Retrograde in History · 1978
Cinema Rex fire
On August 19, 1978, Mercury was mid-loop — retrograde in Leo, tracing backward through 24°57′ of the sign.
WhenAugust 19, 1978♌︎Leo 24°57′Rx windowAug 4 – Aug 28, 1978
The record
On 19 August 1978, militants doused the Cinema Rex in Abadan, Iran, with airplane fuel and set it ablaze, killing between 377 and 470 people in an attack that helped trigger the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
Born inside this same window
More from this window · Aug 4 – Aug 28, 1978
Coincidence, not causation: the date is real and ephemeris-based, but a retrograde window is observed, never blamed. For entertainment, not navigation.