1977 American Samoan gubernatorial election, Candidates
Former governor Peter Tali Coleman ran with Tufele Liamatua as his running mate for lieutenant governor. The territory's delegate at-large A. P. Lutali ran with Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia, a Senator. Former delegate at-large A. U. Fuimaono ran alongside Senator Lutu T. S. Fuimaono.


1977 Amstel Gold Race
The 1977 Amstel Gold Race was the twelfth edition of the annual road bicycle race "Amstel Gold Race", held on Sunday April 9, 1977, in the Dutch province of Limburg. The race stretched 230 kilometres, with the start in Heerlen and the finish in Meerssen. There were a total of 145 competitors, while 54 cyclists finished the race.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone
The 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that hit Andhra Pradesh in November 1977, killing at least 10,000 people.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
The origins of the 1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone can be traced to a weak tropical disturbance which was first noted on satellite imagery on the morning of 14 November while located roughly 520 km (320 mi) southwest of the Nicobar Islands. Traveling due west at 25 km/h (15 mph) along the southern periphery of the mid-tropospheric subtropical ridge, the disturbance steadily organized, with increased banding noted on satellite imagery.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
This increase in organization prompted the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to report that the disturbance had intensified into a deep depression later that morning, and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) to issue a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the system at 13:10 UTC that afternoon. At 08:00 UTC on 15 November, the JTWC issued its first advisory on the system as satellite data indicated that the storm had continued to strengthen, with estimated one-minute sustained wind speeds of 75 km/h (45 mph).


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
While the system was initially developing, an upper tropospheric trough had formed over northern and central India and produced a break in the subtropical ridge. As the storm traveled towards this break in the ridge on 15 November, the mid-tropospheric anticyclone over the system weakened, reducing the storm's steering flow and causing the system to slow to a 7 km/h (5 mph) northwestwards movement. In addition, the divergent southwesterly flow produced by the trough resulted in the system beginning a period of rapid intensification. Early on 16 November, the system intensified into a Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale; an eye was observed on satellite imagery later that morning.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
For the next two days, the tropical cyclone continued to strengthen while traveling generally towards the north-northwest. During this time period, increased organization, such as tighter banding features and a progressively more distinct eye, were observed on satellite imagery. At 10:30 UTC on 17 November, the ship Jagatswami reported winds of 195 km/h (120 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 948 hPa (27.99 inHg) off the Indian coast.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
The next evening, the JTWC estimated that the system had attained its peak intensity as a Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone, with one-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph), while located roughly 140 km (85 mi) off the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Around this time, the IMD estimated that the system had three-minute sustained winds of 230 km/h (145 mph)—which would classify the system as a modern-day super cyclonic storm—and a minimum barometric pressure of 943 hPa (27.85 inHg).


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Meteorological History
As the cyclone approached the Indian coast, it accelerated to 17 km/h (10 mph) while slightly weakening from its peak intensity. The storm made landfall near Chirala, in the Prakasam district of central Andhra Pradesh, around 11:00 UTC on 19 November with one-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). Moving northwards over flat agricultural lands, the storm weakened, with the JTWC issuing its final warning at 20:00 UTC that evening. The IMD continued tracking the system, reporting that it weakened into an area of low pressure on the evening of 20 November before dissipating over southeastern Madhya Pradesh and Odisha the next evening.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Impact
The worst affected areas were in the Krishna River delta region. The island of Diviseema, which was hit by a seven-metre-high (20 ft) storm surge, experienced a loss of life running into the thousands. Hundreds of bodies were floating in the waters and bodies bloated beyond recognition were consigned to mass pyres. Landslides ripped off the railway lines in the Waltair-Kirandal route. About 100 people who had left their homes to seek shelter in a church in Bapatla town were killed when the building collapsed. Fields of paddy and cash crops were submerged by the tidal waves. Thirteen sailing vessels, including some foreign ones, went missing in the storm.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Impact
About 100 villages were marooned or washed away by the cyclonic storms and the ensuing floods and a total of 10,841 killed or missing, and 34 lakh rendered homeless. According to the Janata party, at least 50,000 people were believed to have been killed by the storm, substantially higher than reported by the government.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Aftermath
The large loss of life prompted the establishment of early warning meteorological stations on the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Cyclone shelters and other measures for disaster management were also taken. A memorial, at the point of furthest advance of the tidal wave, near the town of Avanigadda, was built in memory of the people who died in the storm.


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Aftermath
The next cyclone (1990) that also occurred in Andhra Pradesh, showed that there was a large improvement in disaster management, effective warnings ahead of time, and better meteorological equipment which dramatically reduced the death rate (compared to the cyclone in 1977).


1977 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, Aftermath
In the wake of the disaster, officials in India were accused of covering up the scale of damage and loss of life. Members of the Janata party, an opposing political group to the state government in place at the time, claimed that the cover up was to hide criminal negligence which resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities. Following these accusations, five high-ranking government officials resigned from their positions.


1977 Andorran political reform referendum
A referendum on political reforms was held in Andorra on 28 October 1977. Voters were presented with six options, but none received a majority and over 30% of votes cast were left blank. A second referendum on political reform was held the following year.


1977 Andorran political reform referendum, Background
In February 1977, the General Council and the Co-Princes agreed to political reforms, putting forward six options to voters:


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt
The 1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt was an failed attempt by the Angolan interior minister Nito Alves to overthrow the government of Agostinho Neto. It took place on May 27.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Background
By the late 1970s, Alves had become a powerful member of the government and the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). He had successfully put down Daniel Chipenda's Eastern Revolt and the Active Revolt during the War of Independence. By 1975, factionalism within the MPLA had become a major challenge to Neto's power and so Neto gave Alves the task of once again clamping down on dissent. Alves shut down the Cabral and Henda Committees and expanded his influence within the MPLA through his control of the nation's newspapers and state-run television.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Background
He visited the Soviet Union in October 1976, and may have obtained Soviet support for a coup against Neto. By the time he returned, Neto had grown suspicious of Alves' growing power and sought to neutralize him and his followers. Neto called a plenum meeting of the Central Committee of the MPLA. There, he formally designated the party as Marxist–Leninist, abolished the Interior Ministry, and established a Commission of Enquiry. Neto used the commission to target the Nitistas with accusations of fractionism, and ordered the commission to issue a report of its findings in March 1977. Alves and Chief of Staff José Van-Dunem, his political ally, began planning a coup d'état against Neto.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Background
Alves and Van-Dunem planned to arrest Neto on May 21 before he arrived at a meeting of the Central Committee and before the Commission of Enquiry released its report on the activities of the Nitistas. However, the MPLA changed the location of the meeting shortly before its scheduled start, throwing the plotters' plans into disarray. Alves attended the meeting and faced the commission anyway. The commission released its report, accusing him of fractionism. Alves fought back, denouncing Neto for not aligning Angola with the Soviet Union. After twelve hours of debate, the party voted 26 to 6 to dismiss Alves and Van-Dunem from their positions.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Coup attempt
In support of Alves and the coup, ten armored cars with the 8th Brigade of the People's Armed Forces of Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) broke into São Paulo Prison at 4 AM, killing the prison warden and freeing more than 150 Nitistas, including 11 who had been arrested only a few days before. The 8th Brigade then took control of the radio station in Luanda and announced their coup, calling themselves the MPLA Action Committee and calling on citizens to show their support for the coup by demonstrating in front of the presidential palace.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Coup attempt
The Nitistas captured Bula and Dangereaux, generals loyal to Neto, but Neto had moved his base of operations from the palace to the Ministry of Defence in fear of such an uprising. Cuban troops loyal to Neto retook the palace and marched to the radio station. They succeeded in taking the radio station and proceeded to the barracks of the 8th Brigade, recapturing it by 1:30 PM. While the Cuban force captured the palace and radio station, the Nitistas kidnapped seven leaders within the government and the military, shooting and killing six.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Aftermath
The Angolan government arrested tens of thousands of suspected Nitistas from May to November and tried them in secret courts overseen by Defense Minister Iko Carreira. Those who were found guilty - including Van-Dunem, his wife Sita Valles, Jacobo Caetano (the head of FAPLA's 8th Brigade), and political commissar Eduardo Evaristo - were shot and buried in secret graves. At least two thousand followers (or alleged followers) of Nito Alves were estimated to have been killed by Cuban and MPLA troops in the aftermath, with some estimates claiming as high as seventy thousand dead.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Aftermath
The coup attempt had a lasting effect on Angola's foreign relations. Alves had opposed Neto's foreign policy of non-alignment, evolutionary socialism, and multiracialism, favoring stronger relations with the Soviet Union, which Alves wanted to grant military bases in Angola. While Cuban soldiers actively helped Neto put down the coup, Alves and Neto both believed the Soviet Union opposed Neto. Cuban Armed Forces Minister Raúl Castro sent an additional four thousand troops to prevent further dissension within the MPLA's ranks and met with Neto in August in a display of solidarity.


1977 Angolan coup d'état attempt, Aftermath
In contrast, Neto's distrust of the Soviet leadership increased and relations with the USSR worsened. In December, the MPLA held its first Party congress and changed its name to the MPLA-Worker's Party (MPLA-PT). The attempted coup took a toll on its membership. In 1975, the MPLA had reached two hundred thousand members, but after the first party congress, that number decreased to thirty thousand.


1977 Angus District Council election
The 1977 Angus District Council election took place on the 3 May 1977 to elect members of Angus District Council, as part of that years Scottish local elections.


1977 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election
The 1977 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election was part of the 1977 Scottish local elections. This was the second election held under the new double-tiered system of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Annandale and Eskdale is an area of Dumfries and Galloway and was covered by the Annandale and Eskdale District Council and the Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council.


1977 Annandale and Eskdale District Council election
As with the last election, political parties didn't field any candidates in this election.


1977 Antrim Borough Council election
Elections to Antrim Borough Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1977 Antrim Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Nationalist1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Nationalist1973-1977 Change: No change


1977 Antrim Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x Alliance1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance1973-1977 Change: DUP gain from UUP


1977 Antrim Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP1973-1977 Change: DUP gain from Vanguard


1977 Arab Athletics Championships
The 1977 Arab Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Damascus, Syria, coming one year after the city had hosted the 1976 Pan Arab Games. The absence of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco—the three foremost Arab nations in the sport—meant the level of competition was lower than that seen at the games. Iraq was the dominant nation, winning half the gold medals, and Tunisia was a clear second place with five golds. The hosts, Syria, placed third with a medal haul of twelve. Eight of the twelve participating nations reached the medal table.


1977 Arab Athletics Championships
A total of 22 athletics events were contested, all by men. The schedule mirrored that of the recent Pan Arab Games, with the exception of the hammer throw and decathlon, which were not held here. Women athletes were not included at the competition until the following edition in 1979.


1977 Arab Athletics Championships
Iraq's Falah Naji Jarallah was the most successful athlete of the games, having taken a middle-distance running double in the 800 metres and 1500 metres. He was the only athlete to win two individual titles in Damascus. Iraq athletes won all the track events bar the long-distance races, where Tunisia's Mansour Guettaya and Abdelkader Zaddem were dominant, and the steeplechase (won by Syria's Samir Mustapha). Four Arab champions also won an individual silver as well: Guettaya (1500 m and 5000 m), Abbas Al-Aibi (400 m and 800 m), Heitham Nadim (100 m and 200 m) and Hussein Dawood (horizontal jumps).


1977 Arab Athletics Championships
The establishment of the competition brought an increase in regional competition, particularly for African Arab nations as the African Championships in Athletics was not established until two years later. For such nations, the Maghreb Athletics Championships, first held in 1967, served as a partial precursor to the broader Arab Championships.


1977 Ards Borough Council election
Elections to Ards Borough Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 17 councillors.


1977 Ards Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1973: 6 x UUP, 1 x SDLP1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1973-1977 Change: Alliance (two seats) and DUP gain from UUP (three seats)


1977 Ards Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x NILP, 1 x Loyalist1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x NILP, 1 x DUP1973-1977 Change: Alliance and DUP gain from UUP and Loyalist


1977 Ards Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist1977: 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist1973-1977 Change: DUP gain from Independent Unionist


1977 Argentine Championships (tennis)
The second 1977 ATP Buenos Aires was a men's tennis tournament held in Buenos Aires, Argentina that was part of the Grand Prix circuit and played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 11th edition of the tournament and was held from 21 November through 27 November 1977. First-seeded Guillermo Vilas won the singles title.


1977 Argentine Championships (tennis), Finals, Singles
Guillermo Vilas defeated  Jaime Fillol Sr. 6–2, 7–5, 3–6, 6–3


1977 Argentine Championships (tennis), Finals, Doubles
Ion Ţiriac /  Guillermo Vilas defeated  Ricardo Cano /  Antonio Muñoz


1977 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1977 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 9, 1977. It was the first round of the 1977 Formula One season.


1977 Argentine Grand Prix, Race, Report
The 1977 season started in Argentina, and it was reigning world champion James Hunt who started off his title defence with pole position in his McLaren. Countryman John Watson shared the front row with him in the Brabham, and Patrick Depailler in the six-wheeled Tyrrell was third on the grid.


1977 Argentine Grand Prix, Race, Report
Watson took the lead at the start with Hunt second. Watson led for the first 10 laps until Hunt moved ahead and pulled away, with Mario Andretti's Lotus third, but soon the other McLaren of Jochen Mass took the place. Mass had to retire soon after with an engine failure which caused him to spin, and a suspension failure took teammate and race leader Hunt out three laps later. Watson took the lead again, but he also had suspension failures and let teammate Carlos Pace through.


1977 Argentine Grand Prix, Race, Report
Watson eventually retired, and Pace struggled towards the end due to heat in his cockpit and was passed by Jody Scheckter's Wolf and Andretti, but the latter retired then with a wheel bearing failure. Scheckter took the first win of 1977, with Pace second, and home hero Carlos Reutemann completing the podium for Ferrari.


1977 Argentine Primera División
The 1977 Primera División season was the 86th season of top-flight football in Argentina. River Plate won the Metropolitano (17th title) and Independiente achieved the Nacional championship (11th title).


1977 Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team
The 1977 Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team represented Arizona State University in the 1977 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Sun Devils played their home games at Packard Stadium. The team was coached by Jim Brock in his 6th season at Arizona State.


1977 Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team
The Sun Devils won the College World Series, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the championship game.


1977 Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team, Sun Devils in the 1977 MLB Draft
The following members of the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball program were drafted in the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft.


1977 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1977 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented Arizona State University during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. This was Arizona State's final season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 1977 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their first season under head coach Tony Mason, the Wildcats compiled a 5–7 record (3–4 against WAC opponents), finished in fifth place in the WAC, and outscored their opponents, 256 to 250. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. This was Arizona’s (and rival Arizona State’s) final season as members of the WAC and joined the Pac-8 Conference, which became the Pac-10, in the following season.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team
Mason replaced Jim Young, who left for Purdue after the 1976 season ended.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team
The team's statistical leaders included Marc Lunsford with 1,344 passing yards, Derriak Anderson with 568 rushing yards, and Harry Holt with 423 receiving yards. Linebacker Corky Ingraham led the team with 153 total tackles.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Before the season
Arizona concluded the 1976 season with a record of 5–6 (3–4 in WAC). Young accepted the head coaching position at Purdue afterwards, and Mason was chosen to be his successor. Mason, who coached at Cincinnati, came to Arizona to rebuild the program and promised to return the team to its winning ways.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Auburn
For the second year in a row, Arizona opened the season against Auburn. It was also their first visit to an SEC team’s home stadium. In Mason’s first game as Arizona coach, the Wildcats started slow and never recovered as the Tigers got the victory. As of 2021, both Arizona and Auburn have not played each other since.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Iowa
Arizona traveled to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes. The Wildcats got their offense going and Mason captured his first win as Wildcat coach.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, New Mexico
The Wildcats faced New Mexico in their home finale. Arizona’s offense struggled at times but was able to get past the Lobos and the Kit Carson Rifle returned back to Tucson for the first time since 1974. This turned out to be Mason’s only meeting against New Mexico. It was also the last meeting between the Wildcats and Lobos until 1987 (due to Arizona leaving the WAC).


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Arizona State
In Mason’s debut against Arizona State, the Wildcats were unable to overcome Arizona State and its home crowd and lost to the Sun Devils for the third straight year. This was the final WAC game played by the two teams.


1977 Arizona Wildcats football team, Game summaries, Hawaii
The Wildcats played a twelfth game of the season due to non-conference scheduling. They traveled to Hawaii in their season finale. Both Arizona and Hawaii’s defense shut down the offense and led to a low-scoring game. In the end, the Wildcats came out victorious. Coincidentally, Hawaii was coached by Dick Tomey, a future Arizona coach who would have a successful tenure with the Wildcats.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery
The 1977 Arizona armored car robbery was an armed robbery of an armored car that took place along Interstate 17 in which the two guards of the car were murdered. The robbery was committed by brothers Michael Kent Poland and Patrick Gene Poland. Both brothers were eventually executed for their parts in the crime, becoming one of two sets of brothers executed in Arizona, the others being the LaGrands.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery
The story was featured in episode 6, season 4 of The FBI Files on December 4, 2001.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Description of crime
On May 24, 1977, guards Russell Dempsey and Cecil Newkirk were on duty for Purolator Courier. They were driving along I-17 when a vehicle they believed was a police car pulled them over. After pulling over, they were ordered by the men they believed were police officers to open the truck, after which the Poland brothers took over. The drivers of the security van were bundled into bags and dumped into Lake Mead . The brothers had claimed that one guard had died of a heart attack, so they had to kill the other. They had stolen $228,000 during the robbery.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
The investigation first focused on the two missing couriers. Both were ruled out as suspects when their wives reported that they had no financial problems, and their employer reported that each of the couriers had faithfully worked for the company for over 20 years.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
The truck was eventually found in the remote desert near the town of Bumble Bee. Though the couriers were not there, blood was found in the back of the truck along with several thousand dollars in coins. The truck's doors were left locked until a spare set of keys were brought to unlock them.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
Upon examination it was discovered that the vehicle's radio was found to be left on but no distress calls were received by the base, also the van's siren had not been tripped and an unfired shotgun was found in the back. US$293,000 worth of paper currency was missing.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
After the discovery, the FBI had local news agencies make the news public. Several motorists called in reporting that they saw the van stopped on the northbound side of Interstate 17 on the morning of May 24, exactly the same date when the guards were reported missing.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
One motorist said he saw an Arizona Highway Patrol officer walking towards the van, and other witnesses had similar stories, but in their accounts the make and model of the trooper's car varied, while others claimed to have seen the police cruiser stopped in front of the armored van.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
After checking with the Arizona Highway Patrol, they learned that none of their officers remembered stopping an armored van on Interstate 17 on May 24, so the assumption was made that whoever that Arizona state trooper was, he was actually masquerading as one. Several motorists underwent hypnosis to provide details of that officer to a sketch artist but there were different results.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
Mojave County Sheriff's Deputy Dale Lent and FBI agents processed the spot where the armored car was believed to have been stopped. Digs and gouges in the dirt indicated that there had been a struggle near the rear of the van. In addition tire tracks from a second vehicle were found, consistent with the tire tracks found in the remote area near where the armored van had been abandoned however those same tracks were also found in front of where the van had been pulled over.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
On June 16, 1977, 300 miles northwest of where the armored van had been abandoned, a body in a black canvas bag was discovered in Debbie's Cove in Lake Mead by a pair of anglers. The men contacted the National Park Service who sped to the scene along with investigators and local officers. After recovering the body a wallet was found in the back pocket and the victim was identified as Russell Dempsey, one of the two missing courier guards. Continuing the search found no sign of the second courier, but two sticks of wood connected by a rope which, resembled a makeshift garrote, was found.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
A subsequent autopsy indicated that the guard found had suffered a heart attack and had been strangled, possibly with a garrote like the makeshift one found near the body, but it was not until a strand of hair found tangled in the device was confirmed to be from the deceased guard answered their suspicions.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
During the next few weeks, FBI agents canvassed area service stations until one station owner reported his suspicions. He had towed a pickup truck which had inadvertently backed into the lake, from a boat ramp named Bonelli Landing, at Lake Mead the day after the robbery for two men who claimed to be fishing. Though there did not seem to be any fishing equipment in the back, there were drag marks in the bed of the vehicle. The receipt for the towing had the signature of Michael Poland.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
An exhaustive search of boat rental receipts turned up one which had his name for a rental for a boat to Bonelli Landing, where the pickup had been towed. Agents returned to Lake Mead and after searching between Bonelli Landing and the boat rental shop across the shore, Cecil Newkirk's body was recovered, floating in a black canvas bag just like his coworker.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
An autopsy conducted revealed that he had been severely beaten before being drowned and wounds on his chest were discovered to be consistent with the wounds left by a high-voltage taser gun. His personal effects had been removed including a self-winding watch which stopped working at 10:37 p.m on May 26.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
An intensified search yielded a 3rd canvas bag similar to the first few bags used to cover the courier guards' corpses, which contained two corroded revolvers, concrete dust caked in the weave of the bag and more crucially, a license plate similar to the ones used on Arizona Highway Patrol cruisers. The service station owner identified Michael Poland in a picture lineup.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
Investigators eventually located Michael Poland, and they observed that he did not appear gainfully employed, but he had recently purchased a new motorcycle. Investigators identified a man who frequently visited as Michael's younger brother, Patrick. He had just bought a new car. Michael's teenage son told them his father had recently bought two new motorcycles and a lot more.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
Further investigation revealed that both brothers were in financial trouble but after the robbery their debts had been paid completely and they had purchased new vehicles, spending money beyond their legal means.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
The Poland brothers' father said both brothers had borrowed the truck on the day of the robbery and that several weeks before the heist, Mr. Poland had mixed concrete in the pickup's flatbed, and examinations revealed it was the same batch of concrete that left the dust stuck in the canvas bag recovered at Lake Mead. However the station owner could not positively identify Patrick Poland, but he did confirm that their father's pickup truck was the one he towed from Bonelli Landing.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
On July 27, 1977, agents arrived at Michael Poland's house with a search warrant but he claimed that on the day of the heist he was in Las Vegas buying jewels. Several gems and $12,000 in cash were found and Michael claimed that they were for his jewel business. Several receipts were confiscated including a receipt for two taser guns sold one month before the robbery.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
However, when Patrick Poland was asked regarding the robbery he said they were at Lake Mead fishing but had difficulties answering other questions. His brother Michael later called him to tell him to not to talk to investigators.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
A search of Patrick's house yielded a stash of weapons and $16,000 in cash. After much investigation it was revealed that neither of the cars the brothers owned before the robbery left the tire tracks found near the crime scene. The clerk of the gun store which sold the tasers to Mark Harris could only remember Mark Harris as a white male in his 20s.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
10 months of surveillance on the brothers revealed the brothers closing a deal on a gaming arcade but there was insufficient evidence for an arrest warrant so agents focused on determining where the black canvas bags came from. That paid off when one store owner recognised the bags as coming from his company and the special cord which came from a company in Georgia.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Investigation
The owner gave receipts he had left from years of business and after much searching, a receipt for three custom-sized black canvas bags was found to have been sold to Mark Harris, similar to the taser receipt found during a search of Michael Poland's home months earlier which convinced agents that Mark Harris was an alias for Michael Poland.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Arrests
On May 18, 1978, after nearly a year of investigation, a Federal Grand Jury returned an indictment against the Poland brothers for robbery, kidnapping and murder. However, FBI agents suspected that both brothers would not surrender quietly so they decided to arrest them away from their homes fearing a shootout. Michael Poland went to a real-estate office while Patrick went to the game arcade. When Patrick Poland reached the arcade the FBI arrest team tried to nab him before he entered. However he surrendered without a fight, and they later found a stash of weapons in his car including a .44 Magnum gun.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Arrests
Eventually, despite the risks, the second arrest team entered the real estate office and arrested Michael Poland uneventfully. However, he refused to answer questions and insisted his brother do the same. No fingerprints linked them to the murdered guards or the armored car.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
State and federal prosecutors split the charges and the Poland brothers went on trial for robbery and kidnapping in federal court on February 15, 1979, were found guilty on those charges based on the circumstantial evidence alone, and were sentenced to 100 years in prison. In November 1979, an Arizona state jury returned the guilty verdict for murder and that meant the death penalty for both of them but they appealed their convictions. The Arizona Supreme Court found that the testimony of a hypnotized witness and the taser gun evidence should not have been used. They also found out that the jury had inappropriately discussed the federal trial and that meant their murder convictions were overturned and parole laws at the time meant they would be eligible for parole in less than seven years.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
In 1982, an Arizona prosecutor declined a retrial for the brothers due to cost and evidence already excluded by the Arizona Supreme Court. U.S Attorney Melvin Macdonald, outraged that the Poland brothers would possibly get away with murder, was deputized as an Arizona State Prosecutor. In spite of evidence difficulties prosecutors decided to try to determine the time the victims had been deposited in Lake Mead and prove that it was the same time the Polands were at the lake.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
After much pondering a crucial piece of evidence was found, in the form of Cecil Newkirk's self-winding watch, which stopped working at 10:37 p.m on May 26, 1977. That particular watch would stop working if it were not moved for 12 hours, which meant that the watch stopped working 12 hours after the deceased guard's arm came to rest at the bottom of Lake Mead. But to prove it they actually had watch experts from Switzerland examine it to determine that the watch did not stop due to water damage.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
Forensics experts used this evidence to estimate when the bodies had been dumped into the water. Their estimation exactly matched the time the FBI had established that the Polands were at the lake, getting their pickup towed from Bonelli Landing. The prosecutor explained that the Polands had indeed been there to dump the bodies and that convinced the jury to return the guilty verdict for murder for Michael and Patrick Poland on November 18, 1982. The defendants appealed again but this time, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the death sentences for the Polands.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
In 1997 the brothers brought separate cases against the State of Arizona, stating that they had not been informed that their conduct could result in the death penalty, which was rejected by the judge.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Trials and convictions
In 1998, Michael Poland's lawyers argued that he could not be executed because had to complete his federal sentence first, which was due to finish in 2045.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Attempted escape
In 1997 Michael Poland's cell on Death Row was searched and found to include an escape plan, handcuff keys, a suicide drug, several knives and a lock pick. The plan was foiled when he offered $2 million to a prison guard to help him escape.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
In 1987, Patrick Poland agreed to tell investigators and the families of the victims exactly what happened. FBI Special Agent Frank Mallory (Rtd.) took his confession.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
Prior to the robbery, the Polands had spent almost a year tailing the van. They had knowledge of its route on the mornings when it went to Prescott and delivered the money to the banks in Prescott, the route it took plus the stops it made and the times for the stops.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
For the heist it was decided that both of the brothers' own cars would not be used. They rented one which investigators could not conclusively find. They put on an emergency lighting system, a siren that could be turned on with a simple switch, along with a license plate similar to the one used by the Arizona Highway Patrol and the department's door decals. They readied their tools needed for the heist, including a uniform similar to the one used by the Arizona Highway Patrol to be worn, and went to an ideal spot to wait. Their plan was to stop the van on the pretext of speeding then go to a remote spot to steal the money.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
A problem with the van's side door latch meant they were delayed for an hour, and the brothers had to wait for that hour. But when they saw it, they put their plan into action. Michael hid under the dash while Patrick drove the car.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
After pulling the armored car over, Patrick went to the side of the van and approached the guards and asked the driver to step out, but then Michael went to the other side of the armored car and the brothers took the guards captive. Patrick Poland continued to drive the fake police vehicle while the other was to drive the armored truck. However, when Patrick left, his brother did not follow so he reversed the fake cruiser in front of the armored car and then proceeded to see what was going on.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
By the time he reached the back Michael was already beating the two guards and Patrick told him to stop and Michael went to get a pair of stun guns which they used to stun the guards. The brothers drove the vehicles to a remote area near the town of Bumble Bee, where they abandoned the truck. Patrick's decision to reverse the car to a spot in front of the van, left the tire tracks which would later be found by investigators.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
In the remote area, after seeing that one of the couriers seemed to have died from the beating, Michael Poland made up his mind, retrieved a makeshift garrote from his pocket and strangled the other courier to death, then they took the money, totaling $293,000, and then took the bodies of the couriers to Lake Mead, where using a rented boat, they dumped the bodies.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Patrick Poland's confession
After the crimes, they buried the rest of the money in the desert, the location was known also by a female relative of theirs. But the money had rotted in the years ever since the robbery. For her cooperation that relative was not prosecuted.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
After his lawyers tried multiple appeals for the death sentence to be commuted to life due to the fact that the time he had spent waiting on death row had made him insane; all of which were denied, the State of Arizona administered a lethal injection to Michael Poland on June 16, 1999.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
He requested, for his last meal: three fried eggs sunny side up; four slices of bacon, an order of hash browns, two slices of whole wheat toast with two pats of real butter, two individual serving size boxes of Raisin Bran cereal, two cartons of milk, and two cups of Tasters Choice coffee.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
In the execution chamber, Michael raised his head several times to look at the window into the witness chamber as his death warrant was being read. The last words he mouthed to two of his sons and a daughter-in-law who witnessed the execution were simply "I love you,".


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
The lethal injection procedure for Michael Poland was carried out at 3:12 p.m. During that time Poland's chest heaved several times as the lethal dose of medications began flowing. He puffed out his cheeks twice before being declared dead at 3:14 p.m.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
Nine months later, despite multiple appeals for clemency, in part due to Patrick Poland's allocution by among others, Melvin McDonald, whose involvement had led to the  brothers' being successfully sentenced to death, all petitions for clemency were denied. Patrick Poland was executed on March 15, 2000. He was one of three people executed in the United States on that specific day. The others were Darrell Keith Rich in California and Timothy Gribble in Texas.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
During one of the clemency hearings, the relatives of Cecil Newkirk and Russell Dempsey, the two guards murdered during the robbery, were not forgiving. Newkirk's widow sent a letter to the clemency panel stating that Patrick Poland had to pay with his life. Camilla Strongin, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman, said Poland spent his final hours with a Catholic priest, receiving last rites about 2 1/2 hours before his execution.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
Among the witnesses to the execution were the widow of one of the murdered guards, Lola Newkirk, relatives of the deceased, Patrick's girlfriend Sherri Jo Christensen, and also Melvin McDonald, the Arizona state prosecutor who had originally ensured that the brothers would be sentenced to death, but tried to persuade the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency to commute Patrick's death sentence to life in prison yet failed. "I hope that his death will bring [the dead men's families] peace", said McDonald. He added, however, that "Mr. Poland paid for this crime each and every day for 23 years. I think he had genuine remorse. I felt justice was done in the execution of the first brother ... I felt mercy could have been done today by giving Patrick Poland life in prison."


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
Unlike his brother, Patrick asked for no last meal, and used what time he had left to express regret for the suffering he and his brother had caused. His last words were, "If I may, once again, to the Newkirk and Dempsey families, please accept my apologies. I'm sincere. I'm sorry for the pain and suffering I have caused. I do thank you for your forgiveness. I ask my family to forgive me for the pain I have caused them.


1977 Arizona armored car robbery, Executions
I ask all my friends and people who believed in me to please forgive me, and I ask the woman I love to remember I will always love her." The lethal injection procedure commenced at 3:03 p.m. As the lethal chemicals started flowing into his system, Poland's head jerked four times. His body shook slightly, his head rolled to the side and his eyes shut. He was pronounced dead four minutes later, at 3:07 p.m.


1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their first year under head coach Lou Holtz, the Razorbacks compiled an 11–1 record (7–1 against SWC opponents), finished in second place in the SWC, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 389 to 101. The Razorbacks' only loss was to SWC champion Texas by a 13–9 score. The team advanced to 1978 Orange Bowl, defeating #2 Oklahoma by a 31–6 score. Arkansas was ranked #3 in both the final AP Poll and the final UPI Coaches Poll.


1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
Offensive guard Leotis Harris and placekicker Steve Little were both consensus first-team picks for the 1977 College Football All-America Team. Little punted 48 times for 2,127 yards, and had the fourth-best average in college football, with 44.3 yards per punt. Little scored an average of 8.5 points per game for the Razorbacks, including 19 field goals (30 attempted) and 37 extra points. This was the eighth-best average per game, and the second-best among kickers. His 1.73 field goals per game was second-best to Paul Marchese of Kent State.


1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The Razorbacks also had the third-best scoring defense and tied for the fourth-best pass defense. The Hogs, along with the Indiana Hoosiers, gave up only 89.5 yards per game through the air, and the Hogs only surrendered 8.6 points per game. Only North Carolina and Ohio State allowed fewer points in 1977. The Hogs were ranked third by the AP, behind runner-up Alabama and champion Notre Dame. Rothman (FACT), a mathematical rating system in use since 1968 and NCAA-designated major selector, selected Arkansas as co-national champions with Notre Dame and Texas.


1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, Orange Bowl
The 1978 Orange Bowl was played between #6 Arkansas and #2 Oklahoma. Entering the game, the Hogs were twenty-one point underdogs against the Sooners. Arkansas had four offensive starters suspended for the contest, which also led fans to believe the Sooners would roll. Roland Sales of Arkansas rushed for 205 yards on 23 carries, setting an Orange Bowl record. Sales would hold the record until Ahman Green carried for 206 yards in 1998, beating Sales by a single yard.


1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team, Orange Bowl
He came in relief of star running back Ben Cowins, who the Hogs left in Fayetteville for a violation of team rules. Sales began the scoring on a one-yard run after a Billy Sims fumble. Hog QB Ron Calcagni would score next, after a fumble by Oklahoma fullback Kenny King. Steve Little completed a field goal to give the Hogs a 17–0 cushion in the third quarter. Sales scored on a four-yard run to stretch the Hog advantage to 24–0. Oklahoma would score on an eight-yard touchdown pass, but the Hogs would stop the two-point conversion. Barnabas White would tack on another Razorback touchdown, getting the ball from Mike Scott playing quarterback for the Hogs.


1977 Armagh District Council election
Elections to Armagh District Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.


1977 Armagh District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Independent


1977 Armagh District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUUP1973-1977 Change: UUUP gain from UUP


1977 Armagh District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1973: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance


1977 Armagh District Council election, Districts results, Area D
1973: 3 x UUP, 2 x SDLP1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from UUP, Independent Nationalist leaves SDLP


1977 Army Cadets football team
The 1977 Army Cadets represented the United States Military Academy during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. They claimed the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the second straight season.


1977 Army Cadets football team, Game summaries, UMass
Army's win over UMass was the 500th in school history. Leamon Hall threw five touchdown passes, including three to freshman Mike Fahnstock.


1977 Aruban independence referendum
An independence referendum was held in Aruba on 25 March 1977. In 1976 the Estates had approved a referendum on the island's status. Voters were given the choice of independence or remaining in the Netherlands Antilles, with over 95% voting in favour of the former. In 1983 the Treaty of The Hague planned independence for Aruba by 1996, and the island seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986. However, in 1994 the plan for full independence was scrapped.


1977 Aryamehr Cup
The 1977 Aryamehr Cup (Persian: جام آریامهر ۱۳۵۵) was a men's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Tehran in Iran. The event was part of the 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix as a Five Star category event. It was the sixth and final edition of the tournament and was held from 3 October through 9 October 1977. Guillermo Vilas won the singles title.


1977 Aryamehr Cup, Finals, Doubles
Ion Țiriac /  Guillermo Vilas defeated  Bob Hewitt /  Frew McMillan 1–6, 6–1, 6–4


1977 Ashfield by-election
The Ashfield by-election was held on 28 April 1977 in the Ashfield constituency in the coal mining area of Nottinghamshire, following the resignation of Labour Member of Parliament David Marquand. Conservative candidate Tim Smith was the narrow winner in what was thought to have been a very safe Labour seat.


1977 Ashfield by-election
Marquand had resigned to take up a post at the European Commission in Brussels, as an advisor to the United Kingdom's newly appointed Commissioner Roy Jenkins. His majority at the October 1974 general election had been 22,915 votes, which made the seat look very safe.


1977 Ashfield by-election
There was another by-election held on the same day, in Tony Crosland's nearby former seat of Grimsby which looked much more marginal. Crosland had died on 19 February 1977. The Labour Party directed most of its campaign effort into saving Grimsby, believing Ashfield was in no danger. This strategy succeeded in saving Grimsby, but allowed Tim Smith to win by 264 votes (after a recount) over Labour's Michael Cowan.


1977 Ashfield by-election
The results in both Grimsby and Ashfield were seen as a surprise as they were the opposite of what had been expected. Though both contests saw a swing to the Conservatives, the swing in Grimsby was only 7% as opposed to almost 21% in Ashfield. Labour Cabinet Minister Roy Hattersley was reported to be "almost speechless" at the by election results which were announced at 02:00 the next day, while Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher stated that "This is one of the greatest by-election victories of all time."


1977 Ashfield by-election
The Liberal Party lost its deposit in Ashfield as well as in the Grimsby contest, the third time this had happened at by-election following the 1977 Lib-Lab Pact. These results were described as "devastating" for the Liberal leader David Steel.


1977 Ashfield by-election
Smith was unable to hold the seat at the 1979 general election, when Labour's Frank Haynes won with a majority of 7,797 votes. He was one of only five Conservative MPs to lose their seats at that election, four of whom had been by-election victors. Smith did however return to Parliament at another by-election three years later in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (in which his Labour opponent was future Prime Minister Tony Blair) and would serve in that seat for 15 years. He was forced to stand down as an MP in 1997 when the cash for questions scandal disgraced him.


1977 Asia Golf Circuit
The 1977 Asia Golf Circuit was the 16th season of golf tournaments that comprised the Asia Golf Circuit.


1977 Asia Golf Circuit
Taiwan's Hsieh Min-Nan was the overall circuit champion for the third time despite missing the cut in the final event, having built up an unassailable lead in the points standings by adding a runner-up finish in the Korea Open to his two victories earlier in the season.


1977 Asia Golf Circuit, Tournament schedule
The table below shows the 1977 Asian Golf Circuit schedule.


1977 Asia Golf Circuit, Final standings
The Asia Golf Circuit operated a points based system to determine the overall circuit champion, with points being awarded in each tournament to the leading players. At the end of the season, the player with the most points was declared the circuit champion, and there was a prize pool to be shared between the top players in the points table.


1977 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships
The 8th edition of the Men's Asian Amateur Boxing Championships was held from October 13-20, 1977 in Jakarta, Indonesia.


1977 Asian Invitational Badminton Championships
The 1977 Asian Invitational Badminton Championships which was the second edition of Asian Invitational Championships took place in the month of February in Hong Kong. The individual competitions except Mixed doubles were conducted. A total of thirteen Asian countries took part in this event. At the end of day, China won all the disciplines except Men's doubles which was won by Indonesia.


1977 Asian Men's Handball Championship
The 1977 Asian Men's Handball Championship was the first Asian Championship, which took place from 26 March 4 April 1977 in Kuwait City, Kuwait.


1977 Asian Men's Handball Championship, Preliminary round
The top two finishers from each preliminary round group progressed to the next round.


1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl
The 1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 31, 1977, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The game pitted the Texas A&M Aggies and the USC Trojans.


1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Background
The Trojans started the season ranked #4, and they won their first four games to rise to #1 in the polls before a matchup with #7 Alabama at home. A 21–20 loss dropped them to #6, and they responded with a win over Oregon. But losses to #11 Notre Dame and California dropped them to #16. A win over Stanford was soon followed with a loss to Washington that dropped them out of the rankings, though they did beat #17 UCLA to finish the season strong, albeit tied for 2nd with Stanford in the Pacific-8 Conference.


1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Background
This was their seventh bowl game of the decade. As for Texas A&M, they started the season ranked at #9, and they responded with three victories to rise to #5 in the polls heading into a matchup with #3 Michigan in Ann Arbor. A 41–3 loss dropped them to #13, though they did win their next three games to get to #11 before a game with #8 Arkansas. A 26–20 loss dropped them to #14, though they did beat TCU the next week. A 57–28 loss to #1 Texas killed their hopes for a conference title, though they finished with a 27–7 win over Houston, with a third-place finish in the Southwest Conference. This was their third bowl game in three years, and second in the calendar year of 1977.


1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Game summary
Rob Hertel threw for four touchdown passes for the Trojans, while Charles White and Dwight Ford both had 100 yards rushing. The Aggies turned it over five times.


1977 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, Aftermath
This was the only Bluebonnet Bowl appearance for either team. USC went to two more bowl games in the decade, while Texas A&M went to one more.


1977 Atlanta Braves season
The 1977 Atlanta Braves season was the 107th season for the franchise and their 12th in Atlanta. The team finished in last place in the six-team National League West with a record of 61–101, 37 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves hit a major league-leading seven grand slams.


1977 Atlanta Braves season
All Braves home and away games were broadcast on WTCG-TV which during the offseason, under its owner Ted Turner, became the pioneer superstation in the United States and thus making the Braves the first MLB team to have its games telecast to millions of television viewers around the country aside from the national broadcasts on ABC and NBC which had been the case before the team's opening series of the season.


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Regular season, Turner's one-day reign as manager
Midway through the 1977 season, with the Braves mired in a 16-game losing streak, owner Ted Turner sent Dave Bristol on a 10-day "scouting trip" and took over as his own manager. This only lasted for one game (a 2–1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates) before National League president Chub Feeney ordered Turner to give up the reins, citing major league rules which forbid managers or players from owning stock in a team. After the Braves broke the skid under third-base coach Vern Benson, Bristol—who had spent the time at his offseason home in Andrews, North Carolina—was given his old job back for the remainder of the season.


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Atlanta Braves season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1977 Atlanta Falcons season was the team's 12th year in the National Football League. The team finished the season 7–7, and did not qualify for the playoffs.


1977 Atlanta Falcons season
Although the Falcons' offense struggled, the defense – nicknamed "Grits Blitz" – was dominant. The Falcons' 129 points allowed led the league and established an all-time NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 14-game NFL season. Atlanta's 3,242 total yards allowed were second-fewest in the league, and the Falcons' 1,384 passing yards allowed was by far the best in the NFL in 1977. The defense surrendered only 9.2 points per game; as of the 2020 season, this remains an all-time record.


1977 Atlanta Falcons season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4
The Atlanta Falcons, with the NFL's leading defensive unit, have now allowed just 19 points in four games while climbing to the top of the NFC West with a 3-1 record. A 39-yard touchdown pass from Scott Hunter to Alfred Jenkins was the only score in the game and was set up when Edgar Fields blocked a punt by San Francisco's Tom Wittum.


1977 Atlanta Falcons season, Defensive legacy
Arguably the most famous personality on the 1977 Falcons was defensive assistant Jerry Glanville, who installed in a swarming style of play in Atlanta remembered as the "Grits Blitz" defense. Football analytics site Cold Hard Football Facts calls the 1977 Falcons "the stingiest defense of the Super Bowl Era" and "the stingiest defense since World War II." Atlanta surrendered just 9.2 points-per-game, or a total of 129 points in the 14-game season (both all-time records). Against the Falcons, teams scored 7 or fewer points in half (7) of the games, and scored more than 16 points only twice. Atlanta's defense intercepted 26 passes, allowed just nine touchdown passes, and recovered 22 fumbles.


1977 Atlanta Falcons season, Defensive legacy
Despite its status as the stingiest defense since the 1944 New York Giants, the Falcons sent only two defenders to the Pro Bowl in 1977: cornerback Rolland Lawrence and defensive end Claude Humphrey. The 1976 Falcons possessed one of the worst defenses in the league (22.3 PPG) and largely fell apart in 1978 (18.1 PPG), therefore making the 1977 defense a "one-hit wonder".


1977 Atlanta mayoral election
The 1977 Atlanta mayoral election took place on October 4, 1977. Incumbent Mayor Maynard Jackson easily won a second term without the need for a runoff.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike
The Atlanta sanitation strike of 1977 was a labor strike involving sanitation workers in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Precipitated by wildcat action in January, on March 28 the local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) agreed to strike. The main goal of the strike was a $0.50 hourly wage increase. With support from many community groups, Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson resisted the strike, firing over 900 striking workers on April 1. By April 16, many of the striking workers had returned to their previous jobs, and by April 29 the strike was officially ended.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Background
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, several major cities in the United States, and in particular the Southeastern United States, experienced strikes by sanitation workers, including the Memphis sanitation strike and the St. Petersburg sanitation strike, both in 1968. Many of these labor disputes were also seen as a part of the larger civil rights movement, as many of those striking tended to be African Americans, and the fundamental issue behind many of the strikes was income inequality and difference in working conditions between the African Americans and white American workers.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Background
In 1970, sanitation workers in Atlanta went on strike, demanding an increase in pay. Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell opposed the strike and fired the workers, replacing them with prison labor. However, Maynard Jackson, then Vice Mayor of Atlanta, steadfastly supported the strikers, calling their wages "a disgrace before God". Ultimately, Jackson's support contributed to the mayor rehiring the fired workers and renegotiating a pay increase for the workers. Several years later, in 1973, Jackson was elected the first black mayor of Atlanta, in an election where he had received endorsements from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Background
By the mid-1970s, sanitation workers in Atlanta had become more vocal about a pay increase. In July 1976, AFSCME Local 1644 had voted to go on strike, but this was called off after Jackson instituted a temporary $200 annual raise and promised to find additional funds for the workers. However, by 1977, the situation had worsened. In January, a wildcat walkout occurred. Workers cited an agreement that said they didn't have to work in temperatures below 25 degrees, but many of those who walked out were docked half their pay.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Background
Additionally, workers had been calling for a $0.50 hourly raise that would have increased their annual earnings about $1,000 to a yearly income of $7,000. Presented to the city on March 10, the demand for a raise was, according to Jackson, "a package equating almost $10 million" that the city could not afford. The AFSCME refuted this by pointing out how the city government had a $11.4 million dollar contingency fund and had a $9.3 million surplus carried over from 1976. As an agreement could not be reached, a strike appeared eminent. On March 27, the AFSCME ran advertisements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Star criticizing Jackson and accusing him of cronyism. The next day, members of AFSCME Local 1644 voted to go on strike.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Course of the strike
On March 28, the approximately 1,300 members of AFSCME Local 1644 went on strike, demanding a $0.50 hourly raise. The next day, Jackson announced that strikers not returning to work within 48 hours would be permanently replaced. On April 1, following through on this, he fired 900 workers and began immediately hiring replacement workers. Over the course of the strike, the strikers picketed, dumped garbage on the grounds of Atlanta City Hall, and, during a nationally televised Atlanta Braves game at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, unfurled a large banner that said "Maynard's Word is Garbage". The strikers also had the support of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, which criticized Jackson for using "black workers as political pawns". Additionally, James Farmer, cofounder of the Congress of Racial Equality, and civil rights activist James Lawson supported the strike.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Course of the strike
Despite this, Jackson had broad support in his opposition to the strikers. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, and the Urban League all supported Jackson. Additionally, Martin Luther King Sr., father of deceased civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., supported Jackson. On April 4, the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., two memorials were dedicated to King in the city, with both dedications featuring demonstrations regarding the strike.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Course of the strike
At one, protestors drew parallels between their own movement and the Memphis sanitation strike that King had been protesting in favor of when he was assassinated. At the other, King Sr. defended Jackson's actions against the strikers and recommended that the mayor "fire the hell out of them". Coincidentally, the Memphis sanitation strike from nine years earlier was conducted by that city's chapter of the AFSCME. Again drawing parallels to the Memphis sanitation strike, Lawson, who had participated in the strike, compared Jackson's actions to those of Memphis mayor Henry Loeb.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Course of the strike
The strikes divided the opinion of Atlanta's black population, as it essentially pitted the city's first African American mayor against a group of workers who were predominately African American. The Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta's major African American newspaper, was sympathetic to Jackson in its editorials. Expressing the sentiment of the middle and upper class black citizenry, they questioned the AFSCME's rationale for attacking a black mayor during a time when African Americans were beginning to gain more political power in the region. In another editorial, they asked, “Why stir up a virtual racial civil strike, when we are striving to get a black elected to Congress?”


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Course of the strike
Two weeks after the firings of April 1, trash pick-up was back to 79% of its pre-strike level. By April 16, 737 new employees had been hired to replace the strikers, and 459 of those who had been fired reapplied for their previous jobs at lower pay under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. That day, The New York Times reported that the mayor had "crushed" the strike. The union acquiesced on April 29, officially ending the strike. By the end of the year, many of the workers involved in the strike had returned to their original job.


1977 Atlanta sanitation strike, Aftermath and legacy
Labor historian Joseph A. McCartin, writing about the strike in the academic journal Labor many years later, argued that Jackson's actions during the strike, including his mass firing and replacing of the workers, set a precedent for striker replacement that was later seen in the 1981 air traffic controllers strike. He argues that Jackson "had made it permissible to use a tactic that AFSCME had once associated only with white "southern-type city officials"". McCartin also alleges that Jackson's staunch opposition to the strike was a way of appeasing white civic and business communities, helping with his chances in that year's mayoral election, which Jackson won with 63.6% of the vote.


1977 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1977 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Beautiful Tiger Field in Clemson, SC from April 24th through April 21st. Wake Forest won the tournament and earned the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1977 Atlantic hurricane season was a very inactive Atlantic hurricane season, with only six tropical storms. The season officially began on Wednesday, June 1, 1977 and lasted until Wednesday, November 30, 1977. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The first tropical depression of the season developed over the western Caribbean Sea on June 13, 12 days after the start of the season, with three other tropical depressions following suit in July and early August.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season
Then, on August 29, Hurricane Anita formed and rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane on September 1, before weakening slightly and striking Mexico as a high-end Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall. At least 25,000 people were left homeless and 11 fatalities were reported, with total damages still yet to be known to date.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season
In addition to Anita, another notable tropical cyclone of this season was Hurricane Babe. The storm caused coastal flooding in southeastern Louisiana, resulting in $10 million (1977 USD) in damage. After moving inland, it spawned 14 tornadoes throughout Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. In addition to Anita and Babe, five other tropical cyclones – hurricanes Clara, Dorothy, and Evelyn, as well as Tropical Storm Frieda and Tropical Depression Nine – left only minor impacts on land. Overall, the tropical cyclones of the season collectively caused 11 fatalities and at least $13 million in damage, excluding the remnants of Tropical Depression Nine, which led to 53 deaths and $203 million in losses due to flooding in the Southeastern United States, New Jersey, and New York.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 1977. Activity began several days later with the formation of a tropical depression on June 13. Although 16 tropical depressions formed, it was a below average season because only six strengthened into tropical storms. In terms of named storms, this was the least active season since 1965. Five of these attained hurricane status. In addition, one tropical cyclone eventually attained major hurricane status, which is Category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale. The inactivity was attributed to an El Niño that began developing in August. Three hurricanes and one tropical storm made landfall during the season, causing 11 deaths and $13 million in damage. The last storm of the season, Tropical Depression Nine, dissipated on November 7, over three weeks before the official end of the season on November 30.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
Tropical cyclogenesis in the 1977 Atlantic hurricane season began with the development of a tropical depression on June 13. Activity briefly halted, until two other tropical depressions developed in the second half of July. A fourth tropical depression formed in early August. Later that month, Hurricane Anita developed on August 29. It was the latest in the season for a first named storm to form in the satellite era. September, the climatological peak of hurricane season, was its most active month. Five tropical cyclones developed, including two tropical depressions, and hurricanes Babe, Clara, and Dorothy. There were also five tropical cyclones in October – three tropical depressions, Hurricane Evelyn, and Tropical Storm Frieda. The final tropical cyclone of the season, Tropical Depression Nine, developed between the Greater Antilles and Bermuda on November 3 and dissipated by November 7.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The season's activity was reflected with a cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 25, which was the lowest ACE value since 1946. ACE is a metric used to express the energy used by a tropical cyclone during its lifetime. Therefore, a storm with a longer duration will have high values of ACE. It is only calculated at six-hour increments in which specific tropical and subtropical systems are either at or above sustained wind speeds of 39 mph (63 km/h), which is the threshold for tropical storm intensity.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Anita
A tropical wave spawned a tropical depression at 1200 UTC on August 29, while located about 230 miles (370 km) south-southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana. The depression moved west-southwestward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Anita early on August 30. Later that day, the storm had intensified into a hurricane. Although intensification briefly slowed, rapid deepening occurred from September 1 to the following day, when Anita peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h). The storm weakened slightly to a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall near Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas. It rapidly weakened inland, decreasing to tropical depression intensity early on September 3. However, Anita remained intact across Mexico and reached the eastern Pacific Ocean as a depression.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Anita
Prior to becoming a tropical cyclone, the precursor to Anita dropped light rainfall in Florida. Gusty winds and storm surge effected Louisiana. At Grand Isle, storm tides 2 feet (0.61 m) above normal resulted in hundreds of families being asked to evacuate. Numerous coastal highways in Texas, including portions of State Highway 87, were closed due to above normal tides. Precipitation reached 4.97 inches (126 mm) in Rio Grande City. In Mexico, the hurricane caused strong winds and moderate rainfall. The winds caused extensive damage to villages in northeastern Mexico, with about 25,000 people left homeless. The roofs of most buildings were destroyed near the location of Anita's landfall. The highest amount of precipitation observed during the storm was 15.2 inches (390 mm) at Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas. Flooding and mudslides killed eleven people in the state. Overall damage is unknown.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Babe
The interaction of a tropical wave and a cold upper low pressure area developed into a subtropical depression in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on September 3. It strengthened while gradually acquiring tropical characteristics and was reclassified as Tropical Storm Babe late on September 4. The storm curved north-northeastward and by early on the following day, it was upgraded to a hurricane. Around that time, Babe peaked with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). Early on September 5, Babe made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana at the same intensity. Later that day, it weakened to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression on September 6. However, Babe continued to move northeastward and then east-northeastward across the Southeastern United States until dissipating early on September 9.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Babe
Babe produced light to moderate rainfall across much of the Southern United States. In Louisiana, precipitation peaked at 10.99 inches (279 mm) near Lafayette. Flooding damage was primarily to crops, mainly sugar cane. Six tornadoes were spawned in Louisiana, including one near Hammond that severely damage a country store and knocked six wood-frame homes off their foundations. Damage from this tornado alone reached $2.5 million. In other states, Babe brought flash flooding along its path due to rainfall exceeding 7 inches (180 mm) in Mississippi, northwestern Georgia, and western North Carolina. Overall, Babe caused about $13 million in damage, but no deaths.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Clara
A convective cloud mass with a spiral band of gale-force winds, associated with the development of Hurricane Babe, moved across the Southeastern United States in early September. The system developed a circulation by late on September 4, while tracking across southeastern Georgia. After a slight drop in barometric pressure and an increase in wind speeds, a tropical depression formed inland near Charleston, South Carolina at 1200 UTC on September 5. The depression initially drifted east-northeastward and soon moved offshore.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Clara
After passing south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on September 6, it began to organize while accelerating just north of due east. At 0000 UTC on September 8, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Clara. The storm quickly strengthened, becoming a hurricane only 12 hours later. Strong wind shear caused Clara to weaken back to a tropical storm on September 9. Thereafter, the storm executed a cyclonic loop near Bermuda. By late on September 10, Clara accelerated northeastward and became extratropical at 1200 UTC on September 11.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Clara
In its early stages, the storm dropped light rainfall in the Southeastern United States, peaking at 3.53 inches (90 mm) in Beaufort, South Carolina. Additionally, Clara produced 0.55 inches (14 mm) of precipitation in Bermuda. The remnants reached Canada and produced winds of 62 mph (100 km/h) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, which knocked over campers, uprooted trees, damaged barns, and caused power outages in the area.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dorothy
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on September 15. The system tracked westward at 17 to 23 mph (27 to 37 km/h) and convection began organizing five days later. On September 21, the wave crossed the Windward Islands, bringing wind gusts of 69 mph (111 km/h) to Guadeloupe and Martinique and rainfall of 5 to 8 inches (130 to 200 mm) on several islands. Although it was a strong tropical wave, the system weakened significantly while crossing Hispaniola on September 23. Tracking steadily northward, it developed into a tropical depression northeast of the Bahamas on September 26. A reconnaissance aircraft indicated that the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Dorothy at 1200 UTC on September 27.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dorothy
Shortly after becoming a tropical storm, Dorothy passed just south of Bermuda, though no damage was reported on the island. The storm quickly strengthened while tracking northeastward and strengthened into a hurricane at 1200 UTC on September 28. By early on September 29, Dorothy attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 980 mbar (29 inHg). Later that day, Dorothy transitioned into an extratropical storm while located south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. On September 30, the extratropical remnants of Dorothy were absorbed by a frontal low pressure system located in the northern Atlantic Ocean.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Evelyn
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on October 3. The system tracked westward at an abnormally low altitude of 6°N. However, because the Azores high pressure was abnormally weak, the system quickly curved northwestward. After a significant increase in convection, a tropical depression developed at 1800 UTC on October 13, while located 400 miles (640 km) south of Bermuda. A ship later reported gale-force winds, prompting an upgrade of the depression to Tropical Storm Evelyn on October 14.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Evelyn
Early on the following day, a reconnaissance flight recorded winds of 83 mph (134 km/h), indicating that Evelyn became a hurricane. Later on October 15, accelerated to the north-northeast and made landfall on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) at 1200 UTC. Shortly after entering the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Evelyn merged with a cold front at 1800 UTC on October 15, near the tip of southeastern Newfoundland.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Evelyn
Impact on Bermuda was limited to light winds and a small amount of rainfall – 2.60 inches (66 mm). On Sable Island, Evelyn produced tropical storm force winds, reaching 52 mph (84 km/h). In both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the storm dropped light rainfall, rarely exceeding 1 inch (25 mm). Some areas of Newfoundland experienced tropical storm force winds, mainly between Stephenville and St. John's. However, this may have been in combination with the cold front that Evelyn merged with. In addition, a ship near the southwestern tip of Newfoundland reported sustained winds of 78 mph (126 km/h).


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Frieda
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa on October 4. The wave tracked uneventfully westward for about 10 days. On October 12, the remnants of a cold front reached the northwestern Caribbean Sea. The wave began interacting with it and another cold front that entered the region by October 16. Later that day, a reconnaissance aircraft reported a surface circulation near Swan Island, Honduras. Thus, a tropical depression developed at 1800 UTC on October 16. The depression moved slowly westward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Frieda on October 17, while passing south of Swan Island.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Frieda
Frieda continued to intensify until peaking with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1,005 mbar (29.7 inHg) early on October 18. Later that day, Frieda weakened and fell to tropical depression intensity. At 0000 UTC on October 19, the storm made landfall near Belize City, Belize as a weak tropical depression. Frieda promptly dissipated. Belize City reported only minimal rainfall and light winds. Around that time, the storm passed south of Swan Island, where it produced 4.46 inches (113 mm) in a 30‑hour period. On Grand Cayman, 5.42 inches (138 mm) of precipitation fell in 36 hours.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Nine
A tropical depression formed between the Greater Antilles and Bermuda on November 3. Initially, the depression moved northeastward, though on November 4, a building high pressure area forced it to track north of due west. Eventually, an upper-level low situated over the Southern United States caused the depression to re-curve north-northwestward. Late on November 7, the depression made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. By early on the following day, the depression degenerated into a low pressure area while located over eastern Virginia. The remnants continued northeastward across the Mid-Atlantic and New England, before being absorbed by an extratropical cyclone while offshore of Maine on November 11.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Nine
Moisture from Tropical Depression Nine and a low pressure area that tracked across the Southeastern United States resulted in heavy rainfall over western North Carolina and western Virginia, with up to 11.63 inches (295 mm) at Idlewild in the former. In North Carolina, flooding destroyed 384 homes, 382 miles (615 km) of highways, and 12 dams. Flooding was considered the worst in Yancey County, where nearly every bridge was washed out. Sixteen counties in the western portions of the state were declared disaster areas.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Nine
The depression also produced 5 to 9 inches (130 to 230 mm) of rainfall in northern Georgia. Eighteen bridges were destroyed and twenty-seven others were damaged. In Virginia, 100 homes were destroyed by flooding, with about the same amount suffering major damage. Similar impact was reported in Tennessee. Strong winds and storm tides in New Jersey caused extensive damage. Overall, the flooding event caused 53 deaths, 39 in Georgia, 13 in North Carolina, and 1 in Tennessee. Damage totaled $203 million, $100 million of which was incurred in New Jersey alone.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
In addition to the six named storms and Tropical Depression Nine, a total of nine other tropical depressions developed during the season. Later in June, a tropical depression formed in the west-central Gulf of Mexico on June 13. It headed north-northwestward and made landfall in Texas by the following day. The system rapidly dissipated after moving inland. The third tropical depression of the season developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on July 17. After tracking northward, the depression struck near Mobile, Alabama on July 18. By the following day, it dissipated in central Mississippi. In late July, another depression developed in the central Gulf of Mexico on July 25. No further strengthening occurred and by the following day, it dissipated north of the Yucatán Peninsula.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
A tropical depression developed near the west coast of Africa on August 1. The system tracked westward for three days without intensifying and dissipated on August 4. The next tropical depression formed well west-southwest of Cape Verde on September 17. After remaining disorganized, it dissipated to the east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles about three days later. Tropical Depression Four developed in the Bay of Campeche on September 22. However, the depression remained weak and made landfall near Tampico, Tamaulipas at around 1000 UTC on September 23. Later that day, it dissipated while barely inland.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Other systems
By October 1, another tropical depression formed east of the Lesser Antilles. It headed west-northwestward and dissipated on October 3, before reaching the Windward Islands. Tropical Depression Six developed in the central Atlantic Ocean on October 2. It briefly headed east-southeastward, before curving northwestward on October 4. The system dissipated later that day. Another tropical depression developed in the Gulf of Mexico east of the Texas and Mexico border on October 24. It tracked northeastward without intensification and made landfall in southeast Louisiana on October 25, while still a tropical depression. The system quickly weakened and dissipated over southern Mississippi later that day.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following names were used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 1977. Storms were named Anita, Babe, Clara and Evelyn for the first time in 1977. The name Anita was later retired. Because new lists containing male names began in 1979 season, none of these have appeared on a list since, except for Grace, Hanna and Ida; although Hanna has appeared with a slightly modified spelling than the one shown below. Unused names are marked in gray.


1977 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that have formed during the 1977 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their names, duration, peak strength, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1977 USD.


1977 Atocha massacre
The 1977 Atocha massacre was an attack by right-wing extremists in the center of Madrid on January 24, 1977, which saw the assassination of five labor activists from the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) and the workers' federation Comisiones Obreras (CC.OO). The act occurred within the wider context of far-right reaction to Spain's transition to constitutional democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Intended to provoke a violent left-wing response that would provide legitimacy for a subsequent right-wing counter coup d'état, the massacre had an immediate opposite effect; generating mass popular revulsion of the far-right and accelerating the legalization of the long-banned Communist Party.


1977 Atocha massacre
On the evening of January 24, three men entered a legal support office for workers run by the PCE on Atocha Street in central Madrid, and opened fire on all present. Those killed were labor lawyers Enrique Valdelvira Ibáñez, Luis Javier Benavides Orgaz and Francisco Javier Sauquillo; law student Serafín Holgado de Antonio; and administrative assistant Ángel Rodríguez Leal. Severely wounded in the attack were Miguel Sarabia Gil, Alejandro Ruiz-Huerta Carbonell, Luis Ramos Pardo and Dolores González Ruiz.


1977 Atocha massacre
The perpetrators all had links to neo-fascist organizations in Spain opposed to democracy. Those involved in the massacre and their accomplices were sentenced to a total of 464 years in prison, although these terms were later significantly reduced and a number of the perpetrators escaped custody. Doubts remain as to whether all culpable persons were brought to justice.


1977 Atocha massacre
The events surrounding the massacre are generally considered a crucial turning point in the consolidation of Spain's return to democracy in the late 1970s. Writing on the 40th anniversary of the massacre, journalist Juancho Dumall noted: "It was a terrorist act that marked the future of the country in a way that the murderers would never have suspected and, instead, was the one desired by the victims." Memorialized annually, across Madrid there are 25 streets and squares dedicated to the victims of the Atocha massacre.


1977 Atocha massacre, Events at 55 Atocha Street
Three men rang the doorbell of 55 Atocha Street between 10:30 pm and 10:45 pm on January 24, 1977. Their target was Joaquín Navarro, the general secretary of the transport union of CC.OO, who at that time was leading a transport strike in Madrid, had fought corruption within the sector and denounced the state-controlled labor organization Sindicato Vertical.


1977 Atocha massacre, Events at 55 Atocha Street
Two of the men, carrying loaded weapons, entered the office, while the third, carrying an unloaded pistol, stayed at the entrance to keep watch. The first to be killed was Rodríguez Leal. The attackers searched the office and found the eight remaining staff. However, not finding Navarro, as he had departed just before, they decided to kill all present. Told to raise their "little hands up high" the eight were lined up against a wall and shot.


1977 Atocha massacre, Events at 55 Atocha Street
Two victims, Luis Javier Benavides and Enrique Valdevira, were killed instantly, and two more, Serafín Holgado and Francisco Javier Sauquillo, died shortly after being taken to hospital. The remaining four, Dolores González Ruiz (the wife of Sauquillo), Miguel Sarabia, Alejandro Ruiz-Huerta and Luis Ramos Pardo were gravely injured, but survived. Ruiz was pregnant at the time and lost the child as a result of the attack. Manuela Carmena, who would later become Mayor of Madrid in 2015, had been in the office earlier in the evening but was called away.


1977 Atocha massacre, Events at 55 Atocha Street
The same night, unidentified persons attacked an empty office used by the UGT labor union, affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).


1977 Atocha massacre, Political context and response
Following Franco's death in November 1975, Spain witnessed a period of significant political instability and violence. Ultra right-wing elements of the armed forces and high-ranking officials from the Franco regime, known as the Búnker, were to varying degrees engaged in a strategy of tension designed to reverse Spain's transition to constitutional democracy. The open emergence of independent labor unions in 1976, although still illegal, and an explosion in demands for improvements in working conditions and political reform, led to an upsurge in industrial strife across the country.


1977 Atocha massacre, Political context and response
In 1976, 110 million working days were lost to strikes compared to 10.4 million in 1975. This undermined the power bases of former regime officials, their business allies and those from the Francoist labor organization (Sindicato Vertical). January 1977 proved to be particularly turbulent. On January 23, a  student, Arturo Ruiz, was murdered by members of the far-right Apostolic Anticommunist Alliance (also known as Triple A) during a demonstration calling for an amnesty for political prisoners.


1977 Atocha massacre, Political context and response
On January 24, at a protest called to highlight Ruiz's death the day before, police fired tear gas canisters, one of which hit and killed a university student, Mariluz Nájera. On the same day, the far-left organization GRAPO kidnapped the President of the Supreme Council of Military Justice, Emilio Villaescusa Quilis.


1977 Atocha massacre, Political context and response
In the days immediately after the massacre, calls for stop work protests were heeded by upwards of half a million workers across Spain. The strikes were largest in the Basque Country, Asturias, Catalonia and Madrid, with universities and courts across the country shut down in protest. During a news broadcast on state-television on January 26, the announcer declared solidarity with the stoppages on behalf of the station's staff. In Madrid, between 50,000 and 100,000 people watched in silence as the coffins of three of the victims were taken for burial.


1977 Atocha massacre, Political context and response
The PCE was legalized soon after on April 9, 1977; the Party's earlier embrace of Eurocommunism (essentially a rejection of Soviet-style socialism) and a highly visible role in promoting a peaceful response to the massacre allowed the government the necessary political space to lift the ban in place since 1939. With the passing of Act 19 covering labor rights on April 1 and the ratification of the ILO Conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining on April 20, independent unions became legal and the Francoist Sindicato Vertical system was effectively dissolved.


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
The murderers, believing themselves well protected via political connections, carried on their lives as normal. Lawyer José María Mohedano recalled: “They had the power of a Franco-era labor union that was still alive and working, as well as the support of some police officers and the entire far-right." They were all linked, directly and indirectly, to the far-right extremist parties the Fuerza Nueva (New Force) and Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey (Warriors of Christ the King).


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
However, on March 15, 1977, José Fernández Cerrá, Carlos García Juliá and Fernando Lerdo de Tejada were arrested as the perpetrators. Francisco Albadalejo Corredera, provincial secretary of the Francoist transport labor union, was also arrested for having ordered the killings. Leocadio Jiménez Caravaca and Simón Ramón Fernández Palacios, veterans of the Blue Division, were arrested for supplying weapons. Gloria Herguedas, Cerrá's girlfriend, was arrested as an accomplice. During the trial the accused made contacts with well-known leaders of the extreme right, including Blas Piñar (founder of Fuerza Nueva) and Mariano Sánchez Covisa (leader of Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey).


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
The trial took place in February 1980 and the defendants were sentenced to a total of 464 years in jail. José Fernández Cerrá and Carlos García Juliá, as the main perpetrators, received prison terms of 193 years each. Albadalejo Corredera received 63 years for ordering the attack (he died in prison in 1985). Four years to Leocadio Jiménez Caravaca and one year to Gloria Herguedas Herrando.


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
Spanish: Hace 43 años mató a 5 personas en el atentado de Atocha. Una matanza que no pudo frenar el deseo de libertad de toda una sociedad. Hoy la Democracia y la Justicia vuelven a triunfar. Hoy llega a Madrid uno de sus asesinos, Carlos García Juliá, tras ser extraditado por Brasil.


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
43 years ago, he killed 5 people in the Atocha attack. A massacre that could not stop an entire society's desire for freedom. Today democracy and justice triumph again. Today one of the assassins, Carlos García Juliá, arrives in Madrid after being extradited from Brazil.


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
Lerdo de Tejada, who stood watch during the massacre, was temporarily released from prison for family leave in 1979, before the trial, following an intervention by Blas Piñar. He then fled to France, Chile and Brazil, never facing justice as the statute of limitations for his crime expired in 1997.


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
Due to law reforms in the 1980s, the sentences imposed on Fernández Cerrá and García Juliá were reduced to a maximum of 30 years. Fernández Cerrá was released in 1992 after 15 years in jail; since then, he has paid none of the court-ordered financial compensation to the victims' families (approximately €100,000).


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
In 1991, with more than 10 years remaining in his sentence, García Juliá was unusually granted parole and then in 1994 given permission to take up employment in Paraguay. While his parole was rescinded shortly after, he had already absconded. After more than 20 years on the run, García Juliá was rearrested in Brazil in 2018, extradited to Spain in February 2020, and transferred to Soto del Real prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, called the extradition a triumph of "democracy and justice."


1977 Atocha massacre, Capture, trial, prison and escape
One of the survivors, Miguel Ángel Sarabia, commented in 2005: "Although now it may seem a small thing, the 1980 trial of the Atocha murderers – despite the arrogance of the accused ... – it was the first time that the extreme right was sitting on the bench, tried and condemned."