1977
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1 January 1977 Jacqueline Means becomes the first woman ordained a priest (under usual circumstances) by the Episcopal Church of the United States, in Indianapolis.
3 January 1977 A bomb explodes outside the Beirut offices of the Christian Phalangist Party. 40 people are killed and at least 50 injured, mostly passing motorists.
A new law imposing press censorship in Lebanon goes into effect. Syrian soldiers withdraw from the offices of seven journals they occupied late last year.
Apple Computer is incorporated in California.
4 January 1977 The Ninety-fifth Congress of the United States convenes in Washington. The Democratic Party of President-elect Jimmy Carter controls both houses.
5 January 1977 A revised version of both parts of Arc for piano, orchestra, and electronic sounds by Toru Takemitsu (46) is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by Pierre Boulez (51).
6 January 1977 Actor and playwright Pavel Landovsky, novelist Ludvik Vaculik, and playwright Vaclav Havel are arrested in Prague as they attempt to mail 250 envelopes containing copies of Charter 77 to the 240 signatories, the government of Czechoslovakia, the Federal Assembly, and the Czechoslovak Press Agency. Also arrested is Zdenek Urbanek, a writer. All are interrogated and released shortly after midnight. Charter 77 denounces the government for failing to uphold human rights.
Aria for oboe and strings by John Corigliano (38) is performed for the first time.
7 January 1977 French police arrest Abu Daoud, the man responsible for the deaths of Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972.
Charter 77 is printed in its entirety, in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and other western papers.
11 January 1977 Abu Daoud, the Arab terrorist responsible for the Olympic murders in Munich in 1972, is freed by a French court. Requests by West Germany and Israel to hold him until an extradition hearing are turned down on technicalities. He is expelled from France and flies to Algeria.
Former US ambassador to Chile Edward Korry tells a Senate committee that there was a “massive undertaking” by the CIA and US corporations to defeat Salvador Allende in the 1964 presidential elections.
13 January 1977 The German state of North-Rhine Westphalia refuses to license any more nuclear power plants until a way of dealing with the spent fuel can be devised.
14 January 1977 Vaclav Havel is once again detained and interrogated. He will be held until 20 May.
17 January 1977 The death penalty is employed in the United States for the first time since 1967 when the people of the State of Utah kill Gary Gilmore by shooting him to death.
18 January 1977 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi relaxes the state of emergency in India and calls new elections for March.
Prime Minister Dzemal Bijedic of Yugoslavia dies in a plane crash near Sarajevo.
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta announces that a previously unknown bacterium is responsible for the mysterious illness known as Legionaires Disease.
Telephones and Birds for three performers by John Cage (64) is performed for the first time, in the Minskoff Theatre, New York to a dance by Merce Cunningham.
19 January 1977 Leonard Bernstein (58) conducts an inaugural concert for Jimmy Carter at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
20 January 1977 James Earl Carter replaces Gerald Rudolph Ford as President of the United States.
Il ritorno degli snovidenia for cello and 30 instruments by Luciano Berio (51) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
21 January 1977 President Jimmy Carter signs an executive order pardoning all those who resisted conscription during the American invasion of Vietnam.
Double Vision for woodwind quintet, brass quintet, and piano by Shulamit Ran (27) is performed for the first time, at the University of Chicago.
22 January 1977 Elemental Procedures for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Morton Feldman (51) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR originating in Cologne.
Southern Echoes for orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (63) is performed for the first time, in Savannah.
23 January 1977 Only Now, and Again for winds, percussion, and piano by Roger Reynolds (42) is performed for the first time, in a “pre-performance” in De Kalb, Illinois. See 6 May 1977.
24 January 1977 Fascist gunmen enter the offices of the Workers Commission in Spain and open fire. Five people are killed.
Prime Minister Ian Smith of Rhodesia refuses a British proposal to restart the Geneva talks on the future of his country.
26 January 1977 Rolling strikes by various sectors of French labor begin and extend over the next week in protest to the government’s anti-inflation policies.
27 January 1977 The government of Paraguay releases 14 political prisoners in response to direct pressure from US President Jimmy Carter.
28 January 1977 After ten days of political unrest during which ten people have been killed, Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez of Spain suspends two constitutional liberties for 30 days. They are the protection from unreasonable search and the prohibition against holding a suspect more than 72 hours without charge.
29 January 1977 Between 00:00 and 05:00. Twelve bombs explode on Oxford Street in London. No one is injured. The IRA claims responsibility.
31 January 1977 Ivor Richardson of Great Britain suspends his diplomatic efforts to restart the stalled Rhodesian peace talks.
2 February 1977 Two Fables by Krylov op.4 for voice and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (†1) are performed for the first time, in Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn 55 years after they were composed.
Carillon, Récitatif, Masque for mandolin, guitar, and harp by Hans Werner Henze (50) is performed for the first time, in London.
A Quaker Reader for organ by Ned Rorem (53) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York. See 7 October 1988.
3 February 1977 A gun battle between various government factions in Addis Ababa results in the death of the Ethiopian head of state Tafari Benti and six other members of the ruling council.
Alyeksandr Ginzburg, who heads a fund to help political prisoners, is arrested by Soviet authorities and charged with possession of foreign currency.
A Secular Cantata for vocal soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra by David Diamond (61) to words of Agee is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
7 February 1977 Black nationalist guerrillas kill seven Roman Catholic missionaries at Musami, 60 km north of Salisbury.
Palinode for orchestra and tape by Charles Dodge (34) is performed for the first time, in New York.
8 February 1977 Nine prominent Romanians issue an open letter appealing for help in monitoring human rights in Romania. They are arrested.
9 February 1977 Spain and the USSR announce they will restore full diplomatic relations after a break of 38 years.
Nadia Boulanger (89) is awarded France’s highest civilian award, Grand Officier of the Legion d’honneur, by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in the Elysée Palace, Paris.
10 February 1977 Yuri Orlov, who directs a group monitoring Soviet compliance with the Helsinki accords, is arrested in Moscow by Soviet authorities.
Four members of the IRA are sentenced to life in prison for six murders, a kidnapping, and a series of bombings in 1975.
11 February 1977 President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed of India dies of a heart attack in New Dehli and is succeeded by Basappa Danappa Jatti.
Mengistu Haile Mariam replaces Tafari Benti as Chairman of the Military Council of Ethiopia.
12 February 1977 The Arab League imposes new restrictions on Palestinians in Lebanon. They are not allowed to keep heavy weapons in their refugee camps, their military is allowed only near the Israeli border, and they must pay for any damage incurred by Israel in retaliation for Palestinian attacks. Palestinian radio stations are forbidden and Palestinians may not take part in Lebanese politics. The number of Palestinians allowed in Lebanon is set at 200,000. There are currently about 350,000 Palestinians present in the country.
Concerto for horn and orchestra no.2 by Gunther Schuller (51) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
15 February 1977 The ruling Social Democratic Party of Danish Prime Minister Anker Jørgensen gain twelve seats in voting for the Folketing. The Left-Liberals and Social Liberals lose a combined 28 seats.
16 February 1977 Shortly after a show trial in Kampala, Anglican Archbishop Janani Luwum is shot to death on orders of Ugandan President Idi Amin. The Archbishop and his fellow bishops recently spoke out against the bloody violence against Ugandans by the President.
17 February 1977 Leftist students are routed from the campus of Rome University by police. They took over the campus two weeks ago to protest the shooting of a student by a right-wing gang.
A Symphony of Three Orchestras by Elliott Carter (68) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York, under the baton of Pierre Boulez (51).
18 February 1977 Fighting begins again in southern Lebanon as Christian militia overrun the town of al Khyam, a staging area for raids into Israel.
A bomb explodes at Buenos Aires municipal airport seconds after a plane carrying President Jorge Videla takes off. No one is injured.
22 February 1977 Dots, Lines, and Zigzag for bass clarinet and piano by Sofia Gubaidulina (45) is performed for the first time, in the Information Center of the Czech Socialist Republic in East Berlin.
Sections I and II of Quartets I-VIII for 24 instruments by John Cage (64) are performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York conducted by Lukas Foss (54). See 31 May 1978.
24 February 1977 For the first time ever, the United States government announces that its decisions on foreign aid would be based, at least partly, on the human rights record of the recipient nations. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance says aid will be cut to Argentina, Ethiopia, and Uruguay.
For the first time, the complete DNA structure of an organism is published. The feat is accomplished with little fanfare by Fred Sanger and his colleagues at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge and published in the journal Nature.
25 February 1977 President Idi Amin of Uganda prohibits all US citizens from leaving the country.
Claude Debussy’s (†58) incomplete opera La chute de la maison Usher to his own words after Poe is performed for the first time, in New Haven.
Binary Variations on “O Sinner Man” for Renaissance instruments by Lou Harrison (59) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
26 February 1977 Rondeau for actor and tape by György Ligeti (53) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.
1 March 1977 After several days of negotiation, President Idi Amin of Uganda allows US citizens to leave his country.
3 March 1977 Two French reporters attempting to interview human rights activist Jiri Hajek at his Prague home are sprayed with tear gas by police.
The Mexican army occupies the city of Oaxaca and surrounding communities after ten days of fighting with police by peasants and students.
Cuts and Dissolves for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (24) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
4 March 1977 An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale strikes 105 km north of Bucharest. At least 1,500 people are killed and over 11,000 injured.
The United States State Department makes its first open criticism of the human rights record of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza.
5 March 1977 The first movement of the Narrative in Two Movements for cello and 14 instruments by Ross Lee Finney (70) is performed for the first time, in Urbana, Illinois. See 27 September 1987.
6 March 1977 Opposing Palestinian factions battle each other in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon. 20 people are killed.
Sonata-Song for solo viola by Aram Khachaturian (73) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall. It is the last work he will compose.
8 March 1977 Rebel Congolese invade Shaba (Katanga) province from Angola and seize the towns of Dilolo, Kisengi, and Kapanga.
9 March 1977 Silbury Air for 15 players by Harrison Birtwistle (42) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
Three buildings in Washington, the B’nai B’rith building, the District Building, and the Islamic Center and Mosque, are invaded and occupied by Hanafi Muslim gunmen, killing one person and taking over 100 hostages. Their demands, dealing with Moslem sectarian squabbles, are largely unmet and the terrorists will surrender to police 11 March.
10 March 1977 US astronomer James Elliot and his colleagues, working with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, discover the rings of Uranus.
A service of thanksgiving for the life and work of Benjamin Britten (†0) is held in Westminster Abbey.
Diotima for orchestra by John Harbison (38) is performed for the first time, in Boston.
11 March 1977 Brazil cancels its military aid agreement with the US. It objects to the new US demand that military assistance be linked to observance of human rights.
Dream Sequence for symphonic band by Ernst Krenek (76) is performed for the first time, at the University of Maryland, College Park the composer conducting.
12 March 1977 The military dictatorship in Chile bans the last four remaining political parties.
13 March 1977 Czech dissident Jan Patocka dies after a police interrogation about his involvement in Charter 77.
Four Winds Suite for organ by Ernst Krenek (76) is performed for the first time, in the Johanneskirche, Düsseldorf.
Quatrain II for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Toru Takemitsu (46) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.
14 March 1977 Chiaroscuro for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (48) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.
15 March 1977 Soviet authorities arrest Anatoly Shcharansky, accusing him of working for the CIA.
Veselin Djuranovic replaces Dzemal Bijedic as President of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia.
Cantilena e Scherzo, quintet for harp and strings by Gian Carlo Menotti (65) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
Hearing, an opera by Ned Rorem (53) to words of Holmes and Koch, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Christ and St. Stephen’s Church, New York.
16 March 1977 Kamal Jumblatt, leader of Lebanon’s Druse community, is shot to death by persons unknown, near Beirut. Also killed are his driver and bodyguard. Syria and its Lebanese clients are suspected.
17 March 1977 Zairian reinforcements enter the fight against Katangan separatists near Kolwezi.
The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act is granted Royal Assent. It nationalizes most of Great Britain’s aerospace and shipbuilding industries under two corporations: British Aerospace and British Shipbuilders.
Orfeo, a ballet by Thea Musgrave (48), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC television.
Phrygian Gates and China Gates for piano by John Adams (31) are performed for the first time, in Hellman Hall, San Francisco.
18 March 1977 President Marien Ngouabi of the Congo is shot to death in Brazzaville. Although the killer is unknown, the group thought to be responsible is headed by Barthelemy Kikadidi. The government names former President Alphonse Massemba-Debat as the mastermind of the scheme.
Lebanese Christian sources report that more than 200 Christians have been killed by Moslems in revenge for the death of Kamal Jumblatt.
19 March 1977 Over 55 people are killed in rioting in Karachi against the alleged rigging of recent Pakistani elections.
The French government announces that the Territory of the Afars and Issas will become independent on 27 June.
MM 51, music for a film by Mauricio Kagel (45), is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.
Instrumental Studies by Frederick Rzewski (38) is performed for the first time, in Paris, directed by the composer.
20 March 1977 Five days of voting for a new Lok Sabha conclude in India. The Indian National Congress (I) of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi loses almost 200 seats and its majority. Winning 298 seats is the Janata Party, actually an alliance of four parties.
21 March 1977 Puerto Rican nationalists explode bombs at the New York office of the FBI and foreign currency printing plant of the American Bank Note Co. in the Bronx. One person is injured.
Concerto grosso no.1 for two violins, harpsichord, prepared piano, and strings by Alfred Schnittke (42) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.
22 March 1977 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi resigns after her party suffers defeat in national elections.
23 March 1977 Émile Cardinal Biyaenda, Archbishop of Brazzaville, is kidnapped and killed by unknown assailants. The government claims that former President Alphonse Massemba-Debat is behind this killing too.
A Mirror of Whitening Light for 14 players by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London the composer directing.
24 March 1977 Moraji Desai replaces Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister of India.
25 March 1977 Former President of the Congo Alphonse Massemba-Debat is convicted and executed for masterminding the assassinations of Congolese President Marien Ngouabi and Emile Cardinal Biyaenda. Barthelemey Kikadidi is convicted in absentia.
26 March 1977 Six other men convicted of killing Congolese President Marien Ngouabi and Emile Cardinal Biyaenda are executed. Three others receive prison terms.
27 March 1977 In the worst aviation accident in history, 573 people are killed in the collision of two jetliners on the runway of Tenerife Airport in the Canary Islands.
28 March 1977 Spain and Mexico announce they will restore full diplomatic relations after a break of 38 years.
29 March 1977 Hölderlin-Fragmente for voice and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (25) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
31 March 1977 Christian militias begin an offensive against Palestinian guerrillas and Moslem militias in southern Lebanon.
The Zairean government confirms that rebels have captured the strategic town of Mutshatsha in Shaba (Katanga) Province.
Dane Rudhyar (82) marries his fourth wife, Leyla Rael.
1 April 1977 The Spanish government breaks up the National Movement, the political organization of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. It includes 35 newspapers, 45 radio stations, programs for women, sports, youth, and families.
The new government of Quebec rejects the federal bilingual policy and announces all business will be conducted in French.
Two days after opposition members block a government-backed constitutional amendment, President Ernesto Geisel of Brazil suspends Congress.
Königliches Thema for violin by Isang Yun (59) is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf-Benrath.
2 April 1977 Rose Moon for chorus and marathon runners by Pauline Oliveros (44) is performed for the first time, at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
3 April 1977 Lichtzwang for violin and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (25) is performed for the first time, in Royan. Also premiered is Rihm’s Im Innersten for string quartet.
4 April 1977 Zaire breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba, claiming that Cuba is aiding rebels in Shaba Province.
Symphony no.3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs) op.36 for soprano and orchestra by Henryk Górecki (43) is performed for the first time, in Royan.
5 April 1977 The United States delays a sale of military equipment to Nicaragua due to its human rights record.
Misterioso for seven percussionists by Sofia Gubaidulina (45) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.
7 April 1977 A group calling itself the Ulrike Meinhof Action Committee kills Siegfried Buback, West Germany’s chief prosecutor, and his driver in Karlsruhe.
The Italian government announces the break up of Egam, a group of state-owned industries. They will be reorganized, sold, or liquidated.
The US government announces it is suspending economic aid to Nicaragua, and will not sign a military assistance treaty, because of the human rights record of the conservative dictator Anastasio Somoza.
8 April 1977 Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin resigns as leader of the Israeli Labor Party going into elections 17 May. Defense Minister Shimon Peres is named to succeed him. Rabin says he lied about money he held in US bank accounts, illegal under Israeli law.
9 April 1977 French military planes fly 1,500 Moroccan troops to Zaire to aid in the fight against Katangan rebels.
Spain legalizes its Communist Party, banned in 1939.
A suite from the musical Candide by Leonard Bernstein (58) for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Frederic Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv.
10 April 1977 The Renaissance Center in Detroit is dedicated.
Fresh Spring for baritone and chamber ensemble by Tod Machover (23) to words of Spenser is performed for the first time.
11 April 1977 A bomb explodes at the United States military mission in Managua.
12 April 1977 Under Syrian pressure, Palestinian guerrillas and Moslem militiamen halt a counteroffensive against Christians in southern Lebanon.
14 April 1977 President Ernesto Geisel issues several decrees designed to limit democracy and increase the military’s control on the country.
Lily, an opera by Leon Kirchner (58) to his own words after Bellow, is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by the composer.
17 April 1977 Women vote for the first time in Liechtenstein, in local elections.
National elections in Belgium see little change in the relative strength in Parliament. For the first time, the Liberals are split along language lines.
...sofferte onde serene... for piano and tape by Luigi Nono (53) is performed for the first time, in Sala Verdi, Milan.
A second Orchestral Suite from Leonard Bernstein’s (58) ballet Dybbuk is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York, the composer conducting. See 16 May 1974.
18 April 1977 Zairian and Moroccan forces begin a major offensive against separatist forces.
In a nationwide address, US President Carter outlines a comprehensive energy policy based on conservation and domestic fuel sources.
Queen Elizabeth II, the official arbiter between Chile and Argentina in the Beagle Channel dispute, endorses the findings of her commission and awards the three disputed islands to Chile.
Richard Wernick (43) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Visions of Terror and Wonder.
21 April 1977 Ziaur Rahman replaces Abu Sadat Mohammed Sayem as President of Bangladesh.
After almost two months of political violence, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan assumes emergency powers and declares martial law in Hyderabad, Karachi, and Lahore.
22 April 1977 40 people are killed in continuing anti-government violence in Pakistan.
Shimon Peres replaces Itzhak Rabin as acting Prime Minister of Israel.
Canticle of the Mother of God for soprano and chorus by John Tavener (33) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in Rye Parish Church.
Voyage for Strings by John Corigliano (39) is performed for the first time, in Rockland County, New York.
String Quartet no.7 by Ralph Shapey (56) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago.
24 April 1977 Japan becomes the fifth country to breed plutonium for peaceful purposes.
25 April 1977 Zairian and Moroccan forces recapture Mutshatsha against little rebel resistance.
Inharmonique for soprano and tape by Jean-Claude Risset (39) is performed for the first time, in Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris.
Fiftieth Birthday Greeting for Ernst Widner for flute, clarinet, keyboards, percussion, violin, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in Salvador, Brazil the composer conducting.
27 April 1977 Violin Concerto no.1 by Krzysztof Penderecki (43) is performed for the first time, in Basel.
28 April 1977 Three leaders of the Baader-Meinhof gang are sentenced to life in prison for the killing of four US soldiers in 1972. They are also sentenced to 15 additional years by the West German court for 34 counts of attempted murder in the bombings.
Sonata no.1 for violin and piano by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo 28 years after it was composed.
29 April 1977 Faust und Yorick, a chamber opera by Wolfgang Rihm (25) to words of Fusten and Haas after Tardieu, is performed for the first time, in the Nationaltheater, Mannheim.
Quartet Plus for two string quartets, speaker, and video by Lukas Foss (54) to words of Eliot is performed for the first time, in the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Theater of Substitution: Blind/Dumb/Director for solo performers by Pauline Oliveros (44) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.
30 April 1977 US and Norwegian workmen cap an oil well blow out after it sent 31,000,000 liters of oil into the North Sea. The oil well is in the Ekofisk field 290 km southwest of Stavanger, Norway.
The 14 founding members of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo begin demonstrations in front of the Casa Rosada (Presidential Palace) in Buenos Aires. They seek a meeting with President Jorge Videla about the disappearances of their relatives and thousands of other Argentine citizens. The military and conservative death squads are widely believed to be behind the kidnappings. Participants in their weekly marches will grow considerably and will continue until 2006.
Concerto for two pianos and orchestra by Leslie Bassett (54) is performed for the first time, in Midland, Michigan.
1 May 1977 Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten for strings and bell by Arvo Pärt (41) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.
2 May 1977 50 Egyptian pilots and mechanics arrive in Kinshasa, sent by President Sadat to aid Zaire in its fight with Katangan rebels.
The arbiter’s decision in the Beagle Channel dispute is published. Argentina has nine months to protest, but the decision is due to be implemented one year from today.
3 May 1977 60,000 university students in São Paulo go on a one-day strike to protest the detention of four students for distributing leaflets.
Because of the human rights record of the dictator Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s creditors refuse to renegotiate its debt.
Duo for viola and piano by Isang Yun (59) is performed for the first time, in Rome.
Lachrymae for viola and strings by Benjamin Britten (†0) is performed for the first time, in Recklinghausen. See 20 June 1950.
4 May 1977 The first of a series of televised interviews of Richard Nixon by David Frost is broadcast in the United States.
5 May 1977 Star Child for soprano, children’s choir, male choir, bell ringers, and orchestra by George Crumb (47) to words from the Dies Irae, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Bible, is performed for the first time, in New York conducted by Pierre Boulez (52).
6 May 1977 Only Now and Again for winds, percussion, and piano by Roger Reynolds (42) is performed publicly for the first time, in Milwaukee. See 23 January 1977.
7 May 1977 Zairian and Moroccan troops retake Sanikosa on the Shaba-Angola railway.
Leftist guerrillas shoot and seriously injure Vice Admiral Cesar Guzzetti, Foreign Minister of Argentina, at a private clinic in Buenos Aires.
8 May 1977 98% of voters in the French Territory of the Afars and Issas approve a plan to become independent on 27 June.
9 May 1977 19,000 prisoners are freed in Romania to celebrate the centennial of the nation.
String Quartet no.6 by Samuel Adler (49) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
11 May 1977 Sonata a la breve for cello and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (75) is performed for the first time, in Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona.
13 May 1977 The Petite Suite d’Orchestre by Frederick Delius (†43) is performed for the first time, at the Stratford-Upon-Avon College of Further Education, 87 years after it was composed.
Neither, an opera by Morton Feldman (51) to words of Beckett, is performed for the first time, in Rome.
Four Abstractions for Band by Robert Ward (59) is performed for the first time, in Dayton, Ohio.
14 May 1977 Pauline Oliveros (44) is awarded first prize in the Bonn International Beethoven Festival composition contest, for Bonn Feier.
15 May 1977 Tasito Kalevi Sorsa replaces Martti Johannes Meittunen as Prime Minister of Finland.
16 May 1977 President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia announces that his country is in a “state of war” with Rhodesia.
17 May 1977 In a complete surprise, the Israeli electorate votes the Labour Party out of office for the first time in the country’s history. The right-wing Likud Party wins a plurality and will form the next government.
19 May 1977 Carlos Chávez (77) is named an advisor to Mexican President José López Portillo.
In the third nationally broadcast interview with David Frost, Richard Nixon utters the sentence, “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.”
The Winds for eight winds and piano by Charles Wuorinen (38) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.
A Water Bird Talk, a monodrama by Dominick Argento (49) to his own words after Chekhov and Audubon, is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The first movement of the Percussion Symphony for 24 percussion players by Charles Wuorinen (38) is performed for the first time at William Paterson State College, Wayne, New Jersey the composer conducting. See 26 January 1978.
20 May 1977 Vaclav Havel is released from four months of custody by the Czechoslovak government.
21 May 1977 Voters in Australia approve Advance Australia Fair as the “national song.” God Save the Queen is retained for state and royal occasions.
22 May 1977 The Orient Express completes its last run from Paris to Istanbul. The service was inaugurated in 1833.
Atmen gibt das Leben for chorus and orchestra or tape by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed completely for the first time, at the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall in Nizza to celebrate the 90th birthday of Chagall. See 16 May 1975.
After ten years as president of New England Conservatory, Gunther Schuller (51) conducts his farewell concert there, at commencement.
23 May 1977 In two different incidents, South Moluccan terrorists seize 50 hostages on a train and 106 children with six teachers in a primary school near Groningen, the Netherlands. They demand a plane to fly them out of the country, along with 21 of their comrades presently held in Dutch jails.
24 May 1977 Somewhere between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 French workers participate in a nationwide one-day general strike to protest government wage ceilings.
25 May 1977 The Chinese government lifts its prohibition against the works of William Shakespeare.
The Labor Party of Prime Minister Joop den Uyl of the Netherlands gains ten seats in national elections to raise its total to 53. The newly reorganized Christian Democratic Appeal wins 49 seats.
George Lucas’ film Star Wars is released in the United States.
Westerlings for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in an incomplete state, at Uppsala University. See 15 October 1977.
String Quartet no.4 and String Quartet no.5 by Hans Werner Henze (50) are performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.
26 May 1977 The Chinese government lifts its prohibition against the works of Ludwig van Beethoven on the 150th anniversary of the composer’s death.
Over the last week, Zairian forces recaptured all remaining towns still held by Katangan rebels.
27 May 1977 For the first time in two years, Israeli forces enter Lebanon and engage Arab guerrillas.
South Moluccan terrorists release 106 school children and one teacher they have been holding hostage at a primary school near Groningen, the Netherlands. They continue to hold four other teachers.
30 May 1977 The United States and Cuba agree to set up “interest sections” in each other’s capitals.
1 June 1977 The Soviet authorities formally charge human rights advocate Anatoly Shcharansky with treason.
2 June 1977 129 Spanish experts and workers are evacuated from the Saharan mining town of Boukra after an attack by Polisario guerrillas killed two Spanish truck drivers.
5 June 1977 President James Mancham of the Seychelles is overthrown by 200 armed men. Prime Minister France Albert Rene becomes President.
The Republican Peoples Party wins a plurality of seats in Turkish parliamentary elections.
The Apple II, the first personal computer, goes on sale.
The New York Times quotes Kim Hyung Wook, former director of the Korean CIA, as saying Park Tong Sun is a former KCIA agent. Park has been linked to attempts by the South Korean government to influence the US Congress with cash and other gifts.
6 June 1977 The Pakistani government lifts martial law in Hyderabad, Karachi, and Lahore six weeks after it was imposed.
A Gentle Spirit, a chamber opera by John Tavener (33) to words of McLarnon after Dostoyevsky, is performed for the first time, in the Theatre Royal, Bath.
7 June 1977 Voters in Dade County, Florida vote 2-1 to repeal a law protecting homosexuals against discrimination in employment, housing, and accommodations.
9 June 1977 Taha Carim, Turkish ambassador to the Vatican, is shot and mortally wounded near his residence in Rome. An Armenian group takes responsibility.
Der weise Mann, a cantata for baritone, chorus, and chamber orchestra by Isang Yun (59) to words of Böttcher after Salamo and Lao-tsu, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
10 June 1977 James Earl Ray, convicted murderer of Dr. Martin Luther King, escapes with six other inmates from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee.
11 June 1977 Peter Sculthorpe (48) is awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honors.
Dutch marines successfully storm a train near Groningen where South Moluccan terrorists have been holding 50 people hostage. Six terrorists and two hostages are killed, seven hostages are injured. At the same time, troops storm a school in Bovensmilde where South Moluccan terrorists have been holding four teachers. They secure the building without resistance. The hostages were taken on 23 May.
13 June 1977 James Earl Ray is recaptured by Tennessee authorities.
14 June 1977 The Janata Party wins majorities in eight of ten state elections held over the last five days.
26 people begin a hunger strike at UN offices in Santiago de Chile in an effort to gain information about 500 citizens abducted by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
15 June 1977 A meeting of the Commonwealth condemns Ugandan President Idi Amin.
The first democratic general election in Spain in 40 years takes place. The conservative Democratic Center Union wins 166 of 350 seats, followed by the Socialist Workers Party with 118.
16 June 1977 King Juan Carlos of Spain calls on Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez to form a new government after his party wins a plurality of seats in the first democratic election in Spain in 41 years.
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev replaces Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorny as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Parliamentary elections in Ireland end in a crushing defeat for the ruling Fine Gael-Labour coalition. Fianna Fail wins a majority unprecedented in Irish politics.
Electronic Sonata for four-channel tape by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
17 June 1977 Dmaathen for oboe and percussion by Iannis Xenakis (55) is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg. Also premiered is Xenakis’ Akanthos for soprano and eight players.
18 June 1977 The Martyrdom of St. Magnus, a chamber opera by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) to his own words after Mackay Brown, is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney the composer conducting.
Ned Rorem (53) receives an honorary doctorate from Northwestern University.
20 June 1977 The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, spanning the state from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to Valdez on the Gulf of Alaska, begins pumping oil. The oil is expected to traverse the entire 1,270 km in 30-40 days. The Wall Street Journal reports that the pipeline was finished on time because those who built it “frequently violated state and federal environmental rules…” As a result, the construction caused significant environmental damage.
21 June 1977 Menachem Begin replaces Shimon Peres as Prime Minister of Israel.
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit replaces Süleyman Demirel as Prime Minister of Turkey.
Former White House Chief of Staff HR Haldeman enters federal prison in Lompoc, California to begin serving a sentence of 30 months to eight years.
22 June 1977 John Mitchell becomes the 25th person to go to jail for Watergate-related crimes as he enters federal prison at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Alabama. He is also the first former Attorney General of the United States to be incarcerated.
23 June 1977 The United States suspends military credits and economic aid to Nicaragua.
The Brazilian Congress approves a constitutional amendment allowing divorce.
25 June 1977 William Walton’s (75) Prelude for orchestra is performed for the first time, in St. John’s, Smith Square, London as part of the celebrations surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee.
Pulse Field, a ballet by Harrison Birtwistle (42) to a choreography of Flier, is performed for the first time, in Snape Maltings.
Frühlingsanbruch, a song for chorus by Frederick Delius (†43) to words of Björnson, is performed for the first time, in Nottingham.
27 June 1977 The Republic of Djibouti, under President Hassan Gouled Aptidon and Prime Minister Ahmed Dini Ahmed, is proclaimed independent of France.
28 June 1977 The US suspends two loans to Chile to see if the human rights situation improves. The Chilean dictatorship rejects $27,500,000 of aid to protest the policy.
Kottos for cello by Iannis Xenakis (55) is performed for the first time, in La Rochelle.
29 June 1977 The US Supreme Court rules in Coker v. Georgia that a man may not be executed for the rape of an adult woman.
30 June 1977 The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization is formally dissolved at a ceremony in Bangkok.
US President Carter announces he will not produce the supersonic B-1 bomber and opts instead for developing cruise missiles.
US Secretary of Transportation Brock Adams orders that all new automobiles be equipped with air bags or passive restraint seatbelts beginning with the 1982 model year.
2 July 1977 Vladimir Nobokov dies in Montreux at the age of 78.
3 July 1977 After losing its first vote of confidence in the National Assembly, the Turkish government of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit resigns. Ecevit will remain as a caretaker.
Raymond Damadian makes the first MRI body scan, at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Messagesquisse for solo cello and six cellos by Pierre Boulez (52) is performed for the first time, in La Rochelle.
4 July 1977 Six people are killed when a car bomb explodes near the Air Defense Command headquarters in Damascus. Twelve people are injured.
5 July 1977 The Pakistani military, led by General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, overthrows the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
John Mary Lynch replaces Liam Cosgrave as Prime Minister of Ireland.
Bow Down, a music theatre by Harrison Birtwistle (42) to words of Harrison, is performed for the first time, in London.
6 July 1977 Arab terrorists explode a bomb in a market in Petah Tiqva, Israel. One person is killed, 20 injured.
7 July 1977 The Ice Break, an opera by Michael Tippett (72) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden.
10 July 1977 At least two people are killed and 53 injured when a bomb goes off outside the Interior Ministry in Damascus. The Syrian government blames this, and the bomb of 4 July, on Iraq.
11 July 1977 Süleyman Demirel replaces Mustafa Bülent Ecevit as Prime Minister of Turkey.
Welcome Ode op.95 for children’s chorus and orchestra by Benjamin Britten (†0) to words of Dekker, Ford, Fielding, and Anonymous is performed for the first time, in the Corn Exchange, Ipswich.
13 July 1977 Lightning causes power to be shut off to all of New York City and its northern suburbs. 9,000,000 people are without electricity, some for over 24 hours.
14 July 1977 Fighting begins near Diredawa between Somali-backed rebels and the Ethiopian army over the Ogaden region.
15 July 1977 Afrikaans poet Breyten Breytenbach is acquitted of promoting terrorism while in jail.
19 July 1977 A general strike in Peru turns violent as police battle workers protesting government austerity measures. 26 people are killed in and around Lima.
21 July 1977 Four days of battles begin along the border between Egypt and Libya.
22 July 1977 A communiqué from the plenary session of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party announces that Teng Hsiao-ping (Deng Xiaoping) has been rehabilitated and the Gang of Four are expelled from the party.
King Juan Carlos gives a 16-minute address formally opening the new, democratically elected Cortes, in Madrid.
23 July 1977 Junius Jayewardene replaces Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
25 July 1977 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy replaces Basappa Danappa Jatti as President of India.
A truce between Egypt and Libya goes into effect. Arab leaders attempt to diffuse the situation.
Christian leaders and the PLO reach a peace agreement for southern Lebanon.
27 July 1977 Tierdreis no.41 2/3 for one voice and one instrument by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed for the first time, in Aix-en-Provence the composer at the piano.
28 July 1977 Former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and 15 other members of the two largest political parties in Pakistan are released from prison after three weeks in detention.
Somalia admits that its warplanes are involved in the fighting in the Ogaden, but continues to deny it has committed ground troops.
Thieves in Paris make off with over 15 metric tons of coins worth $3,540,000.
30 July 1977 Jurgen Ponto, chairman of the Dresdner Bank, is shot and killed by five assailants near his Frankfurt home. The four women and one man are assumed to be left-wing terrorists.
Concerto for flute and orchestra by Isang Yun (59) is performed for the first time, in Hitzacker.
The Magic Fountain, a lyric drama by Frederick Delius (†43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in a studio recording for later transmission over the airwaves of the BBC, 82 years after it was completed by the composer. See 20 November 1977.
31 July 1977 At least 20,000 protesters march on the largest nuclear power complex in France, at Creys-Malville, currently under construction. Some battle with police. One person dies and about 100 are injured.
Instruments III for flute/piccolo/alto flute, oboe/english horn, and percussion by Morton Feldman (51) is performed for the first time, in Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
3 August 1977 Archbishop Makarios dies at the age of 63. He is replaced as President of Cyprus ad interim by Spyros Achilleos Kyprianou.
Der kleine Harlekin no.42 1/2 for clarinet by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed for the first time, in Aix-en-Provence.
4 August 1977 Ethiopia says that most of its Ogaden region has been occupied by Somalia-backed rebels.
US President Carter signs legislation creating a cabinet-level Department of Energy.
6 August 1977 A bomb explodes in a department store in Salisbury, Rhodesia killing eleven people and injuring 76.
In Freundschaft no.46 for flute (or various other solo instruments) by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed for the first time, in Aix-en-Provence.
7 August 1977 Two works by Howard Hanson (80) are performed for the first time, in National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan conducted by the composer: Symphony no.7 for chorus and orchestra to words of Whitman, and Rhythmic Variations on Two Ancient Hymn Tunes for strings.
8 August 1977 Sirius no.43 for soprano, bass, trumpet, bass clarinet, and electronics by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed completely for the first time, in Aix-en-Provence.
10 August 1977 Meeting in Panama City, negotiators for the United States and Panama reach agreement on a new status for the Panama Canal.
Police arrest David Berkowitz outside his home in Yonkers, New York. He is suspected of being “Son of Sam”, responsible for several murders in the New York area.
Violin Sonata by Hans Werner Henze (51) is performed for the first time, in Montepulciano.
12 August 1977 The Chilean government announces it is disbanding the National Intelligence Directorate, or secret police, responsible for deaths, disappearances, and torture of thousands of political opponents of the regime. The action is reportedly due to pressure from the Carter administration in the US.
15 August 1977 Amnesty International accuses the conservative Nicaraguan government with widespread torture of political prisoners and murders of campesinos.
16 August 1977 Port Essington for string trio and string orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (48) is performed for the first time, in Mayne Hall, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
The Soviet atomic-powered icebreaker Arktika becomes the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.
Popular music entertainer Elvis Presley dies in Memphis of a heart attack brought on by years of drug abuse and obesity.
17 August 1977 US President Carter signs a bill which includes a rescinding of the rule prohibiting visas to applicants simply because they are communists.
18 August 1977 Our Father Whiche in Heaven Art for flute, clarinet, celesta, marimba, violin, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in Dartington, Devon, the composer conducting.
19 August 1977 An assault by Somali rebels on Diredawa, begun 16 August, is repulsed by Ethiopian troops.
20 August 1977 Voyager 2, an American space probe, blasts off from Earth on its voyage to Jupiter, the outer planets, and beyond.
26 August 1977 Meeting in Damascus, the PLO Central Council rejects peace efforts by the United States, and UN Security Council Resolution 242.
The Quebec National Assembly passes Bill 101 making French the official language of the province.
Songs of Remembrance for baritone and orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (64) to words of Wheelock is performed for the first time, in Saratoga, New York.
27 August 1977 Quartets I-VIII for 41 instruments by John Cage (64) is performed for the first time, in Aptos, California. Also, Studies for Player Piano no.20, 25, 41 by Conlon Nancarrow (64) is performed publicly for the first time.
28 August 1977 President Francisco Morales Bermúdez of Peru lifts the 14-month state of emergency, including the suspension of human rights.
31 August 1977 The Rhodesian Front Party of Prime Minister Ian Smith wins all 50 seats reserved for whites in parliamentary elections.
Nigerians elect a constituent assembly to write a new constitution.
4,000 attenders of the general assembly of the World Psychiatric Association in Honolulu vote to censure the USSR for “systematic abuse of psychiatry for political purposes.”
3 September 1977 Former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is arrested and charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of two of his political opponents.
5 September 1977 West German industrialist Hanns Martin Schleyer is kidnapped in Cologne by leftist terrorists. The kidnappers kill his driver and three police bodyguards in the process.
Voyager 1, an American space probe, blasts off from Earth on its voyage to Jupiter, the outer planets, and beyond. It carries recorded messages for any space traveler who might happen upon it. Among the recordings are selections of this planet’s music.
6 September 1977 Ethiopian government forces successfully defend Jijiga from Somali rebels.
All 700 black teachers in Soweto high schools resign to protest segregated education.
Park Tong Sun is indicted by a federal grand jury on 36 counts of attempting to influence the US Congress on behalf of the South Korean government.
Twelve Hanafi Muslims are sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 to 78 years for their part in the murder, seizure of hostages, and taking of buildings in Washington last March.
Mary Queen of Scots, an opera by Thea Musgrave (49) to her own words after Elguera, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, the composer conducting.
7 September 1977 President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos Herrera sign two treaties at the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington. They pledge to transfer control of the Panama Canal to Panama by the year 2000. Representatives of 26 western hemisphere nations attend, including 17 heads of state and government.
Ye Gentle Birds for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and winds by Tod Machover (23) to words of Spenser is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.
10 September 1977 Inlets (Improvisation II) for conch shells by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, in Seattle to a dance by Merce Cunningham.
11 September 1977 In general elections in Norway, both the Labor and Conservative Parties gain seats. Labor will continue to rule.
12 September 1977 The South African Justice Minister announces that black activist Stephen Biko died while in police custody. He claims that Biko starved himself to death. (Biko was actually clubbed to death by police.)
Robert Lowell dies in New York at the age of 60.
13 September 1977 Gunmen waylay a car carrying Princess Ashraf Pahlevi, twin sister of the Shah of Iran, on a road near Juan les Pins on the French Riviera. An Iranian businessman driving the car is wounded. A companion of the Princess is killed. The Princess and a second Iranian businessman are unhurt.
Leopold Stokowski dies in Nether Wallop, Great Britain at the age of 95.
14 September 1977 Somali-backed rebels capture Jijiga, a town in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region.
40 bombs explode in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca before dawn. The targets of leftist guerrillas are state-owned or US-owned concerns, and banks. Five people are injured and $20,000,000 in damage is done.
16 September 1977 Heavy fighting begins in southern Lebanon between Palestinian guerrillas and Lebanese Christians.
Maria Callas dies in Paris at the age of 53.
17 September 1977 Aria de la folia española for chamber orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (51) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
19 September 1977 Under pressure from the United States, Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza lifts the state of siege in place since 1974. This does not lessen the reign of terror currently being directed towards the citizens of Nicaragua.
Nachtordnung for fifteen strings by Wolfgang Rihm (25) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
Ballade op.46 for piano by Samuel Barber (67) is performed for the first time, as part of the Fifth Van Cliburn competition in Fort Worth, Texas.
20 September 1977 A cease-fire between Lebanese Christians and Palestinian guerrillas goes into effect in southern Lebanon.
The European Community adopts policies calling on companies from their countries to abolish apartheid in their operations in South Africa.
The Republic of Djibouti and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are admitted to the United Nations.
Martial law and press censorship are lifted in Nicaragua.
22 September 1977 40 people are injured by a bomb detonated at a ceremony in Yala Province, Thailand, attended by King Phumiphol Aduldet and Queen Sirikit. Moslem separatists are the presumed culprits.
23 September 1977 In Praise of Music, seven instrumental songs for orchestra by Dominick Argento (49) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.
24 September 1977 Representatives of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia, meeting in Maputo, give support to a UK-US plan to bring majority rule to Rhodesia.
Serious Music-Making in San Diego and Other Happy Memories: Vol.2: Handle With Care: Perishable Live Plants for live performers, tape, text, and slides by Kenneth Gaburo (51) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of radio station KUNM-FM in New Mexico.
25 September 1977 Swiss voters reject a proposal to allow abortions during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. They also reject proposals to reduce the lead in gasoline and limit the rights of landlords.
26 September 1977 Heavy fighting over the last ten days in Lebanon comes to an end with a US-arranged cease-fire.
Double Concerto for oboe, harp and chamber orchestra by Isang Yun (60) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
27 September 1977 Kim Han Cho, a US citizen, is indicted in the ongoing influence-peddling scandal in Washington.
29 September 1977 King Juan Carlos of Spain issues decrees restoring limited self-rule to Catalonia.
Animus IV for tenor, violin, trombone, piano/electric piano, electric organ, percussion, and tape by Jacob Druckman (49) is performed for the first time, in Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
30 September 1977 Tabula rasa, a double concerto for two violins, strings, and prepared piano by Arvo Pärt (42) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.
1 October 1977 General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq announces that martial law will continue in Pakistan indefinitely and that elections scheduled for 18 October are postponed.
Liège à Paris for tape by Henri Pousseur (48) is performed for the first time, in the Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris.
2 October 1977 About 230 people are killed as Bangladeshi troops put down an attempted military coup.
3 October 1977 Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is arrested on charges of corruption but will be released tomorrow.
The 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty expires today. However, both the United States and the Soviet Union have announced they will continue to honor the treaty.
5 October 1977 US President Jimmy Carter signs two human rights covenants at UN headquarters in New York.
6 October 1977 String Quartet no.1 by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo, 28 years after it was composed.
Symphony no.4 by Michael Tippett (72) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.
7 October 1977 A new constitution for the USSR is adopted by the Supreme Soviet. It goes into effect immediately.
8 October 1977 Requiem for chorus, organ, piano, electric bass, electric guitar, brass, percussion, and celesta by Alfred Schnittke (42) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
Three Slow Pieces for cello and piano by Ned Rorem (53) is performed for the first time, in New York.
10 October 1977 President Ibrahim al-Hamidi of Yemen and his brother Colonel Abdullah Mohammed al-Hamidi are murdered in Sana. The President is succeeded by by Lt. Colonel Ahmed Hussein al-Ghashmi.
Jubiläum no.45 for orchestra by Karlheinz Stockhausen (49) is performed for the first time, in Hanover.
11 October 1977 Several works by Leonard Bernstein (59) are performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center in Washington: Three Meditations from Mass for cello and orchestra, Songfest for six solo voices and orchestra to various poets, both conducted by the composer, and the overture Slava!
12 October 1977 The Sandinista opposition begin an “October offensive”, ambushing Nicaraguan National Guard troops at Finca San Fabian near Ocotal.
13 October 1977 Sandinistas capture a National Guard base at San Carlos, Nicaragua and then return to Costa Rica. Other attacks take place throughout the country.
Four Arab terrorists commandeer a Lufthansa jet after takeoff from Majorca. They make stops to refuel in Rome, Cyprus, Bahrain, and Dubai. The hijackers demand $15,000,000 and the release of 13 of their comrades currently imprisoned in West Germany and Turkey.
US President Carter says the oil companies are engaged in accruing massive profits in a time of need for the American people. “Part of the blame falls on me, my predecessors and the American people. We are simply wasting too much energy…”
An Tasten, an etude for piano by Mauricio Kagel (45), is performed for the first time, in the Stephaniensaal, Graz.
Stria for tape by John Chowning (43) is performed for the first time, in the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
14 October 1977 President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh outlaws the three largest political parties in the country.
15 October 1977 At a convention in New Dehli, the Congress Party elects K. Brahamananda Reddy as President, denying the post to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The hijacked Lufthansa jet takes off from Dubai and lands in Aden.
Westerlings for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (43) is performed completely for the first time, in the BBC Concert Hall, London. See 25 May 1977.
Persiflage for flute, oboe, and percussion by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
16 October 1977 The Arab hijackers of a Lufthansa jet kill the pilot in full view of the passengers, on the ground in Aden.
De profundis for chorus and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (43) is performed for the first time, in Graz. Also premiered is Coro for 40 voices and instruments by Luciano Berio (52) to words of Neruda and others.
17 October 1977 The hijacked Lufthansa jet takes off from Aden and lands in Mogadishu. The Arab hijackers dump the body of the pilot onto the runway.
Landscapes for brass quintet by Karel Husa (56) is performed for the first time, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
18 October 1977 West German commandos storm a hijacked Lufthansa jet in Mogadishu, Somalia. They free all 86 hostages and kill three of the four Arab hijackers. A few hours later, three leaders of the Baader-Meinhof gang, whose release was demanded by the hijackers, kill themselves in prison. Kidnapped industrialist Hanns-Martin Schleyer is executed by his captors.
Czech playwright Vaclav Havel is sentenced to 14 months in prison, conditionally deferred, for “damaging the republic.” Two other defendants receive prison terms of three years while a fourth is given a suspended sentence.
19 October 1977 The body of Hanns-Martin Schleyer is found in the trunk of a car in Mulhouse, France. Police were led there by a call from his kidnappers.
The South African government bans eighteen civil rights organizations.
The Concorde makes its first landing at Kennedy International Airport in New York after a flight from Toulouse taking three hours and 45 minutes.
20 October 1977 The military of Thailand overthrow the civilian government of Prime Minister Thanin Kravichen.
Deja Vu for percussion quartet and orchestra by Michael Colgrass (45) is performed for the first time, in New York. See 17 April 1978.
21 October 1977 Breton separatists explode three bombs in government buildings in Brest causing severe damage.
23 October 1977 Panamanian voters ratify the Panama Canal treaties by a 2-1 majority.
First Piano Quartet by William Bolcom (39) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.
24 October 1977 Astrea, a group including Sofia Gubaidulina and two others, which plays on traditional instruments, performs at the Moscow Jazz Club (on her 46th birthday). Afterwards, they are driven home by a man unknown to them who they assume is a KGB agent. He tells them to call him if they ever need anything like foreign currency or a way out of the country.
25 October 1977 The report of the autopsy on the body of Steven Biko, the South African black activist who died while in police custody, is leaked to the press. It shows Biko died of brain damage.
Palestinian terrorists shoot and kill UAE State Minister Saif ibn Said al-Ghubash in an apparent attempt to kill Syrian Foreign Minister Abdel Halim Khaddam at Abu Dhabi airport.
Two French and at least 15 Mauritanian nationals are kidnapped by Polisario guerrillas at Zouerate.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission reports that Exxon Corp. made “questionable payments” to foreign officials totaling $56,500,000 since 1963, and then covered up the fact.
The last known case of naturally transmitted smallpox is reported in Somalia.
27 October 1977 Métamorphoses, grand spectacle audio-visuel pour rayons laser, corticalart, bandes magnétiques, orgue et voix en direct by Pierre Henry (49) is performed for the first time, in Église de la Treille, Lille.
28 October 1977 Francis Fox, Solicitor-General of Canada, reveals that in 1973, members of the RCMP broke into offices of the Parti Quebecois and made copies of membership lists.
31 October 1977 “Der Jahreslauf” no.47, a scene from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (49) opera Dienstag aus Licht, is performed for the first time, in the Tokyo National Theatre.
1 November 1977 The TU-144, the Soviet supersonic transport, inaugurates regular service with a flight from Moscow to Alma Ata (Almaty).
The US Drug Enforcement Agency reports widespread recreational use of a veterinary tranquilizer called phencyclidine (PCP). As an additive to marijuana it is colloquially known as “angel dust.”
Curriculum vitae for accordion by Lukas Foss (55) is performed for the first time, in New York. See 10 March 1981.
4 November 1977 The United Nations Security Council votes to enforce an end to all shipments of arms to South Africa.
6 November 1977 Runes from a Holy Island for alto flute, clarinet, celesta, percussion, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (43) is performed for the first time, in a BBC broadcast originating in Edinburgh, conducted by the composer. See 6 September 1978.
8 November 1977 Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos announces that he has found the tomb of Philip of Macedon, at Vergina, Greece. (the claim is disputed)
9 November 1977 After Arab terrorists send rockets Nahariya, Israel from southern Lebanon for two days, Israeli airplanes attack guerrilla strongholds near Tyre (Sour), Lebanon, killing about 100 people.
Canadian Solicitor-General Francis Fox discloses that the RCMP has been opening mail illegally since 1954.
10 November 1977 South African security forces sweep through the black township of Atteridgeville-Saulsville outside Pretoria, arresting 626 people.
Canadian Solicitor-General Francis Fox discloses that the RCMP carried out a program of widespread break-ins at private residences, private buildings and organizations since the mid-1950s.
11 November 1977 King Juan Carlos of Spain decrees that films will no longer be censored and films may now be imported.
13 November 1977 Military dictator Sagnad Chaloryu of Thailand becomes Chairman of the National Policy Council. Kriangsak Chomanan is made Prime Minister.
The Somali government ends its friendship treaty with the USSR, expels all Soviet advisors, and breaks relations with Cuba.
Book of Hours and Seasons for mezzo-soprano, flute, cello, and piano by John Harbison (38) to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
16 November 1977 Red Brigades shoot and mortally wound Carlo Casalegno, deputy editor of La Stampa of Turin, outside his home. He will die 29 November.
Coro for 40 voices and 40 instruments by Luciano Berio (52) to words of Neruda and folk texts is performed completely for the first time, in Graz. See 24 October 1976.
Kryl for trumpet by Robert Erickson (60) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.
17 November 1977 President Anwar Sadat of Egypt accepts an invitation to visit Israel to discuss peace between the two countries.
Concerto for english horn and strings op.137 by Vincent Persichetti (62) is performed for the first time, in New York.
18 November 1977 Palestinian students attack the Egyptian embassy in Athens but are beaten back. Eight people are injured, 17 arrested. Rockets are fired at the Egyptian embassy in Beirut, killing three people.
Quatre degrés by Mauricio Kagel (45) is performed for the first time, in Metz.
Runaway Horse on Main Street for band by Charles Ives (†23) realized by Sinclair is performed for the first time, in New Haven.
Six Bagatelles for orchestra by George Perle (62) is performed for the first time, in Riverhead, New York.
19 November 1977 A cyclone hits the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. An estimated 10,000 people are killed. 2,000,000 are left homeless.
President Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt makes an historic visit to Jerusalem to talk with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. He is the first Arab leader to visit Israel. Syria declares a day of mourning.
Several attacks with bombs and automatic weapons take place against electrical facilities throughout France.
A Colone for chorus and 18 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (55) to words of Sophocles, is performed for the first time, in Metz.
20 November 1977 President Sadat of Eypt places a wreath at the memorial to Israeli war dead at the Knesset. He then addresses that body, telling them that peace is possible.
The Magic Fountain, a lyric drama by Frederick Delius (†43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 82 years after it was completed by the composer. See 22 June 1997.
Antiphon for chorus and organ by William Walton (75), to words of Herbert, is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Church, Rochester, New York. The work was commissioned by St. Paul’s Church to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
21 November 1977 President Anwar Sadat receives a hero’s welcome on his return to Egypt from Israel. Foreign Minister Ismail Fahmy and his deputy resign. They are replaced by Butros Butros-Ghali. Several bombs explode at the Egyptian embassy in Damascus.
Short Sonata for flute and piano by Otto Luening (77) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.
Impromptu for Roger for piano by Donald Martino (46) is performed for the first time, at Princeton University.
49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.
22 November 1977 The supersonic transport Concorde begins regular flights to New York from London and Paris.
Polaroid Corp. announces it will end sales in South Africa. The apartheid government has been using Polaroid cameras to make identification photos for pass books.
The Syrian representative to the UN delivers a speech to the General Assembly calling the Sadat trip “a stab in the back of the Arab people.” The Egyptian delegate walks out.
23 November 1977 Rhodesian troops begin five days of raids into Mozambique during which 1,200 people are killed.
Somali rebels begin an assault on Harar, Ethiopia.
24 November 1977 Ian Smith, leader of the white minority government of Rhodesia, announces he is ready to accept majority rule based on universal suffrage.
25 November 1977 Senator Benigno Aquino is sentenced to death in a Manila court after conviction of murder, subversion, and illegal possession of weapons.
Syria announces it will not attend the Geneva conference on the Middle East in protest to President Sadat’s visit to Israel.
28 November 1977 Following internal and world wide protests, Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos agrees to reopen the case of Benigno Aquino.
The Somali assault on Harar, ongoing since 23 November, begins to lose steam.
30 November 1977 Parliamentary elections in South Africa result in the biggest victory the National Party will ever win. They take 134 of 165 seats and over 60% of the vote. The New Republic Party (successor to the United Party) loses 31 seats.
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for celebrants and chorus by John Tavener (33) is performed for the first time, in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, London. It is not an actual service and one celebrant is played by the composer. Some members of the congregation are resentful of Tavener’s efforts with their liturgy, but the Russian Metropolitan is encouraging.
A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (47) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.
The Pathways of the Grandmothers for accordion and voice by Pauline Oliveros (45) is performed for the first time, at the Center for Social Services in San Diego.
1 December 1977 Genentech announces that they have produced somatostatin, the first genetically engineered product.
Ponteach for narrator and piano by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
2 December 1977 An investigation by South African authorities exonerates the police in the death of black activist Steven Biko, who died of brain injuries while in police custody.
A meeting of representatives of Syria, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, South Yemen, and the PLO opens in Tripoli, Libya. They condemn President Sadat and vote diplomatic and economic sanctions against Egypt.
Erskine Burrows is hanged in Bermuda for the murder of Governor Sir Richard Sharples in 1973. Hanged with him is a confederate, Larry Tacklin, who was found guilty of other murders along with Burrows. They are the last two people executed in British jurisdiction.
4 December 1977 President-for-Life Jean-Bedel Bokassa of the Central African Republic crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire in ceremonies in Bangui.
5 December 1977 Egypt severs diplomatic relations with Syria, Iraq, Libya, Algeria, and South Yemen over their attempts to block peace with Israel.
Concerto for strings by Ross Lee Finney (70) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
6 December 1977 160,000 members of the United Mine Workers go on strike in the United States for lack of a contract.
Dieu, “action de voix et de gestes d’après Victor Hugo” by Pierre Henry (49), is performed for the first time, in the Palais de Justice de Lille. It is very successful.
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by John Corigliano (39) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (59).
Cortège for orchestra by R. Murray Schafer (44) is performed for the first time, in Ottawa.
7 December 1977 Egypt closes cultural centers and consulates of the USSR, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, and Poland because of their opposition to peace with Israel.
8 December 1977 The Socialist minority government of Portuguese Prime Minister Mario Soares falls after losing a confidence vote over economic austerity measures.
15-25 human rights activists are abducted in Buenos Aires, presumably by government security officers.
9 December 1977 Quartets I-VIII for up to 96 instruments by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovenhalle, Bonn.
10 December 1977 The ruling Liberal/National Country coalition of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser loses a small number of seats in parliamentary elections but retains power handily.
The USSR celebrates Human Rights Day by arresting 20 Soviet dissidents.
12 December 1977 Ten Etudes for cello by Sofia Gubaidulina (46) are performed for the first time, at the Moscow Composers Union.
14 December 1977 Representatives of Egypt, Israel, the United Nations, and the United States open a conference in Cairo to determine procedures for future peace negotiations.
16 December 1977 Chamanengesänge for alto and chamber orchestra from the opera Geisterliebe by Isang Yun (60) to words of Kunz, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
18 December 1977 Indira Gandhi resigns from the executive committee of the Congress Party.
19 December 1977 Andries van Agt of the Christian Democratic Appeal replaces Joop den Uyl of the Labor Party as Prime Minister of the Netherlands at the head of a center-right coalition.
Two bombs seriously damage Fauchon, a famous food store in Paris.
Canada severs all trade and economic relations with South Africa.
21 December 1977 Jonchaies for orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (55) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Wagram, Paris.
23 December 1977 Eight French nationals kidnapped by Polisario guerrillas are handed over to UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim in Algiers.
24 December 1977 King Herod and the Cock for chorus by William Walton (75) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.
25 December 1977 President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin meet in Ismailiya, Egypt for two days of talks.
15 bombs explode in and around Paris over the next three days. The Corsican Liberation Front takes responsibility for one of them. Armed men fire shotguns into the front door of the country house of Georges Marchais, leader of the French Communist Party. Marchais returns fire and the men run away.
26 December 1977 President Ernesto Geisel of Brazil signs a divorce law. For the first time, Brazilians are allowed to divorce and remarry once.
27 December 1977 The Congress Party of India splits into two factions, one supports Indira Gandhi, the other doesn’t.
30 December 1977 Les Rêves for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (†40) to words of Silvestre is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RTB 3e Programme originating in Brussels, about 78 years after it was composed.
31 December 1977 Cambodia severs diplomatic relations with Vietnam after serious border fighting.
Hans Werner Henze (51) suffers his first heart attack, in London.
Turkish Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel resigns after losing a confidence vote.
A bomb explodes in a car carrying two members of the Syrian embassy in London. They are both killed.
©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger
23 January 2012
Last Updated (Monday, 23 January 2012 07:44)