1970 Timeline: Events, People and History

Events in 1970 90

1872 – 1970 Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) Died 2 February 1970, aged 97 Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate, died at his home in Wales. His work in logic and his public activism for peace and nuclear disarmament made him one of the most prominent intellectuals of the twentieth century.
1879 – 1970 E.M. Forster (1879-1970) Died 7 June 1970, aged 91 E.M. Forster, the English novelist best known for A Passage to India and Howards End, died in Coventry, England. His novels explored class, empire and personal connection in early twentieth-century Britain.
1883 – 1970 Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) Died 7 December 1970, aged 87 Rube Goldberg, the American cartoonist famous for drawings of absurdly complicated machines, died in New York City. His name became a generic term for any needlessly convoluted device or process.
1884 – 1970 Billie Burke (1884-1970) American actress, wife of Florenz Ziegfeld and Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz.
1886 – 1970 Edward Everett Horton (1886-1970) American character actor, the flustered sidekick of the Astaire-Rogers musicals and narrator of Fractured Fairy Tales.
1889 – 1970 António de Oliveira Salazar The Dictator The leader of the Estado Novo (New State), ruling Portugal as an authoritarian for over 36 years.
1890 – 1970 Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970) Died 9 November 1970, aged 79 Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French forces during World War II and founder of France's Fifth Republic, died at his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises. He had served twice as head of state, resigning the presidency in 1969.
1896 – 1970 John Dos Passos (1896-1970) Died 28 September 1970, aged 74 John Dos Passos, the American novelist known for the experimental U.S.A. trilogy, died in Baltimore, Maryland. His documentary-style fiction influenced generations of American writers.
1898 – 1970 Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) Died 25 September 1970, aged 72 Erich Maria Remarque, the German-born author of All Quiet on the Western Front, died in Locarno, Switzerland. His novel remains one of the most widely read accounts of the First World War.
1901 – 1970 Sukarno (1901-1970) Died 21 June 1970, aged 69 Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia and leader of its independence movement, died under house arrest in Jakarta after being ousted from power by General Suharto. He remains a foundational figure in Indonesian national identity.
1903 – 1970 Mark Rothko Color Field · Latvia / USA Mark Rothko (September 25, 1903 – February 25, 1970) was a Latvian-American painter whose large-scale colour field canvases aimed to provoke profound emotional and spiritual responses. He took his own life in 1970.
1905 – 1970 Abraham Zapruder (1905-1970) Died 30 August 1970, aged 65 Abraham Zapruder, the Dallas dressmaker who filmed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on his home movie camera, died in Dallas, Texas. His footage became one of the most scrutinized pieces of film in history.
1913 – 1970 Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) Died 3 September 1970, aged 57 Vince Lombardi, the American football coach who led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships, died of cancer in Washington, D.C. The Super Bowl trophy was later renamed in his honor.
1913 – 1970 Frances Farmer (1913-1970) American actress of the 1930s whose troubled life became the subject of books and films.
1918 – 1970 Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918-1970) Died 28 September 1970, aged 52 Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt and a leading figure of Arab nationalism, died suddenly of a heart attack in Cairo. His funeral drew millions of mourners across the Arab world.
1925 – 1970 Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) Died 25 November 1970, aged 45 Yukio Mishima, the acclaimed Japanese novelist and playwright, died by ritual suicide after leading a failed attempt to incite a coup at a Tokyo military base. His death shocked Japan and drew international attention to his ultranationalist politics.
1937 – 1970 Bruce McLaren The Founder Founded the McLaren team; a brilliant engineer and race winner who died testing his own car.
1942 – 1970 Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) Died 18 September 1970, aged 27 Jimi Hendrix, the American guitarist who redefined electric rock guitar playing, died in London from asphyxiation after a drug overdose. He remains widely regarded as one of the most influential guitarists in popular music history.
1943 – 1970 Janis Joplin (1943-1970) Died 4 October 1970, aged 27 Janis Joplin, the American rock and blues singer known for her raw, powerful vocal style, died in Los Angeles of a heroin overdose. Her death, following Jimi Hendrix's by less than a month, cemented the "27 Club" as a cultural touchstone.
1943 – 1970 Alan Wilson (1943-1970) Canned Heat singer and guitarist Blind Owl — the singer, harmonica and slide-guitar player of Canned Heat, voice of On the Road Again and Going Up the Country. Died aged 27.
1955 – 1970 Evidence for dark matter Most of the universe's mass is invisible Fritz Zwicky first noted evidence for missing mass in galaxy clusters (1933). Vera Rubin and Kent Ford's galaxy rotation measurements in the 1960s-70s conclusively showed that galaxies contain far more mass than can be seen — dark matter must exist. It comprises approximately 27% of the universe's total energy content and its nature remains one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics.
1964 – 1970 Simon & Garfunkel American folk rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel — The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
1969 – 1970 18-game winning streak The Knicks win 18 consecutive games during the 1969-70 season en route to a franchise-best 60-22 regular season record.
1970 Apollo 13 Near-fatal moon mission "Houston, we have a problem." An oxygen tank explosion crippled Apollo 13 en route to the Moon. The three astronauts survived thanks to improvised solutions.
1970 Beatles split End of an era Paul McCartney announced his departure from the Beatles in April 1970, formally ending the most influential band in music history.
1970 – 2021 DMX (1970-2021) Died 9 April 2021, aged 50 American rapper whose first five albums each debuted at number one, a feat no other artist has matched.
1970 – 1979 Disco era Dance music dominates Disco music dominated the 1970s dancefloors, with artists like Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, and Gloria Gaynor defining a decade of glitter and liberation.
1970 – present Education Reform PISA Success The comprehensive overhaul of the Finnish school system that made it one of the top-performing in the world.
1970 – 1978 Euwe serves as FIDE President Longest-serving FIDE president Max Euwe served as president of FIDE for eight years and was instrumental in organizing the Fischer-Spassky match in 1972.
1970 First Earth Day First Earth Day The first Earth Day was held on 22 April 1970, organised by senator Gaylord Nelson as a national teach-in on the environment, and drew some twenty million Americans. Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency that December. The Clean Air and Clean Water Acts followed within three years.
1970 – 2026 Glen Hansard (1970-2026) Died 29 July 2026, aged 56 Irish singer-songwriter and front man of the Frames who appeared in The Commitments and won an Academy Award for Falling Slowly from the film Once.
1970 – present Grumman F-14 Tomcat Swing-wing fleet defender The swing-wing fleet defence fighter built to protect US carriers with the long-range Phoenix missile. Made famous by Top Gun, retired by the US Navy in 2006 and still flown by Iran.
1970 – 2025 Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1970-2025) Died 20 July 2025, aged 54 American actor, director and musician best known for The Cosby Show, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.
1970 – 2024 Morgan Spurlock (1970-2024) Died 23 May 2024, aged 53 American documentarian best known for Super Size Me.
1970 – present Range Rover Luxury SUV pioneer launched Range Rover introduced the concept of combining off-road capability with luxury comfort. The brand became one of the most influential SUV manufacturers in the premium automotive market.
1970 Reed sweeps MVP awards Willis Reed becomes the first player to win the NBA regular-season MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season.
1970 Van Morrison releases Moondance Into the Mystic His commercial breakthrough, with Moondance, Caravan and Into the Mystic.
1970 – 2004 Marco Pantani Il Pirata The last rider to win the Giro and Tour in the same year (1998); a legendary climber.
1970 Nigerian Civil War Ends Biafra surrenders, ending secessionist war The breakaway state of Biafra formally surrendered to Nigerian federal forces, ending a civil war that had killed over a million people, many from starvation caused by a federal blockade. The war's end reunified Nigeria but left lasting ethnic tensions.
1970 Boeing 747 Enters Commercial Service Pan Am flies the first jumbo jet passenger route Pan American World Airways flew the first commercial passenger flight of the Boeing 747 between New York and London. The wide-body jumbo jet transformed long-haul air travel by dramatically increasing passenger capacity.
1970 Simon & Garfunkel release Bridge Over Troubled Water Final album Their last studio album, one of the best-selling ever.
1970 James Taylor releases Sweet Baby James Fire and Rain His breakthrough, with Fire and Rain.
1970 Japan launches Ohsumi Japan becomes the fourth nation to put a satellite into orbit with its own rocket.
1970 Black Sabbath releases its debut album The self-titled album from Birmingham, released on Friday the 13th, is often seen as the first heavy metal record.
1970 Chicago Seven verdict The jury acquits all seven defendants of conspiracy over the 1968 Democratic Convention protests. Five were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot, later overturned.
1970 Swissair Flight 330 bombing A bomb explodes in the cargo hold after take-off from Zurich, and the aircraft crashes near Würenlingen, killing all 47 on board.
1970 Rhodesia Declares Itself a Republic White-minority government severs final ties to the British Crown Rhodesia's white-minority government under Ian Smith proclaimed the country a republic, five years after its unilateral declaration of independence from Britain. The move deepened the country's international isolation amid sanctions over minority rule.
1970 Expo '70 Opens in Osaka First World's Fair held in Asia Expo '70 opened in Suita, near Osaka, as the first World's Fair held in Asia, drawing over 64 million visitors. The exposition showcased Japan's postwar economic recovery and technological ambitions under the theme Progress and Harmony for Mankind.
1970 Sihanouk Overthrown in Cambodia General Lon Nol seizes power in Phnom Penh Prime Minister Lon Nol led a parliamentary coup that removed Head of State Norodom Sihanouk while he was abroad, declaring Cambodia a republic. The coup drew Cambodia directly into the Vietnam War and helped ignite the civil war that would bring the Khmer Rouge to power.
1970 Miles Davis releases Bitches Brew Jazz fusion Electric jazz-rock — his best-selling album at the time.
1970 1970 World Snooker Championship Ray Reardon First Title Winner: Ray Reardon; Runner-up: John Pulman. Score: 37–33.
1970 McCartney announces the break-up April 10, 1970 Paul McCartney publicly announced he was leaving the Beatles on April 10, 1970, via a self-written Q&A promoting his first solo album. The announcement shocked the world, though Lennon had privately left months earlier.
1970 Paul McCartney announces he has left the Beatles End of the Beatles A press release with his first solo album breaks the news.
1970 – present Andre Agassi The Punisher First man to win all four majors on three different surfaces; husband of Steffi Graf.
1970 United States Invades Cambodia US and South Vietnamese forces cross into Cambodia US and South Vietnamese troops launched a series of ground operations into Cambodia to destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong sanctuaries. The expansion of the Vietnam War into a neutral country triggered mass protests across the United States, including the demonstrations at Kent State.
1970 Kent State Shootings Ohio National Guard kills four student protesters Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on unarmed students protesting the US invasion of Cambodia at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine. The shootings triggered a nationwide student strike and became a defining image of opposition to the Vietnam War. A photograph of a student kneeling over one of the victims became one of the most reproduced images of the era.
1970 "Willis Reed Game" — first NBA title Reed limps onto the court for Game 7 of the Finals against the Lakers, scores the game's first basket, and inspires New York to a 113-99 win and its first NBA championship.
1970 Let It Be Final album — May 8, 1970 Let It Be was released on May 8, 1970, a month after McCartney's announcement. Recorded in early 1969, it had been shelved until producer Phil Spector added controversial orchestration. It was a raw, melancholic finale to the Beatles' studio output.
1970 Neil Young records Ohio After Kent State Written after National Guard troops killed four students at Kent State.
1970 1970 FIFA World Cup Total Football Peak Considered one of the greatest tournaments ever; Brazil took permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy. Winner: Brazil.
1970 Ancash Earthquake and Landslide Massive earthquake and debris avalanche devastate Peru A magnitude 7.9 earthquake off the coast of Peru triggered a catastrophic debris avalanche that buried the town of Yungay, killing roughly 70,000 people in total. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded in the Western Hemisphere.
1970 First Total Synthesis of a Gene Har Gobind Khorana's team builds a gene from scratch A research team led by biochemist Har Gobind Khorana announced the first complete chemical synthesis of a gene, a yeast alanine transfer RNA gene. The achievement was a milestone in molecular biology that laid groundwork for later genetic engineering.
1970 The Kinks release Lola Comeback hit A comeback hit about a nightclub encounter in Soho.
1970 – present Art Basel Premier Art Fair The world's leading art fair for modern and contemporary works.
1970 Grateful Dead release Workingman's Dead Casey Jones A turn to country and folk harmonies.
1970 Creedence Clearwater Revival release Cosmo's Factory Their biggest album With Travelin' Band, Up Around the Bend and Have You Ever Seen the Rain.
1970 – present Alan Shearer The Goal Machine All-time leading goalscorer in Premier League history.
1970 – present Jim Courier The Rock Former World No. 1 and four-time major winner.
1970 – 1993 River Phoenix (1970-1993) Died 31 October 1993, aged 19 River Phoenix was an American actor acclaimed for his roles in "Stand by Me" and "My Own Private Idaho" and considered one of his generation's most promising talents. He collapsed and died of drug-induced heart failure outside the Viper Room nightclub in Los Angeles. His death at 19 shocked Hollywood and became a cautionary symbol of substance abuse in the entertainment industry.
1970 Curtis Mayfield releases Curtis Move On Up His solo debut after leaving the Impressions.
1970 The Miracles release The Tears of a Clown Number one Co-written with Stevie Wonder — number one in the UK and US.
1970 Salvador Allende Elected President of Chile Marxist candidate wins Chilean presidential election Salvador Allende won a plurality in Chile's presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected Marxist head of state in the Americas after confirmation by Congress. His government's socialist reforms would end three years later in a US-backed military coup.
1970 Dawson's Field Hijackings PFLP hijacks four airliners in coordinated attack The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijacked four international airliners and forced three to land at a remote airstrip in Jordan, later blowing up the empty planes before a global television audience. The crisis escalated tensions between Palestinian militants and Jordan's monarchy, triggering the Black September civil war.
1970 Black Sabbath release Paranoid War Pigs and Iron Man Their best-known album, a UK number one.
1970 Jimi Hendrix dies in London Aged 27 Dies in a London hotel flat, aged 27.
1970 Neil Young releases After the Gold Rush Breakthrough With Southern Man, Only Love Can Break Your Heart and Don't Let It Bring You Down.
1970 – 1971 1971 World Snooker Championship John Spencer Title 2 Held in Australia across several months. Winner: John Spencer; Runner-up: Warren Simpson. Score: 37–29.
1970 Janis Joplin dies in Hollywood Aged 27 Found dead at the Landmark Motor Hotel.
1970 Fiji Gains Independence Fiji becomes independent from Britain Fiji became an independent member of the Commonwealth after nearly a century of British colonial rule. Ratu Kamisese Mara became the country's first prime minister.
1970 Anwar Sadat Becomes President of Egypt Sadat succeeds Nasser after his sudden death Anwar Sadat was confirmed as President of Egypt following the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser, initially seen as a transitional figure. He would go on to lead Egypt through the 1973 war and the Camp David peace accords with Israel.
1970 The Velvet Underground release Loaded Sweet Jane With Sweet Jane and Rock & Roll, released after Reed left.
1970 Grateful Dead release American Beauty Truckin' and Ripple With Truckin', Ripple and Box of Rain.
1970 Bhola Cyclone Deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history strikes East Pakistan A powerful tropical cyclone struck the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people. The disaster exposed failures in the Pakistani government's relief response and fueled resentment that contributed to the Bangladesh Liberation War the following year.
1970 – 2016 Phife Dawg (1970-2016) Died 22 March 2016, aged 45 Born Malik Taylor, Phife Dawg was a founding member of the influential hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. His lyrical interplay with fellow member Q-Tip helped define the group's jazz-influenced sound. He died of complications from diabetes.
1970 Assassination Attempt on Pope Paul VI Pope survives knife attack in Manila A Bolivian painter disguised as a priest attacked Pope Paul VI with a kris knife moments after the pope landed in Manila, Philippines. The pontiff was unharmed and continued his tour of Asia and Oceania.
1970 George Harrison releases All Things Must Pass Triple album A triple album with My Sweet Lord — the best solo Beatles album.
1970 US Environmental Protection Agency Established Nixon administration creates federal environmental regulator President Richard Nixon's administration created the Environmental Protection Agency to consolidate federal efforts to control air and water pollution. The agency became the primary US body enforcing environmental law in the following decades.
1970 Willy Brandt Kneels at Warsaw Ghetto Memorial West German chancellor signs Treaty of Warsaw West German Chancellor Willy Brandt signed a treaty normalizing relations with Poland and unexpectedly knelt in silence before a memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The gesture became an enduring symbol of German reconciliation with the victims of Nazism.
1970 John Lennon releases John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Primal scream album A raw album after primal therapy, with Mother and Working Class Hero.
1970 F-14 Tomcat first flight Grumman, Calverton, New York Grumman's variable-sweep fleet defence fighter flies for the first time. The prototype is lost in a crash nine days later, though both crew eject.