What Happened in July 1977

Historical Events

  • Jul 1 East German sprinter Marlies Göhr sets world record for 100m (10.88) in Dresden, Germany

Wimbledon Women's Tennis

Jul 1 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Hometown favourite Virginia Wade beats Betty Stöve of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

Wimbledon Men's Tennis

Jul 2 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Sweden's Björn Borg beats American Jimmy Connors 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 for the second of 5 consecutive Wimbledon singles titles

  • Jul 3 Canadian Open Golf (Peter Jackson Classic), Lachute GC: Judy Rankin wins by 3 strokes from Pat Meyers and Sandra Palmer
  • Jul 3 The Senegalese Republican Movement (MRS) is founded

Event of Interest

Jul 3 Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew's 9-race win streak ends in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, finishes 4th

  • Jul 4 Nigel Harrison replaces Gary Valentine as bassist of Blondie
  • Jul 4 Red Sox end 9-game losing streak by smashing a MLB-record 8 HRs in a 9-6 win vs Toronto at Fenway Park
  • Jul 5 Pakistani army, led by Gen Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, seizes power
  • Jul 6 France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll

The Spy Who Loved Me

Jul 7 "The Spy Who Loved Me", 10th James Bond film starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach, premieres in London

  • Jul 7 12,000 police occupy university in Mexico City
  • Jul 8 Sabra Starr finishes longest recorded belly dance (100 hrs)

British Golf Open

Jul 9 British Open Men's Golf, Turnberry: Tom Watson wins second of 5 Open titles by a stroke from Jack Nicklaus; pair play together in final 2 rounds; separate themselves from field under rare clear skies, remembered as the "Duel in the Sun"

  • Jul 10 "Happy End" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 75 performances

Event of Interest

Jul 11 US Medal of Freedom awarded posthumously to Rev Martin Luther King Jr.

  • Jul 12 John Edrich scores his 100th 100, Surrey v Derbyshire at The Oval
  • Jul 13 NYC experiences 25 hr black-out
  • Jul 14 North Korea shoots down US helicopter, killing 3
  • Jul 14 US House establishes permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Jul 16 Janelle Commissiong, of Trinidad & Tobago crowned 26th Miss Universe
  • Jul 18 Hugh Leonard's "Da" premieres in London
  • Jul 18 Vietnam becomes a member of the UN

Sports History

Jul 19 48th MLB All Star Game, Yankee Stadium, NYC, NY: NL wins, 7-5; MVP: Don Sutton, LA Dodgers, P

  • Jul 19 Floods in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, kill 76
  • Jul 20 10th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at El Cortez Hotel
  • Jul 20 Flash flood hits Johnstown, Pennsylvania, kills 80 and causes $350 million damage
  • Jul 20 The Central Intelligence Agency releases documents under the Freedom of Information Act revealing it had engaged in mind control experiments
  • Jul 21 Libyan-Egyptian border fights
  • Jul 21 Sanjiva Reddy is elected sixth President of India unopposed

Election of Interest

Jul 21 Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike loses general election

  • Jul 23 Washington jury convicts 12 Hanafi Muslims on hostage charges
  • Jul 24 64th Tour de France won by Bernard Thevenet of France
  • Jul 24 Seattle's John Montague pitches 6 2/3 innings of perfect relief tying 2 game record of retiring 33 consecutive batsmen

US Women's Golf Open

Jul 24 US Open Women's Golf, Hazeltine National GC: Hollis Stacy wins wire-to-wire by 2 strokes from Nancy Lopez

  • Jul 26 The 'Committee of 10' formed by prominent Soweto residents, issues a programme for the election of a new community board to have total autonomy in Soweto, South Africa
  • Jul 26 USSR performs underground nuclear Test
  • Jul 28 1st oil through the TransAlaska Pipeline System reach Valdez, Alaska

Cricket Debut

Jul 28 Legendary England cricket all-rounder Ian Botham on debut takes 5 for 74 in the Australian 1st innings in a 7 wicket 3rd Test win at Trent Bridge

  • Jul 28 Roy Wilkins turns over NAACP leadership to Benjamin Hooks

Music History

Jul 30 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb reaches number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

  • Jul 31 E. Henry Knoche, ends term as deputy director of CIA
  • Jul 31 John F. Blake promoted from acting to deputy director of CIA

Famous Birthdays

  • Jul 1 Birgit Schuurman, Dutch singer and actress, born in Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Jul 1 Jerome Iginla, Canadian Hockey HOF right wing (Olympic gold 2002, 10; World C'ship gold 1997; World Cup gold 2004; Art Ross Trophy 2002 Calgary Flames), born in Edmonton, Alberta
  • Jul 1 Jessica Meir, American NASA astronaut and marine biologist, born in Caribou, Maine
  • Jul 1 Keigo Hayashi, Japanese music artist (Flow), born in Tokyo, Japan

Liv Tyler (46 years old)

Jul 1 American actress and daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler (Heavy; Armageddon; Lord of the Rings), born in New York City

  • Jul 4 Jonas Kjellgren, Swedish musician (Scar Symmetry), born in Grangärde, Sweden
  • Jul 5 Javier López, Puerto Rican baseball pitcher (World Series 2007 Boston Red Sox; 2010, 12, 14 San Francisco Giants), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Jul 5 Nicolas Kiefer, German tennis player (World #4 2000), born in Holzminden, Germany
  • Jul 5 Royce Da 5'9" [Ryan Daniel Montgomery], American rapper, born in Detroit, Michigan
  • Jul 6 Con Blatsis, Australian footballer, born in Melbourne, Australia
  • Jul 6 Craig Handley, British film director (On All Floors), born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
  • Jul 6 Makhaya Ntini, South African cricketer, born in Mdingi, Cape Province, South Africa
  • Jul 7 Felix Vasquez, New York City Housing Authority employee (2005 caught baby thrown from window of a burning building)
  • Jul 8 Milo Ventimiglia, American actor (Gilmore Girls, This is Us), born in Anaheim, California
  • Jul 8 Wang Zhizhi, Chinese basketball center (China's first NBA player; Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Miami Heat; CBA MVP 2000 Bayi Rockets), born in Beijing, China
  • Jul 9 Ben McAdoo, American football coach (New York Giants, 2016-7), born in Homer City, Pennsylvania
  • Jul 9 Isaac Brock, American musician and songwriter (Modest Mouse), born in Helena, Montana
  • Jul 10 Gwendoline Yeo, American actress
  • Jul 10 Schapelle Corby, Australian convicted drug smuggler
  • Jul 10 Vivek Murthy, Vice-Admiral and 19th US Surgeon General (2014-17), born in Hudderfield, UK
  • Jul 11 Brandy Gold, American actress (Annie-Baby Makes Five), born in Los Angeles, California

Brock Lesnar (46 years old)

Jul 12 American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler (WWE), born in Webster, South Dakota

  • Jul 12 Neil Harris, English soccer striker (Millwall 374 games) and manager (Millwall, Cardiff City, Gillingham), born in Orsett, England
  • Jul 12 Steve Howey, American actor
  • Jul 13 Ashley Scott, American actress (Maria Miller in video game "The Last of Us"), born in Metairie, Louisiana
  • Jul 14 Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, born in Solna, Sweden
  • Jul 15 André Nel, South African cricket fast bowler (36 Tests, 123 wickets, BB 6/32; Highveld Lions, Northamptonshire CCC, Essex CCC, Surrey CCC), born in Germiston, South Africa
  • Jul 15 Faraz Anwar, Pakistani guitarist (Mizraab)
  • Jul 15 Kitana Baker, American model (Miller Light Catfight commercial)
  • Jul 15 Lana Parrilla, American actress (Once Upon a Time), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Jul 15 Ray Toro, American musician (My Chemical Romance)
  • Jul 16 Bryan Budd, British soldier (VC recipient), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2006)
  • Jul 17 Lehmber Hussainpuri, Indian Bhangra and Punjabi hip hop singer ("Das Ja"), born in Hussainpur, India
  • Jul 17 Marc Savard, Canadian NHL hockey player, 1997-2011 (Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and 2 other teams), born in Ottawa, Ontario
  • Jul 18 Alfian bin Sa'at, Singaporean writer, poet and playwright
  • Jul 18 Dylan Lane, American television host
  • Jul 18 Kelly Reilly, English actress (Yellowstone), born in London, England
  • Jul 19 Ed Smith, English cricketer and sports commentator, born in Pembury, England
  • Jul 19 Haitham Mustafa, Sudanese footballer (captain of Sudanese team), born in Khartoum Bahri, Sudan
  • Jul 19 Jean-Sébastien Aubin, Canadian NHL hockey goaltender, 1997-2015 (Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings), born in Montreal, Quebec
  • Jul 19 Tony Mamaluke, American professional wrestler
  • Jul 20 Alessandro dos Santos, Brazilian-born Japanese footballer
  • Jul 20 Kiki Musampa, Congolese footballer (Manchester City), born in Kinshasa, Zaire
  • Jul 21 Allison Wagner, American swimmer (Olympic silver 1996), born in Gainesville, Florida
  • Jul 21 David Dastmalchian, American actor (Prisoners; Animals; Ant-Man), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
  • Jul 21 Jaime Murray, British actress (Hutle), born in London, England
  • Jul 21 Paul Casey, English golfer (Ryder Cup wins 2004, 06, 18; 3 PGA Tour titles, 13 European Tour titles; PGA C'ship 2020 runner-up), born in Cheltenham, England
  • Jul 21 Sarah Biasini, French actress, daughter of actress Romy Schneider, born in Gassin, France
  • Jul 22 Gustavo Nery, Brazilian footballer
  • Jul 23 Néicer Reasco, Ecuadorian footballer, born in San Lorenzo, Ecuador
  • Jul 23 Scott Clemmensen, American ice hockey player, born in Des Moines, Iowa
  • Jul 24 Danny Dyer, English actor and television presenter
  • Jul 24 Mehdi Mahdavikia, Iranian football player
  • Jul 25 Kenny Thomas, American basketball player, born in Atlanta, Georgia
  • Jul 26 Emma Barton, English actress (Eastenders), born in Portsmouth, England
  • Jul 26 Martin Laursen, Danish footballer (A.C. Milan), born in Fårvang, Denmark
  • Jul 26 Rebecca St. James, Australian Christian pop rock singer, born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Jul 27 Foo Swee Chin, Singaporean comic book artist (A Lost Stock of Children), born in Singapore
  • Jul 27 Jason Michael Zimbler, actor (Clarissa Explains it All), born in Queens, New York
  • Jul 28 Aki Berg, Finnish NHL defenseman (LA Kings), born in Raisio, Finland
  • Jul 28 Manu Ginóbili, Argentine basketball player, born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina
  • Jul 29 Danger Mouse [Brian Burton], American alternative rock and electronic hip-hop musician, songwriter and Grammy Award-winning record producer (The Grey Album; Gnarls Barkley; Black Keys), born in White Plains, New York
  • Jul 29 Greg Burgess, American 200m individual medley (Olympic silver 1992, 96)
  • Jul 30 Finneas [O'Connell], American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, and audio engineer (Billie Eilish), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Jul 30 Jaime Pressly, American actress, born in Kinston, North Carolina
  • Jul 31 Tim Couch, American NFL quarterback (#1 overall draft pick 1999, Cleveland Browns), born in Hyden, Kentucky

Famous Weddings

Dick Clark

Jul 7 "American Bandstand" TV host Dick Clark (47) weds Kari Wigton (34) in Malibu, California

Mike Ditka

Jul 8 American NFL coach Mike Ditka (37) weds second wife Diana Trantham in Dallas County, Texas


Famous Deaths

  • Jul 1 (Robert) "Baby Boy" Warren, American blues singer and guitarist, dies of a heart attack at 57

Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

Jul 2 Russian-American novelist (Lolita, Ada), dies at 78

  • Jul 3 Hugh Le Caine, Canadian physicist and composer, dies at 63
  • Jul 3 Mohammed al-Zahaby, Egyptian minister, murdered by Moslem extremists at 64
  • Jul 4 Gersh Budker, Russian physicist (b. 1918)
  • Jul 6 Oedoen Partos, Hungarian-Israeli violist (Israel Philharmonic, 1938-56), composer, and teacher dies at 69
  • Jul 8 Rie Cramer, Dutch writer and illustrator, dies at 89

Alice Paul (1885-1977)

Jul 9 American suffragist (National Woman's Party), dies at 92

  • Jul 9 Loren Eiseley, American anthropologist and natural science writer (The Unexpected Universe), and poet (Another Kind of Autumn), dies of cardiac arrest at 69
  • Jul 10 Norman Paris, American orchestra leader (For Your Pleasure), and composer (" Big Blue Marble", "I've Got A Secret"), dies of stroke complications at 51
  • Jul 12 Ed Holmes, actor (Growing Paynes, Once Upon a Tune), dies at 66
  • Jul 12 Frantisek Suchy, Czech oboist and composer (Moravian Wind Quintet), dies at 75
  • Jul 15 Konstantin Fedin, writer, dies
  • Jul 19 John R Powers, American director model bureau, dies at 80

Noel Wien (1899-1977)

Jul 19 American aviation pioneer (Wien Air Alaska), dies at 78

  • Jul 20 Carter DeHaven, American actor (Courage, Great Dictator), dies at 90
  • Jul 20 Gary Kellgren, American music producer who co-founded The Record Plant studios, drowns in a swimming pool, along with his girlfriend, at 38
  • Jul 21 Lee Miller, American photographer (War correspondent for Vogue in WWII), dies at 70
  • Jul 23 René de Vos, Dutch actor and composer (Jij Bent Mijn Leven), dies at 79
  • Jul 26 Gena Branscombe, Canadian pianist and composer, dies at 95
  • Jul 26 Hans-Otto Borgmann, German film score composer under the Third Reich, dies at 75
  • Jul 26 Karac Plant, son of Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant, dies of respiratory failure at 6
  • Jul 27 Jacob Marschak, Ukrainian-American economist (econometrics), dies at 79
  • Jul 29 Austin Matthews, cricketer (Test Eng v NZ 1937), dies
  • Jul 30 Jorgen Ponto, West German banker, murdered
  • Jul 31 Stacy Moskowitz, shot to death by Son of Sam, at 20