What happened in February 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in February 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Feb 1🚀 Apollo 14 Docking Success – Apollo 14 crew successfully docked their command module with the lunar module after overcoming significant technical challenges.
- Feb 2🚀 Apollo 14 Mission – Apollo 14 astronauts prepare for lunar exploration after successful docking, overcoming previous challenges.
- Feb 3🌕 Apollo 14 Booster Crash – The Apollo 14 booster is set to crash into the moon, creating an impact equivalent to 11 tons of TNT.
- Feb 4🌕 Apollo 14 Moon Orbit – Apollo 14 successfully entered lunar orbit, preparing for a scheduled landing on the Moon tomorrow.
- Feb 5🌕 Apollo 14 Moon Landing – Two astronauts of Apollo 14—the fifth and sixth humans—landed on the moon early this morning.
- Feb 6🌕 Lunar Footfalls Recorded – Apollo 14 astronauts' footfalls on the moon were recorded by a seismometer, marking a significant achievement in lunar exploration.
- Feb 7🌕 Lunar Triumph – Apollo 14 astronauts Shepard and Mitchell set records for time and distance on the moon, conducting extensive scientific experiments.
- Feb 8🌌 Apollo 14 Returns – Apollo 14 astronauts expressed hope that their moon mission would contribute to global peace as they headed back to Earth.
- Feb 9🌍 Treaty on Seabed Arms – Britain, the U.S., and the Soviet Union will sign an arms-control treaty for the seabed, enhancing global security.
- Feb 10🌍 Major Earthquake Strikes – A major earthquake hit southern California, killing at least 35 people and causing over a billion dollars in damages.
- Feb 11🚢 Queen Elizabeth Departs – The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth set sail for a new life in the Orient, cheered by a crowd as it left Port Everglades, Florida.
- Feb 12🌍 Nuclear Arms Treaty Signed – The U.S. and Soviet Union signed a treaty banning nuclear weapons from the seabed, covering 70% of the Earth's surface.
- Feb 13🌍 Scientists Open Apollo 14 Rocks – Scientists examined rocks returned from the moon by Apollo 14 astronauts, marking a significant moment in lunar research.
- Feb 14🌌 Apollo 14 Films Released – NASA released motion pictures and photos from Apollo 14, showcasing the moon's surface features and landscape.
- Feb 15🔥 Train Fire Kills 34 – A fire on a local train in a Yugoslavian tunnel resulted in 34 deaths and 113 injuries, ignited by diesel fuel from an electrical spark.
- Feb 16🚀 Japan Launches Satellite – Japan successfully launched a satellite into orbit using a four-stage rocket, marking its second orbital achievement.
- Feb 17🐅 Tiger Population Decline – India's tiger population has plummeted from 40,000 to just 1,500 in 20 years, raising concerns for wildlife conservation.
- Feb 18🏥 Nixon Proposes Health Insurance – President Nixon's health care proposal to Congress includes a requirement for employers to provide private health insurance for employees.
- Feb 19🦴 Ancient Jawbone Found – A jawbone fragment discovered in Kenya suggests early humans existed 5.5 million years ago, pushing back the timeline of human evolution.
- Feb 20🔬 10 Nations Build Atom Smasher – Ten Western European nations agreed to construct the world's largest atom smasher, a 1.4-mile ring, on the France-Switzerland border.
- Feb 21🏅 U.S. Girl Sets Record – Anne Henning, a 15-year-old from Illinois, shattered the women's world 500-meter speed skating record at the championships in Inzell, Germany.
- Feb 22🌍 Tornadoes Kill 47 – A wave of tornadoes struck Mississippi and Louisiana, resulting in at least 47 fatalities and numerous injuries.
- Feb 23🎥 Third World Cinema Formed – A group of black and Puerto Rican artists established the Third World Cinema Corporation to create films and train minorities in the industry.
- Feb 24🌍 Hirohito's Historic Trip – Japan's Emperor Hirohito plans to travel abroad for the first time in history, visiting seven European countries this autumn.
- Feb 25🏛️ Wisconsin Amish Court Ruling – New Glarus, Wisconsin, gains national attention as Amish families win a Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom in education.
- Feb 26🌍 Nixon's World Message – President Nixon delivered his annual State of the World Message to Congress, outlining U.S. foreign policy for the 1970s.
- Feb 27🚀 Cosmos 398 Launched – The Soviet Union launched an unmanned satellite, Cosmos 398, into Earth's orbit, marking another achievement in space exploration.
- Feb 28🏃♀️ Falck Sets Run Record – Hildegard Falck of West Germany set a world record in the Women's 800 meter run at 2:03.9 during the German indoor championships.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →