What happened in November 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in November 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Nov 1🏛️ First Swiss Woman Elected – Mrs. Use Girardin becomes Geneva's first female Mayor, elected to the Council of States after women gained voting rights.
- Nov 2🌍 Tanzania Airport Open – The first scheduled flights landed at a new international airport near Mount Kilimanjaro, enhancing travel capabilities.
- Nov 3🌍 China and Peru Set Ties – China and Peru established diplomatic relations, recognizing each other as the sole legal governments.
- Nov 4🌪️ Tornado Strikes Virginia – A tornado hit Virginia's Tidewater area, causing injuries and damage to homes and trailers, but no fatalities were reported.
- Nov 5🔬 Nuclear Test Planned – The A.E.C. chairman arrived in Amchitka, Alaska, to assure safety for the upcoming Cannikan nuclear test scheduled for Saturday.
- Nov 6🌍 Nuclear Test Countdown – The largest underground nuclear explosion in the U.S. is set to occur today on Amchitka Island, Alaska, pending Supreme Court intervention.
- Nov 7🌍 Shock Waves Hit Japan – A 7.0 magnitude shock wave reached Japan shortly after an underground nuclear explosion in the Aleutians, causing widespread concern.
- Nov 8🌍 Ceylon Links Currency – Ceylon announces a new currency link to the U.S. dollar, breaking its traditional tie with British sterling.
- Nov 9🛰️ Mariner Takes Mars Photos – Mariner 9 successfully transmitted its first test images of Mars, marking a significant step in space exploration.
- Nov 10🌍 End of Cuba's Isolation – Fidel Castro's visit to Chile marks a significant shift in Cuba's diplomatic relations, symbolizing the end of its isolation in Latin America.
- Nov 11🔬 Mariner Photos Mars – Mariner 9 began taking its first detailed photographs of Mars, moving closer to its planned rendezvous with the red planet.
- Nov 12🚀 Mars Photos Transmitted – Mariner 9 transmits images of a hazy, dust-covered Mars, marking the first time a manmade object orbits another planet.
- Nov 13🔭 Mariner 9 Ready – Mariner 9 is set to enter orbit around Mars after a 248-million mile journey, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
- Nov 14🚀 Mariner 9 Orbit – An unmanned American spacecraft, Mariner 9, successfully entered orbit around Mars, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
- Nov 15🔬 Mariner Sends Back Pictures – Mariner 9 began its reconnaissance of Mars, returning the first television pictures taken from orbit of the planet.
- Nov 16🛰️ Satellite Launched – Italian and American scientists launched a satellite off Kenya to study the earth's magnetosphere, marking a significant scientific achievement.
- Nov 17🔬 Martian Haze Subsides – The haze from a dust storm on Mars has subsided, allowing better photographic observation from the Mariner 9 spacecraft.
- Nov 18🌪️ Tropical Storm Laura – Tropical Storm Laura devastates parts of Cuba, killing one, destroying homes, and damaging crops.
- Nov 19🌍 Ecuador Breaks Taiwan Ties – Ecuador has severed diplomatic relations with Nationalist China, following Mexico's similar move earlier this week.
- Nov 20🔬 Mariner 9 Finds Mars Bulge – Scientists reported that Mariner 9 discovered a significant bulge at Mars' equator, revealing irregularities in its gravitational field.
- Nov 21🏛️ Viaduct Collapse in Rio – A concrete viaduct under construction in Rio de Janeiro collapsed, killing at least 10 and injuring many others.
- Nov 22🏗️ Groundbreaking Ceremony – Ground-breaking for Lionel Hampton Houses, a 355-unit low-rent housing project, was held, expected to complete by mid-1973.
- Nov 23🏛️ Thousands Visit Kennedy's Grave – Thousands paid tribute to John F. Kennedy on the eighth anniversary of his assassination at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Nov 24🔬 Patent for Steel Process – Armco Steel Corporation received a patent for a new method to create corrosion-resistant steel using conventional facilities.
- Nov 25🌍 Rhodesia Signs Pact – Rhodesia and Britain reached a constitutional settlement, ending a six-year struggle over the territory's governance.
- Nov 26🌋 Volcano Kills Fisherman – A 37-year-old fisherman died from poisonous fumes after the Teneguia Volcano erupted in the Canary Islands, marking its first fatality since the eruption.
- Nov 27🔬 Heart Diagnostic Patent – Dr. Louis R. M. Del Gueroio received a patent for a device diagnosing heart and lung conditions without endangering patients.
- Nov 28🔬 Mariner 9 Finds Moon – Mariner 9's camera successfully captured images of Phobos, Mars' inner moon, during its orbit 84 million miles away.
- Nov 29📰 Jordanian Premier Assassinated – Wasfi Tal, the controversial Jordanian Premier, was assassinated in Cairo, sparking outrage across the Arab world.
- Nov 30🌕 Moon's Heat Surprises – Apollo 15 data reveals the moon is a richer source of heat than previously thought, altering lunar science.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →
Born in November? Pick the day
Every birthday in November has its own On This Day in Headlines book: