What happened in July 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in July 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jul 1🚀 Soviet Space Tragedy – The world mourns the loss of three Soviet cosmonauts who died during the Soyuz 11 mission, marking a significant moment in space exploration history.
- Jul 2🎾 Wimbledon Final Set – Stan Smith will face John Newcombe for the All-England tennis title this Saturday at Wimbledon.
- Jul 3🏛️ Abu Dhabi Gets Cabinet – Abu Dhabi swore in its first Cabinet, marking a historic step in governance for the Persian Gulf sheikdom.
- Jul 4🏅 Indonesian Elections Peaceful – Millions of Indonesians voted today by secret ballot in the country's first national elections since 1955, with no serious incidents reported.
- Jul 5🚀 Salyut Program Continues – A Soviet space scientist confirmed the continuation of the Salyut program despite the recent Soyuz 11 tragedy, emphasizing future developments.
- Jul 6🌍 Nixon Certifies 26th Amendment – President Nixon officially certified the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18, in a White House ceremony.
- Jul 7🚀 Apollo 15 Isolation – Apollo 15 astronauts began a three-week preflight medical isolation to limit exposure to illness before their moon mission.
- Jul 8🚀 Soviet Shifts Salyut Orbit – The Soviet Union's Salyut 1 space station underwent a course change to prevent it from burning up in the atmosphere, indicating ongoing space experiments.
- Jul 9🌍 Severe Earthquake Hits Chile – A severe earthquake rocked central Chile, registering 7 to 10 on the Richter scale, causing about 20 deaths and nearly 100 injuries.
- Jul 10🌍 Chilean Earthquake Toll – The death toll from a violent earthquake in central Chile rises to 74, with many others injured and rescue efforts underway.
- Jul 11🏗️ Ode to Joy Anthem – The Council of Europe voted unanimously to adopt Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' as the anthem for Western Europe.
- Jul 12🚀 Soyuz 11 Tragedy – The Soviet Union confirmed that three astronauts aboard Soyuz 11 died due to rapid air pressure changes in their capsule.
- Jul 13📸 Kodak Introduces Cameras – Kodak launched two new low-cost security cameras aimed at small businesses, enhancing accessibility to photography.
- Jul 14🏗️ Floating Island Project – Funds allocated for a prototype floating island to serve as weather stations and nuclear power platforms.
- Jul 15🌌 Astronomers Detect Molecule – For the first time, astronomers detected a chemical molecule beyond the Milky Way using California radio telescopes.
- Jul 16🌏 Nixon to Visit China – President Nixon announced plans to visit China to seek normalization of relations, marking a significant diplomatic shift.
- Jul 17🌏 Nixon's China Visit – President Nixon's announcement of a visit to China marks a significant shift in U.S.-China relations, expected to occur by late this year.
- Jul 18🚀 Apollo 15 Launch Prep – NASA prepares for the Apollo 15 mission launch on July 26, with public excitement building as crowds gather at Cape Kennedy.
- Jul 19🎷 Pele Departs World Stage – Pele, the legendary soccer player, concluded his career with the Brazilian national team in an emotional farewell match.
- Jul 20🏙️ World Trade Center Topped – The second tower of the World Trade Center was topped out at 1,350 feet, marking a significant milestone in its construction.
- Jul 21🚀 Countdown for Apollo 15 – Countdown begins for Apollo 15, the most ambitious lunar mission yet, set to launch two years after the first moon landing.
- Jul 22🚀 Ford Experimental Vehicle – The U.S. government contracts Ford to build an experimental safety vehicle for a token fee of one dollar.
- Jul 23🌧️ Cloud Seeding Treaty – World Conference on Peace Through Law tentatively approved a treaty to control cloud seeding and weather modification.
- Jul 24🏆 Ali Watts Parade Marshal – Muhammad Ali was named grand marshal for the Watts Summer Festival parade scheduled for next month.
- Jul 25🚀 Apollo 15 Launch – Apollo 15 is set for launch, marking a significant scientific mission with astronauts David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin.
- Jul 26🏌️ Coles Wins German Open – Neil Coles of Britain shot a course-record 68 to win the German Open golf championship by four strokes.
- Jul 27🚀 Apollo 15 Launch – The Apollo 15 mission launched successfully, marking a significant step in lunar exploration and drawing large crowds to view the event.
- Jul 28🚀 – Apollo 15's propulsion engine fired successfully, easing concerns about the moon landing mission's progress.
- Jul 29🚀 Soviet Launches Satellite – The Soviet Union launched another Molniya 1 communications satellite, marking a significant advancement in space technology.
- Jul 30🌌 Apollo 15 Crew Orbits – Apollo 15 astronauts entered lunar orbit, witnessing a breathtaking view of craters and mountains, marking a significant step in lunar exploration.
- Jul 31🌕 Astronauts Land on Moon – Two American astronauts successfully landed on the moon, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →
Born in July? Pick the day
Every birthday in July has its own On This Day in Headlines book: