What happened in April 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in April 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Apr 1💰 First Silver Dollars Minted – The U.S. struck its first silver dollar since 1935 at the San Francisco Mint, marking a significant return to silver coinage.
- Apr 2🚀 Cosmos No. 402 Launched – The Soviet Union launched its 402nd unmanned Cosmos satellite, marking another step in its space exploration efforts.
- Apr 3🏆 East Defeats West – Dave Joiner of Penn State led the East to a 19-13 victory over the West in the fifth annual East-West wrestling classic.
- Apr 4🚗 New Engine Testing – A conventional car with an unconventional turbine engine is set for testing in New York City traffic by autumn.
- Apr 5🌊 Venice Flooded – The center of Venice flooded unexpectedly, raising lagoon levels significantly and forcing residents to seek refuge on upper floors.
- Apr 6🔬 Cancer Treatment Clue – A husband-wife research team hints at a breakthrough in understanding why cancer patients do not reject their tumors.
- Apr 7🌌 Moon Dust Distributed – NASA began distributing moon dust collected by Apollo 14 to scientists worldwide for research.
- Apr 8🎨 Max Ernst Exhibition Opens – A major exhibition of Max Ernst's works opened at the Orangerie in Paris, showcasing his diverse styles from 1920 to 1969.
- Apr 9🌋 Mount Etna Erupts – Mount Etna in Sicily erupted, sending rivers of molten rock down its slopes, marking a significant volcanic event.
- Apr 10🌍 U.S. Table Tennis Team Visits China – The U.S. table tennis team crossed into China from Hong Kong, marking a significant moment in diplomatic relations.
- Apr 11📷 Photo Expo 71 Opens – Chicago hosts Photo Expo 71, the largest photographic exposition in North America, featuring numerous exhibits and events for the public.
- Apr 12🗳️ North Vietnam Votes – North Vietnamese citizens participated in their first general elections since 1964, electing a new 420-seat assembly.
- Apr 13🌋 Etna Observatory Destroyed – Mount Etna's lava flow destroyed an observatory as the volcano erupted, marking its largest activity in a decade.
- Apr 14🏓 U.S. Table Tennis Team – The U.S. table tennis team participated in a colorful ceremony in Peking, showcasing the sport's cultural significance in China.
- Apr 15🚀 Cosmos 406 Launched – The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 406, an unmanned earth satellite for unspecified space research, marking the fifth launch this month.
- Apr 16🚀 French Satellite Launched – France successfully launched its seventh scientific satellite to study solar radiation from French Guiana.
- Apr 17🏙️ Rebuilt Hiroshima Praised – Emperor Hirohito commended the reconstruction of Hiroshima, calling it a splendid job after viewing the city from a hilltop.
- Apr 18🔬 Barium Cloud Launch – A man-made barium cloud is set to be launched to study magnetic fields in space, appearing as a bright star over the Western Hemisphere.
- Apr 19🚀 Soviet Space Station Launched – The Soviet Union orbited a scientific space station named Salyut today, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Apr 20🚄 Rail Corporation Rebranding – A new name and image were adopted by the rail corporation taking over intercity passenger trains to modernize its public perception.
- Apr 21🚀 Largest Tanker Launched – The world's largest tanker, the 372,400-ton Nisseki Maru, was launched in Kure, Japan, set for trips on the Japan-Persian Gulf route.
- Apr 22🔬 Andes Evidence Indicts Cholesterol – Researchers from Harvard and Quito found a link between low cholesterol and absence of heart disease in an Andean village.
- Apr 23🚀 Russia Launches Spacecraft – The Soviet Union successfully placed a three-man spacecraft into orbit to conduct joint experiments with the Salyut research workshop.
- Apr 24🚀 Cosmos Satellite Launched – The Soviet Union launched a new satellite in the Cosmos series, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Apr 25🚀 Soviet Spacecraft Lands – The Soviet Soyuz 10 spacecraft returned to Earth after docking with the Salyut orbital laboratory for over five hours.
- Apr 26🚀 Soyuz Docking Described – A crew member of the Soyuz 10 described the docking with the Salyut orbital laboratory as akin to a train entering a terminal.
- Apr 27🚀 Salyut Space Station Details – Soviet officials withhold details on the Salyut space station, hinting at its large size, as interest in space exploration grows.
- Apr 28🔬 New Barium Cloud Test – NASA plans to launch a German-designed barium cloud experiment from Wallops Island, Virginia, between May 20–24 after multiple delays.
- Apr 29🌍 U.N. Pollution Study – The United Nations has enlisted Dr. Rene J. Dubos to lead the first conference on saving the global environment.
- Apr 30🔬 Solar Neutrino Discovery – Dr. Raymond Davis Jr. believes he has intercepted solar neutrinos, marking a significant breakthrough in solar physics.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →