On This Day

After invading Afghanistan two days earlier, Soviet forces carry out a coup in Kabul and kill President Hafizullah Amin,

After invading Afghanistan two days earlier, Soviet forces carry out a coup in Kabul and kill President Hafizullah Amin, replacing him with Babrak Karmal

Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is within the jurisdiction of Kabul District and has an estimated population of 5,333,284 people. Located in the eastern half of the country, forming part of the Kabul Province, the city is administratively divided into five zones and 22 municipal districts. The native population of Kabul primarily speaks Persian, locally referred to as Persian Dari, using regional Dari dialects with a distinctive Kabuli accent.

Mawlawi Abdul Rashid is the current mayor of the city.

Kabul has long been Afghanistan's political, cultural and economic center. Rapid urbanization has made it the country's primate city. It is located high in a narrow valley in the Hindu Kush mountain range, and is bounded by the Kabul River.

Historical Significance

Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan.

Events Before

  1. Air India Flight 855 crashes into the Arabian Sea less than two minutes after takeoff, killing all 213 people on board

    Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  2. TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy a

    TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy

  3. Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

    Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

  4. Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone lay

    Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone layer

  5. Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

    Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chrysler Europe is renamed Talbot

    Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.

  2. Real Records releases "Pretenders" in the UK, the debut album by The Pretenders

    Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, it was an immediate success.

  3. Pink Floyd's double album "The Wall" hits #1

    The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest CBS Records. It is the last album to include all four post-Barrett-era band members.

  4. US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afgh

    US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

  5. Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

    Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

More from the 1970s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 27, 1979?
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is within the jurisdiction of Kabul District and has an estimated population of 5,333,284 people. Located in the eastern half of the country, forming part of the Kabul Province, the city is administratively divided into five zones and 22 municipal districts.
Why is After invading Afghanistan two days earlier, Soviet forces carry out a coup i... significant?
Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan.

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