Milan Kundera's novel The Book of Laughter and Forgetting is published.

V. S. Naipaul's novel A Bend in the River is published.

Es'kia Mpthalhele's novel Chirundu is published.

John le Carre's novel Smiley's People is published.

Rolf Schneider's novel November is published.

Luchino Visconti's film The Innocent premieres.

Volker Schlondorff's film The Tin Drum premieres.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's films The Marriage of Maria Braun and Third Generation premiere.

Caryl Churchill's play Cloud Nine premieres.

Brian Clark's play Whose Life Is It Anyway? premieres.

Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus premieres.

Hugh Leonard's play A Life premieres.

Rhodesia continues to move toward black majority rule.

1 Jan.

The United States and China establish formal diplomatic relations.

7 Jan.

The Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh falls to the Kampuchean United Front, ousting the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot.

16 Jan.

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran leaves his nation for a "vacation," widely presumed to...