1977

Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.

The Massacre of Atocha occurs, during the Spanish transition to democracy.

The Australian parliament is opened by Elizabeth II in her capacity as Queen of Australia.

Spain legalizes the Communist Party of Spain, which had been outlawed since 1939.

The Likud Party, led by Menachem Begin, wins the national elections in Israel.

Bülent Ecevit, of CHP forms the new government of Turkey (40th government since the founding of the Turkish republic, but fails to receive the vote of confidence).

Somalia declares war on Ethiopia, starting the Ethio-Somali War.

The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the Wow! signal for a notation made by a volunteer on the project.

Optical fiber is first used to carry live telephone traffic, as an Italian company in Turin, Centro Studi e Laboratori Telecomunicazioni (CSELT) begins operation of two telephone exchanges.

18 – German Autumn: GSG 9 troopers storm the hijacked Lufthansa passenger plane in Mogadishu, Somalia; three of the four hijackers die.

2060 Chiron, first of the outer Solar System asteroids known as Centaurs, is discovered by Charlie Kowal.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is founded as a specialized agency of the United Nations.