1979
1979 is the year of the Iranian Revolution and the founding of the Islamic Republic.
- Odd
- Prime
Where 1979 fits
Why 1979 is special
The revolution replaced a monarchy with a clerical republic within a year and reshaped regional politics for decades. 1979 also saw the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the first commercial cellular network, making it a year that is referenced from several unrelated directions.
Same number, different meanings
How 1979 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
The revolution replaced a monarchy with a clerical republic within a year and reshaped regional politics for decades. 1979 also saw the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the first commercial cellular network, making it a year that is referenced from several unrelated directions.
- History
In 1979, the Three Mile Island accident occurred, and the first cellular network opened in Japan.
- Technology & computing
In 1979, Sony's Walkman made recorded music portable and private, and established the personal-audio device as a category (Japan).
1979 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (2)
- 1, 1979
- Prime factorisation
- 1979
- Digit sum
- 26
- Digital root
- 8
Representations
- Decimal
- 1979
- Scientific notation
- 1.979 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L X X I X
MCMLXXIX uses the subtractive pair IX: one before ten — ten minus one.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,979
Octal
3 6 7 3
3 × 512 + 6 × 64 + 7 × 8 + 3 × 1 = 1,979
Hexadecimal
7 b b
7 × 256 + b × 16 + b × 1 = 1,979
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 2 + 1 = 1,979.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 7 hobbles, 9 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 7 × 10 + 9 × 1 = 1,979. 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 + 9 vertical wedges (units place)
32 × 60 + 59 = 1979. 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
1979 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1970s.
The number entered general reference through the novel published in 1979.
View 42 →History
In 1979, the Three Mile Island accident occurred, and the first cellular network opened in Japan.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: globalPeriod: 19791979 produced the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the first commercial cellular network. The three are unrelated and each is heavily referenced, which is why the year is cited from several directions that rarely acknowledge one another.
DocumentedHistoryPeriod: 1979
Technology & computing
In 1979, Sony's Walkman made recorded music portable and private, and established the personal-audio device as a category (Japan).
DocumentedTechnology & computingGeography: JapanPeriod: 1979
Common questions
Is 1979 a prime number?
Yes, 1979 is prime — it has exactly two positive divisors: 1 and itself.
What are the factors of 1979?
The factors of 1979 are 1, 1979.
What is 1979 in Roman numerals?
1979 in Roman numerals is MCMLXXIX. IX is subtractive: one before ten — ten minus one. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLXXVIIII, 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: 3 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026