What happened in September 1971?
The top front-page story of each day in September 1971, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Sep 1🌍 U.S. Astronauts Expected – American and Soviet space planners anticipate joint ventures, with American astronauts boarding a Russian Salyut space laboratory.
- Sep 2🌌 Satellite Discovers Black Hole – The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory marks its 1,000th day in space, discovering a potential black hole.
- Sep 3🎨 Helen Hayes Appointed – President Nixon appointed actress Helen Hayes to the National Council on the Arts to advise on federal arts funding.
- Sep 4📜 Big Four Sign Agreement – The ambassadors of the U.S., Soviet Union, Britain, and France signed a treaty governing the status of West Berlin.
- Sep 5✈️ Jetliner Crash – A jetliner crashed into a mountain near Juneau, Alaska, killing all 109 aboard, marking the worst single-aircraft disaster in U.S. history.
- Sep 6🚀 Russia Plans Moon Landing – Experts believe the Soviet Union is testing components for a manned moon landing after launching four unmanned vehicles.
- Sep 7🌌 First Opera House Opens – The first proper opera house in Washington, D.C., opened, marking a significant cultural milestone after 171 years.
- Sep 8🌪️ Typhoon Kills 38 – At least 38 people died and 10 are missing after Typhoon Virginia struck Japan's Pacific coast.
- Sep 9🎭 Kennedy Center Opens – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts officially opened with a performance of Leonard Bernstein's Mass.
- Sep 10🌍 U.S. Astronauts Use Salyut – American and Soviet space planners are preparing for joint ventures, including American astronauts boarding a Russian Salyut space laboratory.
- Sep 11🚀 Soviet Launches Cosmos 437 – The Soviet Union successfully launched Cosmos 437, the latest in its series of unmanned satellites, reported by Tass.
- Sep 12🌍 Khrushchev Dies Again – Nikita Khrushchev's death was announced, marking a significant moment in Soviet history, highlighting his past leadership and political downfall.
- Sep 13🎉 Khrushchev Dies – Soviet authorities announce the death of former Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev, who will be buried without full state honors.
- Sep 14🎸 Jimi Plays Berkeley – The film 'Jimi Plays Berkeley' opens, showcasing Jimi Hendrix's 1970 concert, blending performance with interviews and local footage.
- Sep 15🚀 Cosmos 438 Launched – The Soviet Union launched Cosmos 438, the 438th satellite in its series, for various space experiments and tests.
- Sep 16🚀 Nuclear Space Probes Planned – The U.S. announced plans to send nuclear-powered space probes to outer planets within five years.
- Sep 17🚀 Weather Rocket Launch – A NASA weather rocket launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, ejected a lithium-barium cloud, visible across the East Coast.
- Sep 18🏛️ Justice Black Retires – Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black announced his retirement after 34 years of service, marking a significant moment in U.S. judicial history.
- Sep 19🔬 Craft to Study Sun – A spacecraft designed to study and photograph the sun's corona is scheduled to launch at Cape Kennedy, Florida.
- Sep 20🌍 Strengthened UN Urged – Secretary General Thant called for more power for the UN in his final report, emphasizing the need for a stronger organization.
- Sep 21🌍 Siberia Pipeline Progress – Pipeline crews in Northwest Siberia advance to within 25 miles of a major natural gas deposit aimed at supplying Western Europe.
- Sep 22🛰️ Cosmos 439 Launched – The Soviet Union successfully launched the unmanned satellite Cosmos 439 into orbit, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Sep 23🌍 Global Environmental Talks – Representatives from most nations will meet in Stockholm to address global environmental issues in what is seen as a significant diplomatic effort.
- Sep 24🏦 Chlorine Gas Leak – A chlorine gas leak in Yonkers forced the evacuation of 1,500 residents and resulted in five fatalities.
- Sep 25🚀 Cosmos 440 Launched – The Soviet Union launched an unmanned satellite, Cosmos 440, into an elongated earth orbit, marking a significant achievement in space exploration.
- Sep 26🌋 Hawaii Volcano Erupts – Kilauea volcano on Hawaii erupted suddenly, sending fountains of lava 250 feet high, alarming local residents.
- Sep 27🏛️ Hirohito's U.S. Visit – Emperor Hirohito of Japan breaks 2,600 years of tradition by flying to the U.S. for a historic meeting with President Nixon.
- Sep 28🇺🇸 Nixon and Hirohito Meet – President Nixon and Emperor Hirohito of Japan met in Anchorage, marking the first meeting between a U.S. President and a Japanese Emperor.
- Sep 29🌍 Gromyko's UN Statement – Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko presented a significant policy statement at the UN General Assembly, outlining Soviet positions.
- Sep 30🌍 Satellite Launched – A satellite was launched to monitor the solar corona, marking a significant advancement in solar research.
Happy Birthday! 1971 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1971 in real headlines. See the 1971 book →
Born in September? Pick the day
Every birthday in September has its own On This Day in Headlines book: