Voyager 1 Jupiter Science Phase Begins
Voyager 1 begins intensive approach observations of Jupiter and its satellites before closest approach.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1979 in United States of America
Explore 149 historical events and records for United States of America in 1979.
Historical records for United States of America in 1979
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 149 unique records.
149Unique records
1 of 4Page
39Named events on this page
16Named people on this page
6Places on this page
January
February
Death of Sid Vicious
Dies in New York after the collapse of the Sex Pistols and the death of Nancy Spungen.
Government
The American Ambassador is assassinated. Death of Adolph Dubs, assassinated
March
Callisto Imaging
Voyager 1 images show Callisto's heavily cratered and ancient surface.
Europa Imaging
Voyager 1 images reveal Europa's bright, fractured icy surface.
First Close-Up of Amalthea
Voyager 1 obtains the first close spacecraft image of Amalthea, showing its elongated reddish shape.
Thebe Discovery
Identifies Thebe, a small inner moon of Jupiter, in Voyager imagery.
Voyager 1 Jupiter Flyby
Voyager 1 makes its closest approach to Jupiter and surveys its atmosphere, rings and moons.
Discovery of Io Volcanism
Identifies a volcanic plume above Io in Voyager 1 imagery, revealing active volcanism beyond Earth.
HSCA Final Report
The committee submitted its final report, preserving its findings on Oswald, possible conspiracy, Cuba-related allegations, and the performance of federal agencies.
Anti-Castro Group Finding
Finds anti-Castro Cuban groups were not involved as groups.
Anti-Castro Group Finding Context
The HSCA's final findings did not identify anti-Castro Cuban groups as organizational participants in Kennedy's assassination, despite reviewing militant networks that included MIRR.
Cuban Government Finding
Finds the Cuban government was not involved in the assassination.
Europa Young Icy Surface
Voyager images show a bright, sparsely cratered Europan surface crossed by long fractures.
Fatal Shot Finding
Concludes Oswald's third shot killed President Kennedy.
FBI CIA Finding
Finds the FBI and CIA were not involved in the assassination.
Ganymede Grooved Terrain
Voyager imagery reveals extensive grooved terrain on Ganymede, demonstrating a complex geological history.
Great Red Spot Close Imaging
Voyager 1 obtains detailed images of the Great Red Spot and surrounding turbulent cloud motions.
HSCA Final Report
Presents the committee's final findings to Congress.
HSCA Rejects Oswald FBI Informant Allegation
The House Select Committee reported that it found no credible evidence that Oswald had been an FBI informant, despite unresolved concerns about record handling.
Investigation Criticism
Criticizes earlier investigation of possible conspiracy as inadequate.
Io Sulfur-Rich Surface
Voyager colour imagery reveals extensive sulfur-rich deposits and varied volcanic terrain across Io.
Io-Jupiter Electrical Interaction
Voyager radio observations show strong electrodynamic coupling between Io and Jupiter's magnetic environment.
Jupiter Aurora Observations
Voyager instruments record ultraviolet emissions associated with Jupiter's powerful auroral regions.
Jupiter Clouds
Leads Voyager imaging studies revealing detailed structures in Jupiter's belts, zones and storms.
Jupiter Lightning Discovery
Voyager observations detect lightning in Jupiter's atmosphere, demonstrating powerful electrical storms.
Jupiter Magnetic Field
Voyager magnetometer measurements map Jupiter's powerful magnetic field.
Jupiter Magnetosphere
Voyager energetic-particle instruments map Jupiter's magnetosphere and radiation environment.
Jupiter Plasma
Voyager plasma measurements characterize charged particles in Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Jupiter Radio Emissions
Voyager radio measurements study Jupiter's intense natural radio emissions.
Jupiter Ring Discovery
Voyager 1 imagery reveals the faint ring encircling Jupiter.
Metis Discovery
Identifies the small inner Jovian moon Metis in Voyager imagery.
Organized Crime Finding
Finds organized crime as a group was not involved.
Oswald Three Shots Finding
Concludes Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at President Kennedy.
Pele Volcanic Plume
Analysis of Voyager 1 imagery identifies the towering volcanic plume associated with Pele on Io.
Probable Conspiracy Finding
Finds Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of conspiracy.
Second Gunman Finding
Cites acoustical evidence suggesting a high probability of two gunmen.
Secret Service Finding
Finds the Secret Service was not involved in the assassination.
Soviet Government Finding
Finds the Soviet government was not involved in the assassination.
Valhalla Basin Imaging
Voyager imagery reveals the vast multi-ring Valhalla impact structure on Callisto.
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.