This page offers an insight into life in 1971 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1971.
The year 1971 began on a Friday. It was not a leap year
1971 In The News
15th January – The Aswan High Dam opened in Egypt.
15th February – The United Kingdom and Ireland switched to decimalised currency.
5th July – The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in the United States.
19th July – The South Tower of the World Trade Center was completed.
1st October – Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.
16th December – East Pakistan gained independence as Bangladesh after defeating the Pakistan army in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Life in 1971 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £5,632; USA – $25,429
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.34; USA – $0.36
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.10; USA – $0.25
Gold per ounce:
UK – $40.62, USA – $43.5
Life in 1971 – Population
World: – 3,790,862,590
Australia: – 12,937,200
Canada: – 22,026,400
China: – 842,455,680
India: – 566,603,520
Soviet Union: 130,977,408
United States: – 206,827,008
United Kingdom: – 55,907,000
Life in 1971 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
USA – Joy To The World – Three Dog Night
AUS – Eagle Rock – Daddy Cool
CAN -Joy to the World – Three Dog Night
Best Selling Album:
UK – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel
USA – Jesus Christ Superstar – Various Artists
AUS – Cocker Happy – Joe Cocker
CAN – Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart
Popular Artists:
The Beatles, Bee Gees, Carpenters, Carole King, Jackson Five, Rod Stewart, Simon & Garfunkel, T. Rex, Three Dog Night
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1971:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S Thompson
The Lorax – Dr Seuss
The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Robert C O’Brien
The Day of the Jackal – Frederick Forsyth
At the Movies
1971 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. Fiddler on the Roof – $40.5 million
2. Billy Jack – $32.5 million
3. The French Connection – $26.3 million
4. Summer of ’42- $20.5 million
5. Dirty Harry – $18 million
Life in 1971 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – John Gorton to 10th March, William McMahon after 10th March
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 – Edward Heath
Born in 1971
11th January – Mary J Blige (Singer)
31st March – Ewan McGregor (Actor)
28th June – Elon Musk (Businessman)
18th September – Lance Armstrong (Cyclist)
20th October – Snoop Dogg (Rapper)
25th December – Justin Trudeau (Canada Prime Minister)
Died in 1971
10th January – Coco Chanel (Designer)
8th March – Harold Lloyd (Actor)
6th April – Igor Stravinsky (Composer)
3rd July – Jim Morrison (Singer)
6th July – Louis Armstrong (Jazz Musician)
11th September – Nikita Khrushchev – (Soviet Leader)
2nd November – Martha Vickers (Actress)
1971 Sport Highlights
Football – Arsenal won the FA Cup
Cycling – Eddy Merckx (BEL) won the Tour de France
Tennis – Australian Evonne Goolagong won the French Open and Wimbledon
Golf – Lee Trevino won the British and US Open competitions
Baseball – Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series
Horse Racing – L’Escargot won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Canonero II won the Kentucky Derby
Snooker – John Spencer won the World Championship
Christmas Wishlist
Space Hopper
Mastermind Game
Etch-a-Sketch
Risk board Game
Weebles
What Was New?
Lava Lamp
Food Processor invented
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Dot Matrix Printer
Email invented
Published Jul 14 2022 @ 18.00 – Updated –
