The elixir of youth, the Soviet Union’s richest street cleaner, and the man who bit his neighbour’s dog: headlines from four decades ago

The “elixir of youth” being discovered in the then Soviet Union, and a man threatening at gunpoint the owner of a dog who bit him made the headlines four decades ago this week. January 28 and 29 of that year were Lunar New Year holidays, which meant there was no paper published on these days.

January 30, 1979

● China was reported to be interested in a passenger jet being developed by Boeing. It was the 767 – one of a new family of planes the manufacturer was introducing to meet the expected air traffic demands of the 1980s. The twin-aisle, twin-engined plane with a 200-seat capacity was fuel-efficient and designed for short- and medium-range operations, which would be ideal on China’s domestic routes.

● With full pomp and fanfare, US President Jimmy Carter welcomed senior Chinese Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House. In his welcome speech, Carter expressed the hope that Deng’s historic visit would help enhance peace in Asia and the Pacific region. In response, Deng described Sino-US relations as reaching a fresh beginning and said the world situation was at a “new turning point”.

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● A prominent magistrate was ambushed and killed by terrorists in Milan, Italy, as a new government crisis brought fears of a wave of political violence. Emilio Alessandrini, 36, was shot in the head when at the wheel of his car by four men. The deceased had been involved in investigations into both fascist and left-wing acts of terrorism.

January 31, 1979

● The secret to eternal youth could possibly be squeezed from an unripe gooseberry, according to Soviet scientists. Research at Moscow’s Institute of Biological Physics had shown that an acid from the young fruit, described as an “elixir of youth”, could prevent the disintegration of body cells that led to illness and old age, reported Trud, a local trade union newspaper.

● The Iranian government approved a request by Air France for permission to fly religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Iran. A government statement said the Ayatollah would leave Paris the next day, ending an exile of more than 14 years.

● Prince Charles would kick off a five-week overseas tour with a three-day visit to Hong Kong in early March. During his stay in the city, he would preside over the official opening of the new British Forces Headquarters, HMS Tamar.

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February 1, 1979

● Britain’s first heart transplant patient in five years died without regaining consciousness. Charles McHugh, 44, a plumber from a London suburb, received a new heart three weeks before at Papworth General Hospital near Cambridge. He suffered two blood pressure crises during the operation and was put on a respirator shortly afterwards. Britain’s National Health Service discouraged heart transplants because of poor results with the first four procedures. The longest survival rate for a patient so far was 107 days.

● When a family’s pet dog snapped at a neighbour, he bit the animal on the ear, to which it responded in kind. The fight ended with 30-year-old Robert Martin returning to the house with a loaded rifle and ordering the family to produce the dog so he could shoot it. When his demand was rejected, he held the owner at gunpoint. Martin was subsequently arrested and sentenced to three years in jail.

● A Brazilian Boeing 707 cargo jet was still missing more than 20 hours after losing radio contact with Tokyo airport while flying over the Pacific to Los Angeles. Aviation officials said the captain reported no trouble in his last routine check with Tokyo tower the day before and said he would call back 30 minutes later – but never did.

February 2, 1979

● British Airways was no longer the official carrier for expatriate civil servants leaving Hong Kong for Britain on home leave. The month before, public servants had been able to use Pan American World Airways’ cheaper alternative service, which became available in late 1978. According to the estimates of expenditure for 1978-79, passage for government officers for the year ending March 31, 1979, was expected to cost more than HK$28 million.

February 3, 1979

● The Soviet Union’s richest street cleaner had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for swindling people out of about HK$603,500 by promising she could get them good apartments, Trud reported. Lesya Treshchova told apartment seekers in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv that she had influence with housing officials and, for a small sum, could get them a lease or deed for a flat.

Remember A Day looks at significant news and events reported by the Post during this week in history