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1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar).
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January
January 1 - The British Divorce Reform Act comes into force.
January 24 - The Guinean government sentences to death 92 Guineans who helped Portuguese troops in the failed landing attempts in November 1970 - 72 are sentenced to hard labor for life; 58 of the sentenced are hanged the next day.
January 25 - Intelsat IV (F2) launched. Entered commercial service over Atlantic Ocean March 26.
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February
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March
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April
April 7 - The Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps is established.
April 8 - A right-wing coup attempt is exposed in Laos.
April 29 - The third anniversary of the Broadway musical Hair is celebrated with a concert at a Central Park bandshell.
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May
May 2 – In Ceylon, left-wing guerillas launch a series of assaults against public buildings.
May 3 – The Harris public opinion poll claims that 60% of Americans are against the war in Vietnam.
May 3 – East German leader Walter Ulbricht resigns as Communist Party leader but retains the position of head of state.
May 3 - Anti-war militants attempt to disrupt government business in Washington, D.C.; police and military units arrest as many as 12,000, most of whom are later released.
May 16 – A coup attempt is exposed and foiled in Egypt.
May 26 - Qantas agrees to pay $500,000 to bomb hoaxer-extortionist Mr. Brown (Peter Macari) who is later arrested.
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June
June 1 - Vietnam War: Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace, claiming to represent the majority of U.S. veterans who served in Southeast Asia, speak against war protests.
June 10 - A students' rally on the streets of Mexico City is roughly dispersed (Corpus Thursday).
June 20 – Britain announces that Soviet space scientist Anatoli Fedoseyev has been granted asylum.
June 21 – Britain begins new negotiations for EEC membership in Luxembourg.
June 25 – Madagascar accuses the U.S. of being connected to the plot to oust the current government – the U.S. recalls its ambassador.
June 27 - Concert promoter Bill Graham closes the legendary Fillmore East, which was located on 2nd Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets in New York City. The Fillmore East opened on March 8, 1968.
June 30 - After a successful mission aboard Salyut 1, the world's first manned space station, the crew of the Soyuz 11 spacecraft are killed when their air supply leaks out through a faulty valve.
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July
July 10-July 11 – Coup attempt in Morocco: 1400 cadets take over the king's palace for three hours and kill 28 people; 158 rebels die when the king's troops storm the palace. Ten high-ranking officers are later executed for involvement.
July 13 – Jordanian army troops launch an offensive against Palestinian guerillas in Jordan.
July 14 – The Yugoslavian government allows foreign companies to take their profits from the country.
July 19 – The South Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out at 1,362 feet, making it the second tallest building in the world.
July 19-July 23 – Major Hashem al-Atta ousts Jaafar Muhammad al-Nimeiri in a military coup in Sudan. Fighting continues until on July 22 pro-Nimeiri troops win. Al-Atta and three officers are executed July 23. Nimeiri launches an anti-communist campaign.
July 28 - Abdel Madgoub, Sudanese communist leader, is hanged.
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August
August 9 - British security forces in Northern Ireland detain hundreds of guerilla suspects and put them into Long Kesh - the beginning of an internment without trial policy. Twenty die in riots that follow.
August 14 – British troops are stationed on the Ireland border to stop arms smuggling.
August 14 - Bahrain declares independence as the State of Bahrain (Kingdom of Bahrain as of February 2002).
August 15 – British troops in Northern Ireland are raised to 12,500.
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September
September 24 - Britain expels 90 KGB and GRU officials; 15 are not allowed to return.
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October
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November
November 8 - Led Zeppelin releases their untitled fourth album, sometimes called Led Zeppelin IV or Runes. The album contains such hits as "When the Levee Breaks", "Rock and Roll", and the most requested rock song of all time, "Stairway To Heaven". Led Zeppelin IV will become the fourth best selling album of all time with sales of 22 million copies, and a source of inspiration for generations of rock artists to come.
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December
December 8 - U.S. President Richard Nixon orders the 7th Fleet to move towards the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.
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unknown dates
Don't Make A Wave Committee changes its name to Greenpeace.
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
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Unknown date
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
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Nobel prizes
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