1978 – February 11, 1979★★★★★
Iranian Revolution
Mass protests topple Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; Ayatollah Khomeini returns and Iran becomes an Islamic Republic.
RevolutionReligionPolitics· Iran
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Events this year
September 17, 1978★★★★★
Camp David Accords
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign US-brokered accords, leading to the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
Treaty· Egypt, Israel, United States
December 1978★★★★★
China launches Reform and Opening
The Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee, guided by Deng Xiaoping, shifts China's focus to economic development and opening up.
EconomyPolitics· China
December 25, 1978 – 1989★★★★★
Cambodian–Vietnamese War
Following Khmer Rouge border attacks, Vietnam invades Cambodia, takes Phnom Penh on 7 January 1979 and overthrows the Khmer Rouge; Vietnamese troops remain until 1989.
War· Vietnam, Cambodia
Ongoing
c. 1975 – c. 1995★★★★★
Vietnamese boat people
Hundreds of thousands of people flee Vietnam by sea after 1975; many die at sea and others are resettled, mostly in Western countries.
Politics· Vietnam, United States, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
April 13, 1975 – 1990★★★★★
Lebanese Civil War
A multi-sided civil war devastates Lebanon for fifteen years, with intervention by Syria, Israel and other foreign forces.
War· Lebanon
April 17, 1975 – January 7, 1979★★★★★
Khmer Rouge take Phnom Penh; Cambodian genocide begins
The Khmer Rouge capture Phnom Penh and forcibly empty the cities; Pol Pot's regime causes the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people.
RevolutionPolitics· Cambodia