(FORTUNE Magazine) – December 31: The Civil Aeronautics Board goes out of business at midnight, as called for in the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act. Of the approximately 300 remaining employees, the bulk are going to the Department of Transportation. ( January 1: Prices for about 40% to 50% of the U.S. natural gas supply will be decontrolled; up to now only 5% has been deregulated. The Department of Energy claims that consumer prices will go down under competitive pressures, but some consumer groups predict they will rise. January 2: Japan's Prime Minister, Yasuhiro Nakasone, will visit President Reagan. A major topic of discussion: Japan's voluntary quotas on auto exports to the U.S., scheduled to expire March 31.