Dashed left edge = started before June 1970 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond June 1970
Events in June 1970 14
1879 – 1970E.M. Forster (1879-1970)Died 7 June 1970, aged 91E.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.
1901 – 1970Sukarno (1901-1970)Died 21 June 1970, aged 69Sukarno, 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.
1937 – 1970Bruce McLarenThe FounderFounded the McLaren team; a brilliant engineer and race winner who died testing his own car.
1970United States Invades CambodiaUS and South Vietnamese forces cross into CambodiaUS 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.
19701970 FIFA World CupTotal Football PeakConsidered one of the greatest tournaments ever; Brazil took permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy. Winner: Brazil.
1970Arrested Distributing Banned NewspaperDirect action for Maoist causesIn June 1970 Sartre was briefly arrested for distributing copies of La Cause du Peuple, a banned Maoist newspaper he had agreed to edit in order to shield its publishers from prosecution under his public stature. President Georges Pompidou reportedly ordered his prompt release, reasoning that "one does not arrest Voltaire." The episode exemplified Sartre's willingness to place his own body and reputation on the line for radical causes in his later years.
1970First Total Synthesis of a GeneHar Gobind Khorana's team builds a gene from scratchA 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.
1970French Open 1970Men: Jan Kodeš · Women: Margaret Court
1970Stevie Wonder releases Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm YoursFirst self-produced hitHis first hit as his own producer.
1970The Kinks release LolaComeback hitA comeback hit about a nightclub encounter in Soho.
1970 – presentArt BaselPremier Art FairThe world's leading art fair for modern and contemporary works.
19701970 World Cup Quarter-FinalPlayed his final World Cup match as England lost 3–2 to West Germany in the quarter-final in Mexico. Manager Alf Ramsey controversially substituted Charlton with England leading 2–1.
1970Grateful Dead release Workingman's DeadCasey JonesA turn to country and folk harmonies.
1970Janis Joplin on the Festival ExpressTrain tour of CanadaA train tour across Canada with the Grateful Dead and The Band.