What happened in June 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in June 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Jun 1🌍 Fiji Joins I.M.F – Fiji has become a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, increasing global financial cooperation.
- Jun 2🏛️ Columbia Commencement – Columbia University's President Dr. William J. McGill praised the campus for a trouble-free year during his commencement address.
- Jun 3🕊️ Metropolitan Pimen Elected – Metropolitan Pimen of Krutitsy and Kolomna was elected Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest religious body in the Soviet Union.
- Jun 4🏗️ Derrick Plunges 18 Stories – A seven-ton derrick collapsed from a construction site in New York, causing a flood that affected three blocks.
- Jun 5🔬 New Fundy Power Project – Nova Scotia partners with Edmund de Rothschild to harness Bay of Fundy's tides for electric power generation.
- Jun 6🏛️ Italians Save Monuments – Egypt signs an agreement with Italian firms to protect the Temples of Philae from rising waters of the Aswan High Dam.
- Jun 7🎨 Picasso's Daughter Speaks – Paloma Picasso shares her thoughts on her identity and the challenges of being Pablo Picasso's daughter.
- Jun 8🚀 Soviet Space Station Docked – Three Soviet astronauts successfully docked their ferry craft Soyuz 11 with the space station Salyut, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Jun 9🚀 Soviet Space Station – Soviet scientists achieved a major milestone by creating a large manned orbiting space station now circling the Earth.
- Jun 10🚀 Soviet Astronaut Demonstrates Suit – A Soviet astronaut showcased a new tension suit designed for muscle maintenance during long space flights on live television.
- Jun 11🌌 Lunar Soil Exchange – The U.S. and Soviet Union exchanged lunar soil samples, marking a significant step in space cooperation.
- Jun 12🚀 Cosmos 427 Launched – The Soviet Union successfully launched Cosmos 427, an unmanned satellite, into orbit, marking another achievement in its space program.
- Jun 13🌋 Explosives Rock Pnompenh – A large ammunition dump in a sports stadium in Pnompenh exploded today, causing significant detonations throughout the capital.
- Jun 14🔬 Salyut in Orbit – Soviet astronauts aboard the Salyut space laboratory completed their first week in space, photographing Earth's surface for research.
- Jun 15🌍 Vatican Acts on Sainthoods – The Roman Catholic Church began the process of declaring five new saints, including a Polish priest from Auschwitz.
- Jun 16🌍 Okinawa Returned to Japan – The Japanese Cabinet approved an agreement to return Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands to Japan after 25 years of U.S. occupation.
- Jun 17🚀 Soyuz in Orbit – Three Soviet astronauts in the Salyut station began their 11th day in orbit, potentially breaking the 18-day space endurance record.
- Jun 18🚀 Apollo 16 Moon Observatory – Apollo 16 astronauts plan to set up an astronomical observatory on the moon in March, marking a significant step in lunar exploration.
- Jun 19🚀 Apollo 15 Named – Apollo 15 astronauts named their command ship Endeavor and moon-landing craft Falcon, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
- Jun 20🏛️ Independence Group Formed – Micronesian nationalists have formed a new political party advocating for independence from U.S. administration in the Pacific islands.
- Jun 21🔬 1,000th Orbit for Salyut – The Soviet space station Salyut logged its 1,000th orbit, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
- Jun 22🔬 NASA Satellite Tracking – NASA calls for design studies on satellites to track and manage data from other satellites in space.
- Jun 23🌍 Chrysler-Mitsubishi Deal – Chrysler and Mitsubishi announced plans for a capital tie-up in Mitsubishi Motors, pending final government approval.
- Jun 24🚀 Space Endurance Record – Soviet astronauts aboard the Salyut orbital station broke the endurance record for humans in space.
- Jun 25🚀 Go-Ahead for Apollo 15 – Preparations for the Apollo 15 mission to the moon on July 26 were approved after a successful flight readiness review.
- Jun 26🖼️ Titian Auctioned for $4 Million – Titian's 'The Death of Actaeon' was sold for $4,032,000, marking the second highest auction price for a work of art.
- Jun 27🌌 Scientists Reproduce Hormone – New Orleans scientists have successfully reproduced a brain hormone that regulates fertility, with potential applications in pregnancy and birth control.
- Jun 28📜 Vote-at-18 Amendment Approved – Thirty-four states have ratified the constitutional amendment to grant voting rights to 18-year-olds, with the 35th state expected soon.
- Jun 29🚀 Soviet Astronauts Orbit – Three Soviet astronauts complete 23 days in orbit, surpassing previous endurance records with normal health metrics.
- Jun 30🚀 Soviet Astronauts Die – The Soviet Union reported the death of three astronauts from the Salyut laboratory after a record 24-day orbit.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →