What happened in March 1970?
The top front-page story of each day in March 1970, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Mar 1🌒 Solar Eclipse Observed – A rare solar eclipse will be observed with over 30 rockets fired to study its effects from above the atmosphere.
- Mar 2🌊 Aussie Girl Breaks Record – Karen Moras, 16, set a new women's 800-meter freestyle swimming record in 9:09.1 at the Australian championships.
- Mar 3🌉 Virginia Bridge Reopens – The Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel, closed since January due to storm damage, is set to reopen, restoring a vital transportation link.
- Mar 4🌍 Nuclear-Weapon Pact Effective – President Nixon announced the nuclear nonproliferation treaty will officially take effect, aiming to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
- Mar 5🏢 Tokyo's World Trade Center – Japan's tallest building, the World Trade Center, opened in Tokyo with a grand ceremony attended by over 3,000 dignitaries.
- Mar 6🕊️ Nuclear Pact Takes Effect – The treaty to halt the spread of atomic weapons went into effect, with leaders expressing hope for arms race reduction.
- Mar 7🌒 Total Eclipse Lights Up – A total solar eclipse brought a $1-million boom to Perry, Florida, showcasing the intersection of nature and commerce.
- Mar 8🌒 Millions Watch Eclipse – A solar eclipse captivated North America, casting a strange midday darkness as the sun, moon, and earth aligned.
- Mar 9🌍 Eclipse Study Success – The international effort to study Saturday's total eclipse of the sun was rated a success by participating scientists.
- Mar 10🌍 U.S. Bans Pesticides – The U.S. Agriculture Department banned aldrin and dieldrin in wet areas as part of a campaign to restrict long-lived pesticides.
- Mar 11🏨 High-Rise Hotel Opens – The new Imperial Hotel, built near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, officially opened its doors to the public.
- Mar 12🎨 Picasso Donates Works – Pablo Picasso has donated 800 to 900 of his finest early works to a museum in Barcelona.
- Mar 13🌍 World Bank's Ecological Move – The World Wildlife Fund praised the World Bank's decision to consider ecological impacts in development projects.
- Mar 14🌍 Expo '70 Opens – Expo '70 officially opened in Osaka, Japan, featuring innovative architecture and cultural exhibits from around the world.
- Mar 15🏛️ Expo '70 Opens – Expo '70, a grand exhibition showcasing innovation and culture, opens in Osaka, Japan, attracting global attention.
- Mar 16🚀 Astronauts End Ceylon Visit – Apollo-12 astronauts concluded their official tour of Ceylon with a visit to Kandy's Temple of the Tooth.
- Mar 17🌏 Expo Marks Japan's Affluence – Expo '70 opened in Osaka, celebrating Japan's growing affluence and showcasing technological advancements.
- Mar 18🚢 Ship Launched in Tanzania – Presidents Nyerere, Obote, and Kaunda launched the Ujamaa ship in Dar es Salaam, enhancing East African shipping.
- Mar 19🚀 Soviet Satellite Orbited – The Soviet Union launched an unmanned spacecraft into orbit to collect meteorological data, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Mar 20🚀 Apollo 12 Astronauts Depart – Apollo 12 astronauts Conrad, Gordon, and Bean left Jakarta for Taiwan after a three-day visit to Indonesia.
- Mar 21🏒 Sweden Upsets Soviet – Sweden defeated the Soviet Union 4-2 in the world amateur ice hockey championship, creating an open tournament.
- Mar 22✈️ Boeing 747 Takes Off – Douglas Moody commands one of the first commercial flights of the Boeing 747 jetliner from New York to London.
- Mar 23🌋 Ancient Ice Found – A scientist discovered a layer of ancient ice atop an extinct volcano in tropical Hawaii, shedding light on geological history.
- Mar 24🌍 Nuclear Device Tested – The U.S. conducted a nuclear test in Nevada, marking the 11th weapons-related test of the year, according to the Atomic Energy Commission.
- Mar 25📡 F.C.C. Seeks Satellite Ideas – The Federal Communications Commission announced it is seeking proposals for the operation of domestic relay satellites after four years of study.
- Mar 26🌍 Brazil Extends Waters – President Emilio G. Médici issued a decree extending Brazil's territorial waters to 200 miles from the previous limit of 12 miles.
- Mar 27🔭 Sky Telescope Lofted – A 660-feet tall balloon carrying a telescope was released in Texas, aimed at capturing images of stars not visible from ground observatories.
- Mar 28✝️ Pilgrims Follow Jesus' Path – Thousands of religious pilgrims marked Good Friday by following the path taken by Jesus from His trial to His Crucifixion in Jerusalem.
- Mar 29🌍 Turkish Town Ruins – The market town of Gediz, Turkey, was devastated by an earthquake felt throughout the country.
- Mar 30🌍 Turkey Earthquake Devastation – About 600 people were killed and hundreds injured by a powerful earthquake in western Turkey, with fears of a higher toll.
- Mar 31🌍 Soviet Hockey Victory – The Soviet Union defeats Sweden 3-1, winning their eighth consecutive world ice hockey championship.
Happy Birthday! 1970 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1970 in real headlines. See the 1970 book →
Born in March? Pick the day
Every birthday in March has its own On This Day in Headlines book: