1978
1978 is the year the first baby conceived by IVF was born.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1978 fits
Why 1978 is special
The technique was widely condemned before it worked and is now responsible for millions of births. Robert Edwards received the Nobel Prize in 2010; Patrick Steptoe had died in 1988 and the prize is not awarded posthumously.
Same number, different meanings
How 1978 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
The technique was widely condemned before it worked and is now responsible for millions of births. Robert Edwards received the Nobel Prize in 2010; Patrick Steptoe had died in 1988 and the prize is not awarded posthumously.
- History
In 1978, the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilisation was born (Britain).
- Science
IVF was denounced as unethical before the first birth in 1978 and now accounts for a substantial share of births in several countries. The trajectory from moral panic to standard medicine took about a generation.
1978 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (8)
- 1, 2, 23, 43, 46, 86, 989, 1978
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 23 × 43
- Digit sum
- 25
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 1978
- Scientific notation
- 1.978 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L X X V I I I
MCMLXXVIII uses the subtractive pair CM: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,978
Octal
3 6 7 2
3 × 512 + 6 × 64 + 7 × 8 + 2 × 1 = 1,978
Hexadecimal
7 b a
7 × 256 + b × 16 + a × 1 = 1,978
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 2 = 1,978.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 7 hobbles, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 7 × 10 + 8 × 1 = 1,978. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 2 vertical wedges (sixties place), 5 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
32 × 60 + 58 = 1978. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
1978 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1970s.
The first heart transplant in 1967 and the first IVF birth in 1978 were both condemned before they worked and became routine afterwards.
View 1967 →History
In 1978, the first baby conceived by in vitro fertilisation was born (Britain).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: BritainPeriod: 1978
Science
IVF was denounced as unethical before the first birth in 1978 and now accounts for a substantial share of births in several countries. The trajectory from moral panic to standard medicine took about a generation.
DocumentedScienceGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1978
Common questions
Is 1978 a prime number?
No, 1978 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1978?
The factors of 1978 are 1, 2, 23, 43, 46, 86, 989, 1978.
What is 1978 in Roman numerals?
1978 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXVIII. CM is subtractive: a hundred before a thousand — a thousand minus a hundred. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLXXVIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026