Four decades ago,
the original Star Wars movie was released in theaters, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States, the Trans-Alaska pipeline pumped its first barrels of oil, the cold war was was still going on and much more...
Take a brief look 40 years ago.
- In front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Pope John Paul I opens his pontificate with a mass in front of a huge crowd.
- The south of the Federal Republic of Germany and parts of Switzerland are shaken by a strong earthquake. The hardest hit is the village of Albstadt-Ebingen in the Swabian Alb. 25 people suffer injuries. Property damage amounts to several million DM.
- At the end of the European Athletics Championships in Prague, the 4 x 400 m relay of the Federal Republic of Germany wins the gold medal.