The world in
What happened in 1971?
18 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Cold War
After World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
On December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances
On 21 February 1971, the United Nations adopted the Convention on Psychotropic Substances in Vienna, Austria, to address the spread of new psychoactive drugs such as amphetamines and LSD. The earlier Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs had a limited scope and did not cover these substances.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Four Power Agreement on Berlin
On 3 September 1971, the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France reached the Four Power Agreement on Berlin after ambassadorial negotiations. The agreement was signed and put into force by the four foreign ministers in West Berlin on 3 June 1972. It aimed to resolve post-World War II disputes over Berlin's status and to ease Cold War tensions.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Completion of Finlandia Hall
In 1971, Finlandia Hall was completed on Töölönlahti Bay in Helsinki. Designed by Alvar Aalto, the congress and event venue was conceived in 1962 and built between 1967 and 1971.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Outbreak of the Vietnam War
In 1955, armed conflict erupted between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), marking the start of the Vietnam War. This war was simultaneously a civil war, a Cold War proxy war, and a postcolonial independence conflict, with North Vietnam backed by the Soviet Union and China, and South Vietnam supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The fighting later spread to Laos and Cambodia, ending with all three countries under communist rule in 1975.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Bangladesh Liberation War
In 1971, an armed conflict unfolded in East Pakistan. After months of fighting, it ended with Bangladesh separating from Pakistan and becoming an independent state.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War
On 3 December 1971, Pakistan launched preemptive airstrikes on Indian air stations, prompting India to declare war on Pakistan, marking the start of the third Indo-Pakistani war. The fighting occurred on both the eastern front in East Pakistan (coinciding with the Bangladesh Liberation War) and the western front. The war lasted until Pakistan's surrender in Dhaka on 16 December.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Keoladeo National Park
Keoladeo National Park was established in Rajasthan, India, formerly the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. The park is renowned for its rich bird diversity, attracting numerous migratory birds in winter, with over 400 species recorded.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Portuguese Colonial War
Armed conflicts took place between Portugal and independence movements in its African colonies from 1961 to 1974, primarily in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. The war stemmed from the Salazar regime's refusal to relinquish its colonial empire. It ended after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal in 1974 brought down the Estado Novo regime.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Beginning of the South African Border War
In 1966, the South African Border War broke out across Namibia, Zambia, and Angola. It was fought between the South African Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, the armed wing of SWAPO. The conflict, closely tied to the Angolan Civil War, became one of Africa's largest wars since World War II.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of the University of N'Djamena
The University of N'Djamena, the leading institution of higher education in Chad, was established as the University of Chad and later renamed in 1994.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- Dhofar Rebellion
The Dhofar Rebellion was an armed conflict in Oman's Dhofar Governorate from 1962 to 1976, led by the Marxist-Leninist Dhofar Liberation Front against Sultan Said bin Taimur and British influence. The Omani government, backed by Britain and Iran, fought the rebels, who received support from South Yemen, the Soviet Union, and China, making it a Cold War proxy war. The rebellion ended in July 1976 with the Sultan's forces regaining full control.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 1971 Turkish military memorandum
On 12 March 1971, the Turkish military issued a memorandum that forced a government change, marking the second military intervention in the Republic of Turkey, also known as the 'coup by memorandum.' The event occurred amid worsening domestic strife but ultimately did little to halt the turmoil.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Nicaraguan Revolution
The Nicaraguan Revolution was a revolutionary movement in Nicaragua from 1961 to 1990, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front, aiming to overthrow the Somoza family dictatorship and, after its success in 1979, to carry out social and economic reforms.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Serra da Bocaina National Park
Brazil established Serra da Bocaina National Park in 1972. Covering about 104,000 hectares, it lies on the border of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states in southeastern Brazil, aiming to protect the local natural environment.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Start of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
In 1966, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Marked by the issuance of the May 16 Notification, the movement aimed to preserve communism by purging capitalist and traditional remnants. This nationwide sociopolitical movement lasted a decade and profoundly impacted Chinese society.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
- Establishment of Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
Senegal established the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary in 1971. Located on the Senegal River delta, about 60 km northeast of Saint-Louis, it provides a crucial habitat for migratory birds.
Around 1971
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains