1979

Events

January

• January 9: Greek television begins broadcasting in color using the French system SECAM. It will later be replaced by the German PAL.
• January 11: Yiangos Pesmazoglou leaves the Centrist Democratic Union to form the Democratic Socialist Party (KODISO, Greek: ΚΟΔΗΣΟ)

February

• February 12: Weapons are stolen from an army base in Rethymno, Crete.
• February 13: The Greek government publishes the new law allowing divorce for reason of "long-term separation".

March

• March 27: An earthquake in Elis prefecture causes considerable damage.

April

• April 23: Nikos Sampson is temporarilly released from prison for health reasons.

May

• May 2: Panagiotis Kelesidis holds Hungary to a 0-0 tie with Greece, in Budapest, in a qualifier for the European Cup of Nations.

June

• June 9: Panionios upset AEK 3-1 and win the Greek Football Cup for the first time in their history.
• June 13: Philippos Syrigos begins his career as sportscaster in a basketball game (Greece - France 74-76, for the European Championship in Torino.

July

• July 7: Bank employees strike across Greece.
• July 17: The Vardinogiannis Group purchases Panathinaikos FC.
• July 30: The professional football team of AEK is formed with Loukas Barlos the first president.

August

• August 9: A medical certificate is no longer required for a wedding in Greece.

September

• September 6: Two AE Larisa FC players - Mousiaris and Koukoulitsios - are killed in a traffic accident. Their teammate, Yiannis Valaoras, miraculously survives.
• September 12: With a goal from Takis Nikoloudis, Greece qualify for the first time for a European Championship (Euro 1980) as they overcome USSR 1-0 at Leoforos

October

• October 18: The Greek government announces measures to save the Parthenon and other antiquites from pollution.
• October 18: Odysseus Elytis wins the Nobel prize for literature.
• October 27: Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis meets Pope John Paul II in Rome.

November

• November 7: Aris Thessaloniki defeat Perugia 3-0, in Italy, in the UEFA Cup.

December

• December 2: Nikos Galis debuts in Greek Basketball with Aris BC and scores 30 points with his team against Iraklis BC
• December 10: Argentinian Juan Ramon Rocha is signed illegally by Panathinaikos as "Boublis".

Births

February

• February 2: Fani Chalkia, athlete

March

• March 24: Periklis Iakovakis, Greek record holder of the 400m hurdles

June

• June 21: Kostas Katsouranis, footballer.

July

• July 3: Sotiris Kyrgiakos, footballer

Deaths

March

• March 29: Nikos Pentzaropoulos, footballer.

September

• September 11: Solon Michaelidis, Cypriot composer.