you win a point.

    Why it’s fun: Guests learn surprising things about each other, and the guest of honor's turn is always a highlight.

    The 1979 twist: Guests may swap one statement for a fact from 1979, like “Voyager 1 passes Jupiter” (March 5), and the room decides whether it really happened that year.

  10. Toasts & memory prompts

    Twelve prompts that turn shy guests into storytellers.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time, 10 minutes or more
    In the kit
    Page 13

    You need

    • One sheet, cut into cards
    • A bowl or hat

    How to play

    1. Cut the cards apart along the dashed lines and put them in a bowl.
    2. When it is time for toasts, pass the bowl around.
    3. Draw a card and finish the sentence, out loud, to the guest of honor.
    4. Raise a glass after each one. No points, just good stories.

    Why it’s fun: Nobody has to prepare a speech, yet everyone ends up saying something lovely.

    The 1979 twist: One card is all 1979: “If 1979 had a headline about your arrival, it would say…”

  11. Wishes for the next chapter

    A keepsake card for every guest to fill in.

    Players
    Everyone
    Time
    Any time
    In the kit
    Page 14

    You need

    • One card per guest (two per sheet)
    • Pens
    • A box or envelope to collect them

    How to play

    1. Cut each sheet in half along the dashed line.
    2. Put the cards out on a table with pens, or hand them out at the start.
    3. Guests write a wish, a memory and their name.
    4. Collect them in a box for the guest of honor to read later.

    Why it’s fun: The one thing from the party the guest of honor will keep for years.

    The 1979 twist: Set the 1979 history card beside the wish box, so guests can tie a wish to a moment like “Across the Channel on muscle power” (June 12).

Can you beat the 1979 headline quiz?

This is game 2 from the kit, playable right here with no sign-in. Tap an answer to see whether you got it, and why. At the party, teams play it on paper and the host guide holds the answers.

  1. On March 5, 1979, which spacecraft flew past Jupiter and spotted a faint ring around it?

  2. Which spacecraft became the first to fly past Saturn, on September 1, 1979?

  3. A NASA space station fell back to Earth on July 11, 1979. What was its name?

  4. Which film won the Oscar for Best Picture among the movies of 1979?

  5. Which two countries formally signed a peace treaty on March 26, 1979?

  6. How much did a first-class stamp cost in 1979?

  7. Which group's "Le Freak" was No. 1 on Cash Box's 1979 year-end chart?

  8. Which team won the 1979 World Series after trailing three games to one?

  9. What was the federal minimum wage on January 1, 1979?

  10. Which science-fiction movie opened in US theaters on May 25, 1979?

10 questions about 1979. Tap an answer to check it.

How do you run the kit at a 47th birthday party?

Example: a 90-minute 47th birthday party for 16 guests, born-in-1979 style, in four teams of four. Swap games in or out to suit your crowd; the host guide has every answer.

Before the party, print

  • 16 bingo cards, one per guest
  • 4 copies each of the headline quiz, the price game, the birthday club, Movies & music and Before or after
  • 4 timeline sheets, cut into cards
  • 8 two-truths sheets and 8 wish-card sheets (two per sheet)
  • The toast prompts, the scorecard and the host guide
  • The table cards: the 1979 history card, the welcome sign and four sheets of place cards
  1. 0:00
    Guests arrive: Meet & mingle bingo

    Hand each guest a bingo card and a pen at the door, so the mingling starts before the coats are off.

  2. 0:15
    Welcome and teams

    Say a few words about the guest of honor, then split the room into four teams of four, mixing generations.

  3. 0:20
    Round one: The 1979 headline quiz and What did it cost in 1979?

    Read the quiz aloud, then reveal the real prices one at a time and let the gasps do the work.

  4. 0:40
    Round two: The 1979 birthday club and Movies & music of 1979

    Play a few seconds of each song while teams match the hits to their singers.

  5. 0:55
    Cake break: The 1979 word search and Wishes for the next chapter

    Leave the word search and the wish cards on the tables while everyone eats.

  6. 1:05
    Round three: Before or after 1979? and Timeline shuffle

    Hand each team its set of timeline cards and give them five minutes to argue.

  7. 1:20
    All about them: Who knows them best? and Two truths & a tall tale

    Reveal the guest of honor's private answers, then let them read their two truths last.

  8. 1:30
    Toasts and winners: Toasts & memory prompts

    Pass the bowl of toast prompts, add up the scorecard and crown the winning team.

What happened in 1979?

The biggest events of 1979, each with the source it comes from.

A cartoon timeline of 1979: a space probe passing a ringed planet, a pedal-powered aircraft over ocean waves, a tumbling space station with a trail of sparks, a handshake between two flags and an arcade cabinet
Digital illustration. 1979 in five moments: Voyager at Jupiter, a human-powered Channel flight, Skylab's fall, a peace treaty and the Asteroids arcade game.
  1. January 1

    The US and China open diplomatic relations

    The United States and the People's Republic of China began official diplomatic relations. Embassies opened on March 1, and Deng Xiaoping made a goodwill visit to the United States at the end of the month.

    Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian: China Policy
  2. January 1

    Microsoft moves to Bellevue

    Microsoft, founded in 1975, moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Bellevue, Washington.

    Source: Microsoft: Facts About Microsoft
  3. March 5

    Voyager 1 flies past Jupiter

    The probe made its closest approach at about 174,000 miles. It found a faint ring around the planet and two new moons, Thebe and Metis.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 1
  4. March 26

    Egypt and Israel sign a peace treaty

    The Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty was formally signed, following the Camp David Accords of September 1978.

    Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian: Camp David Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process
  5. March 28

    The Three Mile Island accident

    An accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, began around 4 a.m. and partially melted the reactor. Studies later estimated that the roughly 2 million people nearby received an average dose of about 1 millirem above normal background radiation.

    Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Backgrounder on the Three Mile Island Accident
  6. May 25

    Alien opens in US theaters

    Alien opened in US theaters and earned $78.9 million in its original run.

    Source: Box Office Mojo: Alien (1979)
  7. June 12

    A human-powered plane crosses the Channel

    The Gossamer Albatross completed the first completely human-powered flight across the English Channel.

    Source: NASA: Gossamer Albatross
  8. July 9

    Voyager 2 passes Jupiter

    Four months after its twin, Voyager 2 came within about 400,785 miles of Jupiter. It found a 14th moon and sent back about 17,000 new pictures.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 2
  9. July 11

    Skylab falls to Earth

    NASA's Skylab space station re-entered during its 34,981st orbit. Most surviving debris fell into the Indian Ocean, and some pieces landed in sparsely populated parts of Western Australia.

    Source: NASA: 40 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth's Atmosphere
  10. September 1

    Pioneer 11 flies past Saturn

    The probe became the first human-made object to fly past Saturn, passing about 13,000 miles from the planet.

    Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 11
  11. October 1

    The Canal Zone is set to end

    Under the Panama Canal Treaty, the Canal Zone was set to cease to exist on this date. Full control of the canal was scheduled to pass to Panama on December 31, 1999.

    Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian: The Panama Canal and the Torrijos-Carter Treaties
  12. December 7

    Star Trek: The Motion Picture opens

    The film took in $11.9 million in its opening weekend and $82.3 million in its original run.

    Source: Box Office Mojo: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  13. December 24

    Soviet troops enter Afghanistan

    The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began on Christmas Eve. The United States responded with sanctions and called for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

    Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978-1980

How much did things cost in 1979?

A snapshot of the cost of living in 1979, from a stamp to a pound of coffee. Every price is a US figure from a government source, shown next to what that money is worth in September 2026.

Cartoon groceries from the late 1970s on a table: a milk carton, a loaf of bread, a carton of eggs and a stick of butter, with stamps, coins and a toy gas pump
Digital illustration. Milk, bread, eggs, butter, stamps and gas: the everyday prices in the table below.
ItemPrice in 1979Worth todayGood to know
First-class stamp15¢$0.70Rate for the first ounce from May 29, 1978, until March 22, 1981. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
Federal minimum wage$2.90 an hour$13.46 an hourFrom January 1, 1979, for all covered, nonexempt workers. It rose to $3.10 on January 1, 1980. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates, 1938-2009
Gallon of regular gas86¢ (leaded), 90¢ (unleaded)$3.99 (leaded), $4.18 (unleaded)Average US retail price for the year (85.7 and 90.3 cents). Source: EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 5.24: Retail Motor Gasoline and On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices
Loaf of white bread (1 lb)42¢$1.95USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979 (42.3 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
Half gallon of milk99¢$4.60Milk sold in stores. USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979 (98.9 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
Dozen eggs84¢$3.90Grade A (or AA large). USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
Pound of choice beef$2.26$10.49USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979 (226.3 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
Pound of broiler chicken68¢$3.16USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
Pound of butter$1.64$7.61USDA estimate of the average US retail price for 1979 (164.3 cents). Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 1235: Farm Food Prices, Distribution of Retail Price (USDA), printed p. 705
A week of groceries for a family of four$79.90$371USDA moderate-cost food plan, December 1979, for a couple with two children aged 6 to 11, with all meals eaten at home. A couple aged 20 to 54 was estimated at $47.50. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 817: Weekly Food Cost for Families (USDA), printed p. 493
Gallon of home heating oil66¢$3.06Average US residential price for No. 2 heating oil in 1979 (65.6 cents), up from 49.4 cents in 1978. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 824: Average Prices of Selected Fuels and Utilities, printed p. 495
Monthly home electric bill (500 kWh)$23.05$107Average residential bill in cities of 2,500 or more people, as of January 1, 1979. Source: US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1980, Table 822: Average Monthly Bills for Electricity, printed p. 495
Median price of a new house$62,900$292,000Median sales price of new houses sold in the US in 1979. Source: FRED (US Census Bureau and HUD): Median Sales Price for New Houses Sold in the United States

Worth today: each 1979 price scaled up by the rise in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items) from its 1979 average to September 2026, the newest month published. It shows what that money is worth now, not what the item costs today. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (series CUUR0000SA0), via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (CPIAUCNS).

What was popular in 1979?

Cartoon roller skates, a disco ball, a cassette tape, a home computer with a keyboard, a pair of foam headphones and a TV set with rabbit-ear antennas
Digital illustration. Roller skates, a disco ball, a cassette tape, an early home computer and foam headphones: 1970s fun in one picture.

Movies

Music

TV shows

Toys & games

Sport

Which famous people were born in 1979?

A few familiar faces who share the birth year, all born in 1979.

  • January 15, 1979Drew BreesNFL quarterback who led the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl title and once held the league career records for completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.Source: Biography.com: Drew Brees
  • March 18, 1979Adam LevineLead singer of Maroon 5 and a longtime judge and coach on The Voice.Source: Biography.com: Adam Levine
  • April 4, 1979Heath LedgerAustralian actor nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain, who won one after his death for playing the Joker in The Dark Knight.Source: Biography.com: Heath Ledger
  • April 7, 1979Adrian BeltréThird baseman with 3,166 hits and five Gold Gloves, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.Source: National Baseball Hall of Fame: Adrian Beltré
  • April 12, 1979Claire DanesActor who played Angela Chase in My So-Called Life and CIA officer Carrie Mathison in Homeland, with Emmy and Golden Globe wins.Source: Biography.com: Claire Danes
  • April 19, 1979Kate HudsonActor who played Penny Lane in Almost Famous, earning a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination, and later co-founded the fitness brand Fabletics.Source: Biography.com: Kate Hudson
  • June 21, 1979Chris PrattActor known for Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation, Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy and Owen Grady in Jurassic World.Source: Biography.com: Chris Pratt
  • September 8, 1979P!nkPop singer born Alecia Beth Moore, with hits including "There You Go," "Raise Your Glass" and "What About Us."Source: Biography.com: P!nk

What are some fun facts about 1979?

  1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics published no average retail food prices from July 1978 through December 1979 while it revised the Consumer Price Index sample. That is why this page takes its 1979 grocery prices from USDA estimates.

    Source: BLS Monthly Labor Review: Technical Note, Average retail food prices: a brief history of methods (November 1984)

  2. Voyager 1 found Jupiter's faint ring on its March flyby. It also turned up two small moons, Thebe and Metis.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 1

  3. Voyager 2 sent back about 17,000 new pictures of Jupiter and its moons, and showed that the Great Red Spot had drifted and changed shape since earlier flybys.

    Source: NASA Science: Voyager 2

  4. Once in orbit, Skylab weighed 170,000 pounds, the heaviest spacecraft launched up to that point.

    Source: NASA: 40 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth's Atmosphere

  5. A museum in Esperance, Western Australia, houses some of the Skylab debris recovered after the station came down.

    Source: NASA: 40 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth's Atmosphere

  6. Pioneer 11 passed within roughly 13,000 miles of Saturn and was the first spacecraft ever to visit the ringed planet.

    Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 11

  7. Unleaded gas rose from 67 cents a gallon in 1978 to 90 cents in 1979, a jump of 23 cents in a single year.

    Source: EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 5.24: Retail Motor Gasoline and On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices

  8. The median new house sold for $62,900 in 1979, up from $55,700 a year earlier.

    Source: FRED (US Census Bureau and HUD): Median Sales Price for New Houses Sold in the United States

  9. Asteroids was among the first coin-operated games to let players type three-letter initials into the high-score list. Atari sold more than 70,000 arcade units.

    Source: The Strong National Museum of Play: Asteroids

Can you answer these 1979 trivia questions?

Tap a question to see the answer. The party kit has a full round of 1979 trivia ready to print.

  1. Which spacecraft flew past Jupiter on March 5, 1979, and found a faint ring around the planet?

    Answer: Voyager 1, which also discovered two new moons, Thebe and Metis. Source: NASA Science: Voyager 1

  2. Which spacecraft became the first to fly past Saturn, on September 1, 1979?

    Answer: Pioneer 11. Source: NASA Science: Pioneer 11

  3. Which NASA space station fell back to Earth on July 11, 1979?

    Answer: Skylab. Most debris fell into the Indian Ocean, and some landed in Western Australia. Source: NASA: 40 Years Ago: Skylab Reenters Earth's Atmosphere

  4. Which film won the Oscar for Best Picture among the movies of 1979?

    Answer: Kramer vs. Kramer. Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: The 52nd Academy Awards (1980), honoring 1979 films

  5. Which two countries formally signed a peace treaty on March 26, 1979?

    Answer: Egypt and Israel. Source: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian: Camp David Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process

  6. How much did it cost to mail a first-class letter in 1979?

    Answer: 15 cents for the first ounce. Source: USPS Postal History: Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863

  7. Which Chic song finished No. 1 on Cash Box's year-end chart for 1979?

    Answer: "Le Freak." Source: Cash Box magazine archive: Top 100 pop singles of 1979 (year-end chart, December 29, 1979 issue)

  8. Which team won the 1979 World Series after trailing three games to one?

    Answer: The Pittsburgh Pirates, who beat the Baltimore Orioles four games to three. Source: Baseball Almanac: 1979 World Series

  9. What was the federal minimum wage on January 1, 1979?

    Answer: $2.90 an hour. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: History of Federal Minimum Wage Rates, 1938-2009

  10. Which science-fiction movie opened in US theaters on May 25, 1979?

    Answer: Alien. Source: Box Office Mojo: Alien (1979)

How do you throw a 1979-themed 47th birthday party?

Cartoon friends laughing around a table at a birthday party, writing answers on trivia sheets beside a cake with candles, with a disco ball overhead
Digital illustration. Friends playing a pen-and-paper trivia game at a late-1970s-themed birthday party.

  • Play the hits of 1979

    Start with Cash Box's year-end chart: "Le Freak," "My Sharona," "Y.M.C.A.," "I Will Survive," "Heart of Glass" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

  • Name-that-tune rounds

    Play the opening bars of ten 1979 hits and see which table calls out the title first. A bonus point goes to whoever names the artist, and another to anyone who can sing the chorus.

  • A Y.M.C.A. dance-off

    Clear a patch of floor, start the song and let everyone spell out the letters with their arms. Hand a small prize to the best moves.

  • Mission control tables

    Name the tables after Jupiter and Saturn, the planets Voyager and Pioneer 11 visited in 1979. End the night with a countdown before the cake appears.

  • A late-1970s buffet

    Lay out a fondue pot with bread cubes, a relish tray, mini quiches and a gelatin dessert. Pour a fruity punch and keep it at the center of the table.

  • Dress code: 1979

    Invite guests to arrive in wide-collar shirts, high-waisted flares, tracksuits or headbands, and give a prize for the most convincing disco outfit.

  • Arcade corner

    Put a laptop or tablet running a retro space-shooter in one corner, and keep a high-score sheet where players write three initials, the way Asteroids did.

  • Baby photos and headlines

    Tape up baby pictures from 1979 next to the year's news: Voyager at Jupiter, a human-powered flight across the Channel and the Pirates' World Series. Add a few recent snapshots for contrast.

  • Guess the 1979 price

    Put gas, a stamp and a loaf of bread on index cards and ask guests to name the 1979 price of each. The real numbers sit in the prices table higher up.

Which invitations and cards fit a 47th birthday?

Born in 1979 means turning 47 in 2026. These designs follow the calendar: next year this page shows 48th birthday picks instead.

Online cards for turning 47

Milestone birthday cards

What else do people ask about 1979?

How old is someone born in 1979?

A person born in 1979 turns 47 in 2026. Until the birthday arrives, they are one year younger.

What generation is someone born in 1979?

Generation X. In a 2019 analysis, Pew Research Center defined Gen X as people born from 1965 through 1980.

What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 1979?

The Goat. The Year of the Goat began on January 28, 1979. People born from January 1 to January 27 fall in the Horse year.

What happened in 1979?

Voyager 1 and 2 flew past Jupiter, Pioneer 11 reached Saturn and Skylab fell to Earth. The United States and China opened diplomatic relations, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, and the Gossamer Albatross crossed the English Channel on human power.

What was the No. 1 song of 1979?

On Cash Box's year-end Top 100, Chic's "Le Freak" ranked first. "My Sharona" by The Knack came second and Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" third.

How much did things cost in 1979?

A first-class letter needed a 15-cent stamp, and the federal minimum wage was $2.90 an hour. Gas averaged about 86 cents a gallon (leaded) or 90 cents (unleaded), while USDA put bread at 42 cents a pound and eggs at 84 cents a dozen.

Which famous people were born in 1979?

Drew Brees, Adam Levine, Heath Ledger, Adrian Beltré, Claire Danes, Kate Hudson, Chris Pratt and P!nk were all born in 1979.

What movies came out in 1979?

Alien, The Muppet Movie, Apocalypse Now, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Kramer vs. Kramer all belong to 1979. Kramer vs. Kramer won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Who won the World Series and the Super Bowl in 1979?

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles four games to three in the 1979 World Series. The Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas 35-31 in Super Bowl XIII.

What are good 1979-themed party ideas?

Play the year's chart hits, run a Y.M.C.A. dance-off and name the tables after Jupiter and Saturn. A fondue pot, wide-collar shirts and a retro arcade corner round out the theme.

What games work for a 47th birthday party?

The free kit holds twelve printable games, among them Meet & mingle bingo, a quiz on 1979 headlines, a what-did-it-cost round and a word search. You also get a host guide with all the answers and table cards. Anyone signed in can grab it on this page.

Where do these facts come from?

The party kit lists the sources behind its games and answers at the back of its host guide.