Look Back To 1977: What Happened That Year

Silver Jubilee street parties, Star Wars and the summer punk went overground.

Here's 1977 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1977

• 'Mull of Kintyre' by Wings was the Christmas number one and the year's biggest seller - and for a while the best-selling UK single ever.
• The Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' reached number two during Jubilee week, which caused an argument that still runs.
• Elvis Presley died on 16 August and several of his records returned to the chart.

In the news in 1977

• The Silver Jubilee was celebrated in June with street parties across the country.
• The Grunwick dispute ran through the year.
• Firefighters went on strike in November and the army used Green Goddess engines.

On screen in 1977

• Star Wars opened in the UK in December.
• Saturday Night Fever was released and disco went mainstream.
• The Morecambe and Wise Christmas show drew over twenty million viewers.

In sport in 1977

• Red Rum won a third Grand National.
• Liverpool won the European Cup for the first time.
• Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in the Jubilee year.

Everyday life in 1977

• Jubilee mugs, bunting and trestle tables in the street were the summer's defining image.
• The first home computers were being advertised to hobbyists.
• Punk clothing, safety pins and shocked newspaper headlines went together.

If you were born in 1977

• Anyone born in 1977 was born in the Silver Jubilee year and the year Star Wars opened.
• Their birth year produced the biggest-selling single of the decade, 'Mull of Kintyre'.
• Anyone born in 1977 turns 30 in 2007, 40 in 2017, 50 in 2027, 60 in 2037 and 70 in 2047.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1979
• Look back to 1978
• Look back to 1976
• Look back to 1975
• Look back to 1974
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• 1970s party playlist
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• British Bulldog rules
• Kerby rules
• Sweets that disappeared
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
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• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
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• Shop birthday cards
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• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When were the Silver Jubilee street parties?

Mostly in early June 1977, around the Jubilee bank holiday on 7 June, marking twenty-five years of the Queen's reign.

What was the Christmas number one in 1977?

'Mull of Kintyre' by Wings, which sold over two million copies in the UK.

How old is someone born in 1977?

Subtract 1977 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2017, 50 in 2027, 60 in 2037 and 70 in 2047.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.