This Day In 1970's History: Friday May 2, 1980
- The seige of the Iranian Embassy went on in London for the third day without major incident, while charges abounded concerning responsibility for the takeover. Iranian demonstrators at the embassy and the Soviet news' agency, Tass, accused the United States. Officially, Iran has laid the blame on Iraq. [New York Times]
- The inadvertent blocking of a cooling vent by a canvas bag and a flak jacket may have caused navigation instruments to overheat and fail on a helicopter taking part in the hostage rescue mission in Iran, forcing the aircraft to turn back, a Defense Department spokesman said. [New York Times]
- The arrival of the Pope in Zaire marked the beginning of a 10-day visit to six African nations. As the Pontiff stepped down from his plane he was greeted by a deafening ovation. The Pope said his mission was to "confirm the faith" among Zaire's 12.4 million Catholics. [New York Times]
- The jobless rate reached 7 percent in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an increase over the March figure of 6.2 percent. That was the biggest one-month jump since January 1975, the middle of the last recession, and brought unemployment to its highest level in nearly three years. The recession has now arrived, according to some economists, but they predict it will be deeper and longer than previously forecast. [New York Times]
- Ronald Reagan is finding favor among newcomers to the Sun Belt states who, according to the polls, reinforce the conservative political traditions that are the foundations of the former California Governor's popularity in the region.
The Democratic contest is resolved in favor of President Carter, the national chairman of the party, John White, declared, bringing immediate criticism from Senator Kennedy's campaign, where a spokesman warned that Mr. White's action could split the party. [New York Times]
|
