Sports/Motorsport/Dakar Rally • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The inaugural edition of the Dakar Rally, originally known as the Oasis Rally, organized by Thierry Sabine. Starting in Paris on December 26, 1978, and finishing in Dakar, Senegal, on January 14, 1979, the race featured 182 vehicles and introduced the world to the ultimate endurance test of man and machine across the Sahara Desert.
Chronological Storyline (6 Milestones)
Dec 26, 1978 CE
The Great Departure
The inaugural rally begins from the Place de la Concorde in Paris with 182 vehicles, embarking on a 10,000-kilometer journey to the Senegalese capital.
1st PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center derivative work: Das steinerne Herz (talk) - Own work, using source information from History of Dakar. Retrospective 1979—2007 and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14910165
Jan 1, 1979 CE
Crossing to Africa
Competitors cross the Mediterranean from Marseille to Algiers, beginning the African leg of the rally in Algeria and facing their first major desert navigation challenges.
1st PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center derivative work: Das steinerne Herz (talk) - Own work, using source information from History of Dakar. Retrospective 1979—2007 and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14910165
Jan 3, 1979 CE
First Fatality
French motorcyclist Patrick Dodain dies from a heart attack after a crash in Algeria, marking the first death in the history of the Dakar Rally.
3rd PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1981). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By Redboston - Own work (based on File:PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979).svg by Das steinerne Herz; using source information from official site and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15000865
Jan 10, 1979 CE
Navigating the Ténéré
Competitors navigate the grueling Ténéré desert in Niger, where many vehicles get lost or break down, drastically reducing the number of active participants before the final push to Mali and Senegal.
1st PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center derivative work: Das steinerne Herz (talk) - Own work, using source information from History of Dakar. Retrospective 1979—2007 and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14910165
Jan 14, 1979 CE
Neveu Claims Motorcycle Victory
French rider Cyril Neveu on a Yamaha becomes the first-ever winner of the motorcycle category as the surviving competitors reach the Lac Rose finish line in Dakar.
Cyril Neveu au Mans en 2018 By Eric HOUDAS - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70756613
Jan 14, 1979 CE
Génestier Wins Car Category
Alain Génestier, along with co-drivers Joseph Terbiau and Jean Lemordant, wins the inaugural car category driving a Range Rover, with only 74 vehicles officially making it to the finish.
1st PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR route (1979). Geographic limits of the map: N: 60.0° N S: 0.0° N W: 30.0° W E: 30.0° E By File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center derivative work: Das steinerne Herz (talk) - Own work, using source information from History of Dakar. Retrospective 1979—2007 and File:Whole world - land and oceans 12000.jpg for background, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14910165
