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This May 2nd in 1979 saw Britain on overload during the last day of campaigning just before the election. Projected to win, via recent polls, was incumbent Prime Minister James Callahan and the Labour Party. Dropping in the polls and not expected to win was challenger Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative Party. The last day of criss-crossing Britain, Thatcher promised that, if elected she would clamp down on the power of Labor Unions. Harbinger of things to come, for sure. But on this day, Callahan was expected to remain in power and the Thatcher promises were regarded as empty threats.

Not such empty threats was the assassination of Ayatullah Motahari in Tehran. A newly discovered group calling themselves Forghan claimed responsibility. The group, it was thought, was purported to be made up of supporters of The Shah and promised a lot more.

Seven bombs went off in and around Paris overnight. No injuries or loss of life, but the perps remained a mystery.

The United Nations flag was flying over Pyongyang for the first time since anyone could remember. It signified a visit from UN Secretary Kurt Waldheim for talks regarding unification of the two Koreas.

And speaking of talks - discussions on the trade imbalance between the U.S. and Japan got underway between President Jimmy Carter and visiting Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira.

In other Capitol Hill news - President Carter was readying to announce his replacement for Army Chief of Staff General Rogers, who was leaving to replace Gen. Alexander Haig as NATO Commander in Europe.

The endless War on Drugs was heating up again. This time in Southern Floria where it was announced 14 people were so far under indictment for Drug Smuggling in Miami with many more to come.

Boston Pops Icon Arthur Fiedler celebrated his 50th season with the orchestra in a gala celebration.

And John Wayne was back in the hospital with a not-so-good prognosis.

All this and much more via The CBS World News Roundup for May 2, 1979.

1979 was not a watershed year for the Jimmy Carter Presidency. A lot was going wrong and a lot that had gone right just the year prior was in danger of sliding off the rails.

Iran was proving to be a bigger problem than originally thought with signals the Soviet Union were contemplating an overture or two towards Tehran. Our presence in the world was not on the best of terms. Embassy's in Iran and Afghanistan were attacked. Our Middle East policy, pointed with such optimism and accomplishment via the Camp David Peace Accords only a year earlier, was in danger of being derailed. The SALT II Treaty with the Soviet Union was on shaky ground if the Senate had anything to say about it and our agreement with The People's Republic Of China at the cost of our relationship with Taiwan had many in and out of government wondering if damage control would do any good.

And so Walter Cronkite, the Most Trusted Man In America, weighed in on the issue of our Foreign Policy and where we stood in the midst of all this. Here is his commentary for February 20, 1979 as broadcast by CBS Radio.

Starting off the Month of June with a bang in 1980.

First, it was the economy - with reports that the Recession had come back with a vengence on top of double-digit inflation. Still, no tax cuts in the foreseeable future.

The GOP Presidential race was now down to one with George Bush dropping out and leaving the field open for Ronald Reagan. This ahead of Super Tuesday.

Fears of racial unrest surfaced when news of the assassination attempt on Urban League President Vernon Jordan, shot in the back by a sniper's bullet came to light. The fears were allayed when it was learned Jordan survived the attack and was doing well, but a stepped up investigation and search for the sniper was underway.

Some in South Korea were blaming the U.S. for being behind the recent violent crackdown on dissidents there. The U.S. vehemently denied any role or influence on the moves, even though the U.S. Ambassador and Military Adviser were not held in high esteem with the people of South Korea.

The hostage situation continued in Iran with a shift in political power signified by the opening of Parliament and a majority of members aligned with the Khomeni regime. The fate of the hostages was now in Parliament's hands.

And despite faded hopes for finding some 50 missing people in the wake of the eruption of the Mt. St. Helens volcano, 75 year old Ray Jennings and his four dogs surfaced relatively unscathed.

And that's how this month got started, June 1st 1980 as reported on The World This Week from CBS Radio News.

I don't think a week has gone by in history without some crisis developing, or some settlement reached with regards to the Middle East.

On March 12th in 1979 talks were going on in Israel between Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter, with an emergency session being held on this day. Speculation among Middle East watchers was President Carter to spend an extra day trying to hammer something out.

And to go along with the negotiations were reports of continued violence in the West Bank, anti-Carter riots around Jerusalem and a general feeling of tension while some sort of peace process was being arrived at.

And if that weren't enough, talk on Capitol Hill centered around what was being described as a disastrous Energy policy and a looming crisis by way of Arab Oil. Only time would tell on that one.

Meanwhile, news from overseas, aside from the Peace talks, centered around continued Rhodesian attacks on rebel bases in Zimbabwe and the Women of Tehran turning out en masse to protest the latest edicts from the Ayatollah regime regarding a severe curtailing of civil rights for women and a reintroduction of the Chador as required apparel for all Iranian Women.

And when the talk wasn't focused on the potential energy crisis or the Middle East, Capitol Hill was focusing on calls for a Constitutional Amendment to the Balanced Budget, with John Stennis leading the charge. And if Jimmy Carter didn't have enough trouble, Republican Presidential hopefuls Howard Baker and Bob Dole were busy making political hay from calls for an investigation of the Carter Family Peanut business based on an FBI investigation that alleged Prodigal Brother Billy was busy cooking books at the warehouse.

And so spiraled this March 12th in 1979 as reported on CBS Radio via their 8:00 am-9:00 am (PST) network news and The World Tonight.

The world spun oddly, this February 28th in 1981.

While Prime Minister Thatcher and President Reagan exchanged toasts and cordialities at a dinner hosted by the British Embassy in Washington, the rest of the world was going off on its own direction.

The Soviet newspaper Pravda labeled lies over reports from the State Department claiming Russia was sending arms to El Salvador. Had they known. . .

Meanwhile earlier, President Reagan asked for funds to reactivate two WW2 era Battleships, based on information the Soviet Navy was stepping up warship production. This, hot on the heels of Reagan presiding over additional government budget cuts to the tune of $10-13 Billion. A budget and Tax cut battle were heating up.

In the rest of the world - An Islamic Peace Mission landed in Tehran to try and settle the 6 month old Iran-Iraq War. Three British Missionaries were released from captivity by the Iranians. John and Audrey Coleman and Mrs. Gene Wadell were glad to be home. Still, there were more to worry about. Speaking of hostages, the Basque Separatists ETA released hostages snatched from the consuls of Austria, El Salvador and Uruguay after 8 days of captivity.

Domestically - violence was threatening to loom between Vietnamese and American Shrimp fishermen in the Texas Gulf Coast. The Vietnamese were reported to be stocking up on arms for protection and the Americans were seen at various KKK meetings, espousing the virtues of immigrant bashing. The Shrimp had no opinion one way or the other, and no doubt preferred they just went away.

And so went this rather skewed February 28, 1981 as reported on the CBS World News Roundup.

January 20th in 1980 came on a Sunday and most of the news this day had to do with events of the past week, with one notable exception.

News from the White House made it clear that Jimmy Carter would indeed impose a boycott on the Moscow Summer Olympics if the Soviet Union didn't withdraw from Afghanistan within the month. A scramble was on to suggest alternative sites, including a suggestion the Olympics have a permanent site in Athens. Aside from tacit support from the UK and a few other allies, the majority opinion was dead-against a move on such short notice.

Meanwhile, the UN unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the Soviet incursion. The Soviets in turn went on a Public Relations campaign, beginning with ejecting all foreign press from Afghanistan. This hot on the heels of expulsion of American press from Iran, based on "unkind portrayals" of the new regime. Last dispatches from Tehran did indicate growing dissatisfaction with the Khomeni government and news of rioting breaking out in various towns around Iran.

From Yugoslavia, word that Tito had to have his leg amputated and the operation was moderately successful. Still, it was a waiting game in Belgrade as there were no happy endings in the foreseeable future.

And to end the week, on a sad note. It was learned former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas had passed away at age 81. A much admired and respected member of the Court, Douglas had been appointed by FDR when Justice Brandeis retired and was the longest serving member of the Supreme Court, from 1939-1975 and was, as Time Magazine said "the most doctrinaire and committed civil libertarian ever to sit on the court".

Some week. And it was reported on CBS Radio's The World This Week for Sunday January 20, 1980.

Not a very good day if you were a member of the working Press overseas. Officials in both Kabul and Tehran issued walking papers for American journalists with instructions to be out of the country on "the next plane".

It seems both countries were going through some bad reviews in Western media and felt it was best for all concerned if they just left and didn't bother to say goodbye. Reporters were busily filing last dispatches on this day.

And there was a lot to talk about. Fierce fighting had erupted in Afghanistan, causing the Soviets to call up reserves to shore up heavy casualties. In Iran, rioting in Tabriz and opposition to the Ayatollah Khomeni was spreading and that didn't look good for the image either. And on top of everything else, it was Day 75 of the Hostage Drama with reports of Embassy workers handcuffed most days and kept in dark rooms.

News on the failing health of Yugoslavia's Tito had everyone in Belgrade (and the West, for that matter) nervous over a possible power-grab on the part of the Soviets. Anticipation of an invasion 1968 Czechoslovakia-style had people scrambling for self-defense weaponry.

In India, newly re-elected Prime Minister Indira Gandhi back-tracked on her earlier support of the Afghan invasion, saying she made a hasty assessment of the situation, but she knows better now.

Two terrorist bombs went off in a hotel in London - the first killed the bomber and wounded a hotel guest and the second went off with no reports of injuries. Also in London, Prime Minister Thatcher recommended moving the present site of the 1980 Olympic Games from Moscow to somewhere else. Promises of no firm plan were to be made until the Carter deadline of February for Soviet withdrawal had been reached.

And on Capitol Hill - Congress was meeting to take up that little matter of the Oil Profits Tax, owing to the $225 Billion windfall they had recently gotten. In typical nose-thumbing fashion, Shell Oil decided to raise the price of it's gasoline another $.05 a gallon - the second time in two weeks. Fears Americans would be paying upwards of $2.00 a gallon were starting to become realized.

On the Election '80 front -rumors the Carter Campaign was in trouble were filtering out of Iowa, with the caucuses only days away. Jimmy denied the rumors. California Governor Brown decided to suspend his campaign for a while and Ted Kennedy was busy stumping.

The Cancer treating drug Interferon had been discovered and was being touted as a possible cure, even though the drug itself was cost-prohibitive at the moment.

And there were renewed calls for the Legalization of Marijuana - something that bubbles to the surface every few years.

And that's the way it was for Thursday, January 17th, 1980 as reported on The CBS World News Roundup, the 8:00 and 9:00 am news and The World Tonight.

No turn left unstoned.

News on this January 12th in 1980 was just as skewed and drama-plagued as any other January day in 1980.

Starting off with word that UN voting on sanctions against Iran had been postponed from the previous night because of hints from Tehran there might be softening on demands for release of the American hostages.

The Hostage drama entered week #11.

In Iran, word of crackdowns on opposition came from Tabriz, where supporters of opposition leader Ayatollah Shariatmadari were rounded up and summarily executed by militia loyal to Ayatollah Khomeni. The end result were riots throughout Tabriz with businesses and banks looted and torched in protest.

Meanwhile, the Soviet excursion into Afghanistan was weighing on people's minds, with the US grain embargo being given support by everyone except Argentina.

Further fallout from Afghanistan came in guise of Canada, who offered the facilities of the former Montreal Olympics site as alternative to Moscow - although the offer wasn't exactly squared with the Montreal Expos who were using the stadium for baseball during the Summer.

In Africa, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was readying for it's first legitimate Majority Rule general elections and relations between Salisbury and Mozambique took a rosy turn as the border re-opened and trade resumed between the two countries, who were only weeks before exchanging raids and artillery fire.

On the Domestic front - The Illinois State Legislature approved financial bailout for the bankrupt Chicago School System, the 3rd largest in the U.S.

And election season was heating up with the Iowa Caucuses poised to go on January 20th and word that Ted Kennedy was behind Jimmy Carter a whopping 25 points - but there was still 8 days to go.

And anything could (and would) happen by then.

And that's what that January 12th looked like in 1980, via Neil Strawser and The CBS World News Roundup.

Only 9 days into a new year of a new decade and all this was happening.

On January 9, 1980 the news was anything but cheery. In Afghanistan, fighting was raging between Soviet troops and Afghan rebels, with rebels seizing important roads, forcing Russian troops to be airlifted into fighting zones. Riots were breaking out in the Iranian towns of Qom and Tabriz, partly over the warring Ayatollah's but mostly over the U.S. and the continuing hostage drama at the Embassy in Tehran.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a hot topic - with the UN Security Council getting ready to hear about sanctions. The Grain Futures Market in a complete panic over our embargo of trade with Russia and the Longshoreman's Union boycotting Soviet shipping. Saudi Arabia was calling on other Arab nations to Boycott the upcoming Olympics and casual mention was made of possibly trying to move the Summer Olympics to Canada. rather than Moscow.

Somewhere in the shuffle, bare notice was made over the proposed selling of U.S. arms to China.

Meanwhile, a hostage drama was unfolding on the island of Corsica. Saudi Arabia went on a rampage and beheaded 63 convicted terrorists who had attempted to seize the Mosque in Mecca in November.

The Supreme Court was hearing arguments about worker safety and employers firing of workers who refused to do unsafe jobs, even though employers knew the hazardous conditions.

And Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas was in Intensive Care.

And the world walked away just a bit messier this day in 1980, as reported on The CBS World News Roundup and the 9:00 am (PST) hourly news.

The only thing reasonably different about this May 13th as opposed to the May 13th in 1980 was that in 1980 it fell on a Tuesday. It was a Presidential election year, so all eyes were on the Primaries being held - Ted Kennedy and George Bush Sr. still campaigning hard, even though both were trailing. The Embassy saga in Tehran was still going on. Ed Muskie, in his first diplomatic mission since being appointed Secretary of State, arrived in Brussels on his way to Vienna and talk immediately fixated on the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Carter Administration's Foreign Policy. Libya was creating a stir with bloody purges being carried out by the Gaddafi regime and Americans were busily being expelled on the grounds of being suspected CIA operatives. And it was Tornado season with twisters ripping through Missouri and Pennsylvania.

All in all, an interesting day even if it was a Tuesday in 1980. Here are three newscasts beginning with the CBS World News Roundup, followed by the 9:00 am (West coast) Network news and ending with The World Tonight, all from May 13, 1980.