March 9 - Approximately a dozen armed HanafiMuslims take over 3 buildings in Washington, DC, killing 1 person and taking more than 130 hostages. The hostage situation ends 2 days later.
May 14 - In Milan, Italy, during a far-left demonstration, a hooded person shoots at the police, killing a policeman, Antonio Custra. The scene is photographed and the picture [2] of the hooded man shooting in the middle of the street will appear in many magazines around the world.
May 23 - Moluccan terrorists take over a school in Bovensmilde, northern Netherlands (105 hostages), and a passenger train in Bovensmilde-Assen route nearby (90 hostages) at the same time. On June 11, Dutch Royal Marines storm the train; 6 terrorists and 2 hostages are killed.
May 25 - Star Wars opens in cinemas and subsequently becomes the then-highest grossing film of all time.
June 7 - After campaigning by Anita Bryant and her anti-gay "Save Our Children" crusade, Miami-Dade County, Florida voters overwhelmingly vote to repeal the county\'s gay rights ordinance.
June 26 - Some 200,000 protesters march through the streets of San Francisco, protesting Anita Bryant\'s anti-gay remarks and the murder of Robert Hillsborough.
July 24 - Led Zeppelin play their last U.S. concert in Oakland, CA at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. A brawl erupts between Led Zeppelin\'s crew and promoter Bill Graham\'s staff resulting in criminal assault charges for several of Led Zeppelin\'s entourage including drummer John Bonham.
July 26 - Robert Plant is contacted by his wife and told their son Karac has died, which causes the cancellation of the remainder of Zeppelin\'s U.S. tour and the band would not re-emerge until 1979.
September 7 - Treaties between Panama and the United States on the status of the Panama Canal are signed. The U.S. agrees to transfer control of the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century.
September 8 - INTERPOL issues a resolution against the piracy of video tapes and other material, which is still cited in warnings on opening pre-credits of videocassettes and DVDs today.
October 26 - The last natural smallpox case is discovered in Merca district, Somalia. The WHO and the CDC consider this date the anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, the most spectacular success of vaccination and, by extension, of modern science.
![[2]](http://img135.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=32481_2_122_540lo.jpg){kind=link}