January 2
January 2
Football fans crushed in stadium stampede
On January 2, 1971, 66 football (soccer) fans are killed in a stampede at a stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, as they attempt to leave a game after a late goal…
A Year In History: 1971
This Year in History:
1971
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 6
January 6
Army drops charges of My Lai cover‑up
The Army drops charges of an alleged cover‑up in the My Lai massacre against four officers. After the charges were dropped, a total of 11 people had been cleared of…
January 7
January 7
Laird visits Saigon
Accompanied by Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Melvin Laird arrives in South Vietnam to assess the military situation. The purpose of Laird’s…
January 11
January 11
“Silicon Valley” first appears in print
On January 11, 1971, “Silicon Valley” appears for the first time in print in the Electronic News, a popular weekly trade magazine. The article, the first of a three‑part series, was…
January 12
January 12
“Harrisburg Six” charged with conspiracy
The Reverend Philip F. Berrigan, serving a six‑year prison term on charges of destroying draft records, and five others are indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiring to…
January 17
January 17
South Vietnamese forces raid POW camp
Led by South Vietnamese Lt. Gen. Do Cao Tri, and with U.S. air support and advisers, some 300 paratroopers raid a communist prisoner of war camp near the town of…
January 18
January 18
McGovern begins his presidential campaign
In a televised speech, Senator George S. McGovern (D‑South Dakota) begins his antiwar campaign for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination by vowing to bring home all U.S. soldiers from Vietnam…
January 20
January 20
Marvin Gaye’s hit single “What’s Going On?” released
January 20, 1971, sees the release of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” In addition to being a massive hit, the song marked a turning point in Gaye’s career and in…
January 25
January 25
Charles Manson and his followers convicted of murder
In Los Angeles, California, cult leader Charles Manson is convicted, along with followers Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkle, of the brutal 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate…
January 30
January 30
Operation Dewey Canyon II begins
Operation Dewey Canyon II begins as the initial phase of Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese invasion of Laos that would commence on February 8. The purpose of the South…
January 31
January 31
Apollo 14 departs for the moon
Apollo 14, piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a manned mission to the moon.…
February 2
February 2
Idi Amin takes power in Uganda
One week after toppling the regime of Ugandan leader Milton Obote, Major General Idi Amin declares himself president of Uganda and chief of the armed forces. Amin, head of the…
February 7
February 7
Operation Dewey Canyon II ends
Operation Dewey Canyon II ends, but U.S. units continue to provide support for South Vietnamese army operations in Laos. Operation Dewey Canyon II began on January 30 as the initial…
February 8
February 8
Operation Lam Son 719 begins
South Vietnamese army forces invade southern Laos. Dubbed Operation Lam Son 719, the mission goal was to disrupt the communist supply and infiltration network along Route 9 in Laos, adjacent…
February 9
February 9
Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame
On February 9, 1971, pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that year, Paige, a…
February 10
February 10
Vietnam War journalists killed in helicopter crash
Four journalists, including photographer Larry Burrows of Life magazine, Kent Potter of United Press International, Henri Huett of the Associated Press and Keisaburo Shimamoto of Newsweek, die in a South…
February 21
February 21
Tornadoes move across Mississippi River Delta
On this day in 1971, the Mississippi River Delta is pounded by powerful tornadoes that kill more than 100 people. The storm that caused the twisters moved up from the…
February 23
February 23
South Vietnamese advance stalls
In Operation Lam Son 719, the South Vietnamese advance into Laos grinds to a halt. The operation began on February 8. It included a limited incursion by South Vietnamese forces…
February 25
February 25
Congress moves to block widening of the war
In both houses of Congress, legislation is initiated to forbid U.S. military support of any South Vietnamese invasion of North Vietnam without congressional approval. This legislation was a result of…
March 1
March 1
War protesters set off bomb in U.S. Capitol building
A bomb explodes in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., causing an estimated $300,000 in damage but hurting no one. A group calling itself the Weather Underground claimed credit for…
