Born in 1978
Turns 48 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1978
1978 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1978 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
Louise Brown’s birth marked the first successful birth following in vitro fertilisation. In film, Grease brought its songs and retro styling to cinemas, while Björn Borg won Wimbledon. The year joined a medical milestone with two very different moments in popular entertainment and sport.
What happened in 1978?
Camp David agreements are signed
On September 17, 1978, Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin signed two framework agreements at the White House after the Camp David summit.
The first IVF baby is born
Louise Brown was born in the United Kingdom in 1978, the first baby born following in vitro fertilisation.
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority · Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Mario Andretti secured Formula One’s world title
Mario Andretti secured the Formula One drivers’ championship at the Italian Grand Prix, driving for Lotus.
Astronaut Group 8 widened the space programme
The group represented the people who would turn reusable spacecraft from a programme on paper into a working flight system.
Wikimedia Commons · National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Firsts and new ideas
The first GPS test satellite reached orbit
The early GPS programme began as defence technology but created the infrastructure behind modern navigation and location services.
Personal computers entered the spare room
A local computer publication and its featured system captured the practical, improvised culture before home computing became a mass-market category.
Number ones and music in 1978
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
The Bee Gees open 1978 at No. 1
How Deep Is Your Love was No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issue dated January 7, 1978, its third week at the top.
Voyage tops Billboard’s national disco chart
Billboard’s 1978-04-15 National Disco Action chart placed Voyage by Voyage at No. 1.
Prices and everyday money in 1978
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic first-class letter postage | 13¢ | per letter, first ounce United States Postal Service, Historian |
| Federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act | $2.65 | per hour for covered workers Historical Statistics of the United States Millennial Edition Online, Cambridge University Press; contributor Susan B. Carter; U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division |
| Leaded regular motor gasoline, U.S. average | 62.7¢ | per U.S. gallon U.S. Energy Information Administration |
| White bread, U.S. city average | 35.8¢ | per pound U.S. Bureau of the Census |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1978 turns 48 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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