Timeline of the Jimmy Carter presidency (1979)

The year 1979 was a particularly challenging one for the presidency of Jimmy Carter, marked by both domestic and international crises.

January:

• January 1: Formal diplomatic relations established between the United States and the People's Republic of China. This marked the culmination of a process started under previous administrations and represented a significant shift in US foreign policy.

February:

• February 1: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Iran after 15 years in exile, marking a turning point in the Iranian Revolution. The collapse of the Shah's government had profound implications for US influence in the region and access to Iranian oil.

March:

• March 28: The Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurs near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This incident, involving a partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor, fueled public fears about nuclear safety and had a chilling effect on the nuclear power industry in the United States.

• March 26: Egypt and Israel sign a peace treaty in Washington, D.C., brokered by President Carter. This landmark agreement, known as the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, followed the Camp David Accords signed in 1978 and represented a major diplomatic achievement for the Carter administration.

June:

• June 18: Carter and Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev sign the SALT II arms limitation treaty in Vienna. This treaty aimed to limit the production of strategic nuclear weapons. However, its ratification in the US Senate was delayed and ultimately rendered moot by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan later in the year.

July:

• July 15: In a televised address, Carter delivers his "Crisis of Confidence" speech (often referred to as the "Malaise Speech"). While not explicitly using the word "malaise," Carter discussed a national crisis of confidence, arguing that Americans were losing faith in their institutions and future. The speech was met with mixed reactions.

• July 17-19: Carter reshuffles his cabinet, dismissing several key members, including Attorney General Griffin Bell, Secretary of the Treasury Michael Blumenthal, and Secretary of Energy James Schlesinger. This action reflected Carter's attempt to revitalize his administration amidst growing public discontent.

November:

• November 4: Iranian militants storm the US embassy in Tehran and take American diplomats hostage. The Iran hostage crisis would dominate the remainder of Carter's presidency.

• November 9: Carter orders a halt to all US oil imports from Iran.

December:

• December 24: The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, escalating Cold War tensions and leading to a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The invasion also contributed to the demise of SALT II.

1979 was a year that tested the Carter administration severely, impacting both his domestic popularity and his foreign policy agenda. The Iranian Revolution, the Three Mile Island accident, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan each presented unique challenges that would shape the remainder of his presidency and have lasting effects on American politics and foreign relations.