This page offers an insight into life in 1970 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1970.
The year 1970 began on a Thursday. It was not a leap year
1970 In The News
10th April – Paul McCartney announced he had left The Beatles.
4th June – Tonga gained independence from the United Kingdom.
21st July – The Aswan Dam in Egypt was completed.
19th September – The first Glastonbury Music Festival was held.
17th October -Anwar Sadat became President of Egypt.
23rd December – The North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed. It was the tallest building in the World.
Life in 1970 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £4,975; USA – $23,450
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.30; USA – $0.36
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.10; USA – $0.24
Gold per ounce:
UK – $36.02, USA – $35
Life in 1970 – Population
World: – 3,712,969,489
Australia: – 12,660,160
Canada: – 21,749,986
China: – 820,403,264
India: – 553,888,768
Soviet Union: 130,245,472
United States: – 203,984,000
United Kingdom: – 55,632,000
Life in 1970 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – In the Summertime – Mungo Jerry
USA – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
AUS – Let it Be – The Beatles
CAN – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
Best Selling Album:
UK – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
USA – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
AUS – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
CAN – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
Popular Artists:
The Beatles, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Don McLean, Jackson Five, Rod Stewart, Simon & Garfunkel,
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1970:
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret – Judy Blume
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull – Richard bach
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West – Dee Brown
Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl
At the Movies
1970 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. Love Story – $50 million
2. Airport – $44.5 million
3. M*A*S*H – $30 million
4. Patton- $27 million
5. Woodstock – $16.4 million
Life in 1970 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – John Gorton
Canada Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
China President – Dong Biwu and Soong Ching-ling
India Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi
Soviet Union Leader – Leonid Brezhnev
United States President – Richard Nixon
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Harold Wilson to 19th June; Edward Heath from 19th June
Born in 1970
26th April – Melania (First Lady)
29th April – Andre Agassi (Tennis Player)
22nd May – Naomi Campbell (Model)
13th August – Alan Shearer (Footballer)
8th October – Matt Damon (Actor)
9th November – Chris Jericho (Wrestler)
Died in 1970
15th February – Hugh Dowding (Airforce Commander)
7th June – E.M. Forster (Writer)
18th September – Jimi Hendrix (Singer)
28th September – Gamal Abdur Nasser (President of Egypt)
4th October – Janis Joplin (Singer)
9th November – Charles de Gaulle (President of France)
30th December – Sonny Liston (Boxer)
1970 Sport Highlights
Football – Chelsea won the FA Cup, Brazil won the World Cup
Cycling – Eddy Merckx (BEL) won the Tour de France
Tennis – Margaret Court won the Grand Slam – the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open
Golf – British Open won by Jack Nicklaus; US Open won by Tony Jacklin
Baseball – Baltimore Orioles won the World Series
Horse Racing – L’Escargot won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Dust Commander won the Kentucky Derby
Snooker – Ray Reardon won the World Championship
Christmas Wishlist
Nerf ball
Sindy
Hot Wheels
Space toys
Risk board game
What Was New?
Daisy wheel printer
Floppy disc
Rubella vaccine developed
First hip replacement operation
Published Jun 14 2022 @ 18.44 – Updated –
