What Happened in 1971

Significant Events

  • Jan 25 Military coup in Uganda under Major General Idi Amin
  • Feb 2 Idi Amin ousts Milton Obote and appoints himself President (dictator) of Uganda
  • Feb 8 Nasdaq Composite stock market index debuts with 50 companies and a starting value of 100
  • Feb 14 Richard Nixon installs secret taping system in the White House
  • Mar 26 Bangladesh (East Pakistan) under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declares its independence from Pakistan
  • Jul 9 Henry Kissinger visits the People's Republic of China to negotiate a detente between the US and China
  • Oct 25 United Nations votes to expel the Chinese Nationalist ruled Taiwan and admit the Communist People's Republic of China
  • Nov 21 Battle of Garibpur: Indian troops aided by Mukti Bahini (Bengali guerrillas) defeat the Pakistan army
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1971 in Film & TV

  • Feb 9 Probably 1st gay theme TV episode - All in the Family
  • Oct 7 "The French Connection" directed by William Friedkin and starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider and Fernando Rey premieres in the US (Academy Awards Best Picture 1972)
  • Dec 19 Stanley Kubrick's X-rated film "A Clockwork Orange" based on the book by Anthony Burgess and starring Malcolm McDowell premieres

1971 in Music

  • Jan 20 Single "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye about police brutality is released
  • Mar 5 "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin first played live at Ulster Hall, Belfast by Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones
  • Apr 4 Stephen Sondheim's "Follies" opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 524 performances, then most expensive broadway musical
  • Jun 17 Carole King's album "Tapestry" goes to No. 1 on US album charts and stays there for 15 weeks

1971 in Sport

  • Feb 28 PGA Championship, PGA National East: Jack Nicklaus leads wire-to-wire for his 2nd career grand slam; wins by 2 from Billy Casper
  • Jul 10 100th British Open Golf, Royal Birkdale: Lee Trevino wins the first of his consecutive Open Championships, a stroke ahead of Lu Liang-Huan of Taiwan
  • Aug 26 Bobby Orr signs a five-year contract with the Boston Bruins worth one million dollars, the first million dollar contract in NHL history

Did You Know?

Crew of Russian space mission Soyuz 11 found dead upon arrival on earth (only people to die in space)

On June 30, 1971

Famous People Born in 1971

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World Leaders in 1971

Famous People in 1971

Would You Believe?

American "Dan Cooper" hijacks plane, extorts $200,000 ransom before jumping out of plane over Washington State, never seen again

On November 25, 1971

Famous Weddings

  • Jan 7 American horror, sci-fi and fantasy author Stephen King marries Tabitha Spruce, author and activist
  • Feb 5 Actress Judi Dench (36) weds actor Michael Williams (35) at St Mary's Catholic Church in Hampstead, London
  • Mar 4 Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau (51) weds author/actress Margaret Joan Sinclair (23) at a private ceremony in North Vancouver, Canada

Famous Divorces

  • Jan 11 1st "Quickie" Divorce granted in UK
  • Jun 18 Aviator Howard Hughes divorces 2nd wife Jean Peters after 14 years of marriage
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Famous Deaths

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Articles on Events in 1971