Sale of Goods Act
Sale of Goods Act 1979 consolidates sale of goods law and implied terms
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1979 in Great Britain — Page 7
Explore 273 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1979.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1979
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 33 of 273 unique records.
273Unique records
7 of 7Page
31Named events on this page
27Named people on this page
3Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Scottish Assembly Referendum
A majority of votes cast supported an assembly, but the statutory forty percent electorate threshold was not met.
Secondhand Daylight
Magazine release second album Secondhand Daylight, deepening the group's post-punk approach.
Secretary of State for Agriculture
Appointed Minister of Agriculture
Secretary of State for Trade & Industry
Appointed Secretary of State for Trade & Industry
Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll
Records the rock & roll anthem "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll", often credited with introducing the phrase to the language. Managed by Andrew King, Ian Dury has several hits with "What a Waste" & "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", no 1 in the UK
Sex Pistols
Sid Vicious records a live album, "Sid Sings", backed by "The Idols" featuring Arthur Kane and Jerry Nolan of the New York Dolls
Shadow Cabinet
Serves as Shadow Leader of the House after Labour loses the general election.
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Appointed Shadow Foreign Secretary
Shadow Minister
Appointed Shadow Education Secretary
Shoestring
Gains fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series Shoestring
Slits Reggae-Punk Fusion
Helps define the Slits' mature 1979 sound through sparse guitar work integrated with reggae-influenced rhythm arrangements.
Social Contract
Sees the Social Contract collapse amid the Winter of Discontent.
Spokesman
Appointed Spokesman for Education
Sunburn
Gouldman scores a minor hit with his single "Sunburn", written for the Farrah Fawcett/Charles Grodin film of the same name
Thatcher Government Economic Shift
Margaret Thatcher's election signalled a turn toward market oriented policy during Knight's leadership of The Economist.
The Clash release London Calling, Rolling
The Clash release London Calling, Rolling Stone magazine declared it the best album of the 1980s & place it at #8 on their list in 2003 of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The Clash record London Calling. Produced by Guy Stevens
The Crack Album
The Ruts release debut album The Crack during their breakthrough year.
The Kids Are Alright
The Who release the documentary The Kids Are Alright.
The Prisoner of Zenda - Rudolf
Sellers plays the royal lookalikes Rudolf IV and Rudolf V in The Prisoner of Zenda.
The Prisoner of Zenda - Syd Frewin
Sellers also portrays Syd Frewin in The Prisoner of Zenda.
The Raven
Records The Raven, expanding the band's sound and image beyond the original punk scene.
Thin Lizzy
Temporarily joins Thin Lizzy on guitar after Gary Moore leaves during touring commitments.
Top Income Tax Rate Reduction
Reduces the top rate of income tax on earned income from 83 percent to 60 percent as part of the 1979 Budget.
UK Subs National Breakthrough
Fronts UK Subs through a year of repeated chart appearances that establishes the band as a major second-wave British punk act.
Ultravox
Joins Ultravox
VAT Rate Reform
Replaces the previous main VAT rates with a single standard rate of 15 percent as part of the 1979 Budget.
West Ham Sign Phil Parkes
West Ham United recruit Phil Parkes from Queens Park Rangers for a major goalkeeping fee, adding an established English top-flight performer.
What a Waste
Records the rock & roll anthem "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll", often credited with introducing the phrase to the language. Managed by Andrew King, Ian Dury has several hits with "What a Waste" & "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", no 1 in the UK
What a Waste
Managed by Andrew King, Ian Dury has several hits with "What a Waste" & "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick", no 1 in the UK
X-Ray Spex First Breakup
X-Ray Spex's original run ends, closing Poly Styrene's first intense period at the centre of British punk.
Zulu Dawn
Appears in Zulu Dawn
Zulu Dawn
Stars in Zulu Dawn
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.