Select a date:      
Friday May 25, 1979
. . . where the 1970s live forever!

News stories from Friday May 25, 1979


Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

  • A DC-10 crashed, killing 272 persons aboard, in the worst disaster in United States aviation history. American Airlines Flight 191, bound for Los Angeles, crashed on takeoff at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The plane, which appeared to suffer difficulties with an engine on the left wing, rolled to the left, stalled and plunged into a nearby field.

    "A huge fireball" was one witness's description of the crash of an American Airlines DC-10 near O'Hare Airport. The plane left a tower of smoke visible from downtown Chicago buildings 15 miles away. Hours after the crash, the wreckage was still too hot for removal of bodies which were "all over," according to a witness. [New York Times]

  • The Sinai capital was returned to Egypt, after a dozen years of Israeli military occupation. Egyptians cheered, prayed and wept as the Israeli flag flying over El Arish was lowered and the Egyptian flag raised. There was scuffling between some Egyptian youths and the Israeli soldiers, but violence was averted.

    Mideast talks opened between Egypt, Israel and the United States, with all three sides concentrating on the subject of Palestinian self-rule. Egypt and Israel made initial declarations on the subject, which showed they were far apart on the fundamental issues. The talks are taking place in Beersheba, Israel. [New York Times]

  • John Spenkelink was executed in the Florida electric chair. The convicted murderer thus became the first prisoner to be executed in the United States since Gary Gilmore voluntarily faced a Utah firing squad on Jan. 19, 1977. It was also the first execution since 1967 in which the condemned person was put to death against his will. [New York Times]
  • President Carter lashed out at what he called the "demagoguery and political timidity" of America's political leaders. Mr. Carter, stung by a series of defeats on Capitol Hill, displayed passion and anger as he addressed the Democratic National Committee's spring meeting, stressing the need for Congress and the party to confront the difficult choices that face the nation on energy and the economy. [New York Times]
  • Tougher controls on coal burning power plants were introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency said the "substantially more stringent" rules for new coal-fired plants might have been stricter if not for the political pressure exerted by members of Congress. The new rules are not expected to please the industry or environmentalists. [New York Times]
  • Higher gasoline, housing and food costs pushed inflation into the double-digit zone again last month and brought the largest decline in worker purchasing power in 16 months, the government reported. Carter administration economic officials expressed more despair than hope at the figures. [New York Times]
  • Gasoline shortages intensified in the New York metropolitan area, leading to arguments at some gas stations and the posting of police officers at one in Manhattan. But the battle for gas may soon subside because many stations indicate they will run out of gas before the end of the three-day weekend. [New York Times]
  • An anonymous phone call said William Morales had fled the country, the F.B.I. reported. The. convicted terrorist escaped last Monday from a Bellevue Hospital prison ward. The F.B.I said the phone call was from a man who said he represented the Puerto Rican terrorist group F.A.L.N. A similar phone call was received by the New York Post, according to the newspaper. [New York Times]
  • The interior villages of Southern Yemen, the only Marxist country in the Arab world, are prospering, with schools, clinics and farm cooperatives in place. However, Aden, the capital, is shabby though it was once a thriving port. The government's social achievements are more impressive than its economic record, it seems. [New York Times]
  • A prominent Iranian figure was shot and wounded near his home in the third such attack in recent months. The shooting of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, believed to be a member of the secret ruling Revolutionary Council, increased tension during a day that saw clashes between leftist and Islamic factions gathered for separate anti-American protests. [New York Times]
  • Spanish terrorists killed a general, colonels and their military chauffeur in a grenade and machine-gun attack in Madrid. The Basque separatist group E.T.A. claimed responsibility tot the killings. In a separate event, a police inspector and bystander were shot near Seville. [New York Times]


Stock Market Report

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 836.28 (-1.38, -0.16%)
S&P Composite: 100.22 (+0.29, +0.29%)
Arms Index: 0.70

IssuesVolume*
Advances87716.50
Declines5667.42
Unchanged4343.89
Total Volume27.81
* in millions of shares

Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish.

Market Index Trends
DateDJIAS&PVolume*
May 24, 1979837.6699.9325.70
May 23, 1979837.4099.8930.39
May 22, 1979845.37100.5130.31
May 21, 1979842.43100.1425.55
May 18, 1979841.9199.9326.59
May 17, 1979842.9599.9430.55
May 16, 1979828.4898.4228.35
May 15, 1979825.8898.1426.19
May 14, 1979825.0298.0622.46
May 11, 1979830.5698.5224.01


Copyright © 2014-2024, All Rights Reserved   •   Privacy Policy   •   Contact Us   •   Status Report