Timeline October 1970

Events in October 1970 9

• 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.
• 1970 Atom Heart Mother -- Number 1 in the UK Atom Heart Mother (October 1970), featuring an extended orchestral-rock suite occupying the entire first side, reaches Number 1 in the UK -- Pink Floyd's first chart-topping album. The title track, written with Ron Geesin, features a brass ensemble, choir and cello. The album demonstrates Pink Floyd's ambition to transcend rock's conventional format. Waters later disowns it as a failure of nerve; Gilmour considers it an interesting experiment. Its Number 1 position proves that the British album-buying public is ready for extended, ambitious rock compositions.
• 1970 Intel 1103 — DRAM replaces core memory Intel introduces the 1103 dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip in October 1970 — the first commercially available DRAM chip and the product that makes Intel's fortune in its early years. The 1103 stores 1,024 bits of data and is cheaper and denser than the magnetic core memory it replaces. By 1972 it is the best-selling semiconductor component in the world. Intel's DRAM business funds the research that will produce the microprocessor — the product that will eventually render DRAM a commodity and force Intel out of the memory business entirely.
• 1970 Janis Joplin records Mercedes Benz Last recording An a cappella song recorded three days before her death.
• 1970 Janis Joplin dies in Hollywood Aged 27 Found dead at the Landmark Motor Hotel.
• 1970 Led Zeppelin release Led Zeppelin III Immigrant Song An acoustic, folk-inspired turn written in a Welsh cottage.
• 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 Formally sentenced 30 October 1970 Was formally sentenced on 30 October 1970 — the appeal of his conviction would remain unresolved for decades, never reaching a final court decision before his death.