1979
| Timeline for 1979 |
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While the Fourth Doctor described 1979 as a "table wine year" at least in regards to Paris, (TV: City of Death) his tenth incarnation later referred to it as "a hell of a year." The Tenth Doctor elaborated that China invaded Vietnam and The Muppet Movie, a film which he loved, was released. (TV: Tooth and Claw)
James Callaghan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the beginning of this year. (AUDIO: The Oseidon Adventure) Following an election (AUDIO: The Crowmarsh Experiment) later the year, he was succeeded by Margaret Thatcher of the Conservative Party, (TV: Tooth and Claw, AUDIO: Rat Trap) who held that office until at least 1987. (TV: Father's Day)
Dated events
January - August
At 3:50pm on 7 January, Phil Tyson was born. The Vandosians believed that Shogalath had reincarnated in his body. (COMIC: Mr Nobody)
On 17 February, the Sino-Vietnamese War began as China invaded Vietnam. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])
On 25 April, Sally Lamont was born. (TV: Adrift)
On 4 May, Margaret Thatcher led the Conservative Party to victory in the United Kingdom's General Election. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"])
On 11 July, the United States space station Skylab began its return to Earth, several years ahead of schedule, with the assistance of the Doctor. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"], TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"]) The Tenth Doctor parked his TARDIS in Earth's orbit to watch the descent. In the early hours of 12 July, Skylab would collide with a Zalphon scout ship before crash-landing near the town of Esperance in Western Australia. (PROSE: Bennelong Point)
In August, the Monk came to Loch Ness with an abandoned spaceship full of Time Scoop technology. Although he eventually planned on using the scoop to depopulate Earth, the Monk instead meddled with history by bringing a Plesiosaurus to the Loch which led to a large number of Loch Ness Monster sightings. The Twelfth Doctor and Clive Finch came to the Loch to investigate the sightings and discovered the Monk's presence. The Doctor made the Monk forget about his scheme with a memory worm and returned the Plesiosaurus to the past. (PROSE: The Persistence of Memory)
On 16 August, Edward Grainger and his granddaughter Linda helped the First Doctor and Susan Foreman stop several Slarvian eggs from gestating near the English Channel. (PROSE: Childhood Living)
On 18 August, AC/DC opened for the Who at Wembley Stadium. Peri attended the concert with her mother. (PROSE: The Church of Football)
September - December
Skagra went to Earth in search of Salyavin. (TV: Shada)
On 12 October, Izzy Sinclair was born. (COMIC: TV Action!)
In late October, a Kaftakkrofakian called Cecil transformed everyone at a Halloween party into zombies, leaving only one survivor. (PROSE: Zombie Motel)
From 5 to 10 November, ABBA performed at Wembley Arena in London. (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac [+]Loading...["The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)"]) Rose Tyler was among those who saw ABBA, having been dropped off by the Tenth Doctor. (GAME: Attack of the Graske [+]Loading...["Attack of the Graske (video game)"])
On 21 November, Ian Dury and the Blockheads performed in concert at Sheffield, England. The Tenth Doctor attempted to take Rose Tyler to this concert. They instead ended up in Scotland in 1879. (TV: Tooth and Claw)
In December, Erimem, Helena, and Ibrahim Hadmani visited Sydney Seaside Lodgings and saved Charlotte Sydney from an alien parasite. (PROSE: Serpent's Child)
On 24 December, Clive Finch encountered the Twelfth Doctor in a London newsagents and followed him back to his TARDIS. As it was Christmas Eve, the Doctor gave Clive the gift of a journey in the TARDIS. (PROSE: The Persistence of Memory)
Undated events
John Benton left the army and UNIT. He took a job selling second-hand cars. (TV: Mawdryn Undead)
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and a team from the British division of UNIT travelled to Canada where they investigated sentient electricity pylons which were stalking the Canadian countryside. (AUDIO: The Oseidon Adventure)
The last surviving members of the Luron attempted to invade Earth, but their plan was thwarted by the Fourth Doctor and Leela. (AUDIO: The Valley of Death)
At some point in this year, the Fourth Doctor and Romana II visited Paris, and Scaroth stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. After the Doctor defeated Scaroth and left Paris, (TV: City of Death) one of Scaroth's copies of the Mona Lisa was recovered and taken to the Leamington Spa Lifeboat Museum. (GAME: Security Bot)
The Doctor helped Skylab fall to Earth. He claimed that it "nearly took off [his] thumb". (TV: Tooth and Claw)
Sarah Jane Smith and Commander Bill Pollock met for the first time. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend)
Dr Lavinia Smith moved from South Croydon to Moreton Harwood. (TV: A Girl's Best Friend)
Paul Brown, the father of Peri Brown, died in a boating accident. (PROSE: Synthespians™)
Patricia Ryder met her future husband Trevor, in actuality the Zygon Warlord Haygoth, at a Folk Festival in Kendal. (AUDIO: The Zygon Who Fell to Earth)
The nine-year-old Ace was given an ABBA record as a reward for being a brave girl when she went to the dentist. (PROSE: Tragedy Day)
Tegan Jovanka went on holiday to Hong Kong. (PROSE: Cold Fusion)
Rose Tyler attended an ABBA concert at Wembley Stadium. (COMIC: Opera of Doom!)
Parallel universe
Beep the Meep travelled to a parallel universe on 12 October 1979, in which the Doctor's universe existed only as part of a BBC science fiction television series called Doctor Who, and took control of the BBC Television Centre. The Eighth Doctor and his companion Izzy Sinclair defeated Beep with the help of the actor Tom Baker, who infuriated him with his endless rambling. Strangely, Baker both physically resembled the Fourth Doctor and played him on the television series. The Doctor learned the truth when he discovered the first issue of Doctor Who Weekly. (COMIC: TV Action!)
