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Major Events of February 1971: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from February 1971 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of February 1971: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Feb 1971 Soviet Union Establishes First Business Management Institute: The Soviet Union opened the Institute for Management of the National Economy, marking a significant milestone as the first dedicated business studies school in a Communist nation. This event signaled a potential shift in economic thinking and educational approaches within the Soviet system.
  • 02 Feb 1971 OPEC Adopts Oil Tax Resolution: Representatives from ten OPEC member states adopted the 'XXII Conference Resolution', implementing a strategic embargo against oil companies that refused to accept a 55% tax. This resolution demonstrated OPEC's growing economic and political influence in the global energy market.
  • 03 Feb 1971 OPEC Mandates Oil Company Tax Embargo: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) implemented a total embargo against any company rejecting a 55 percent tax rate, signaling a significant moment in global oil politics and economic negotiations.
  • 04 Feb 1971 Apollo 14 Moon Landing: The Apollo 14 lunar module Antares successfully landed on the Moon's surface, marking another significant milestone in NASA's Apollo space exploration program.
  • 05 Feb 1971 Apollo 14 Moon Landing: Apollo 14, the third US manned Moon expedition, successfully lands near Fra Mauro. Astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell conduct a historic lunar walk, spending four hours exploring the Moon's surface and conducting scientific experiments.
  • 06 Feb 1971 Apollo 14 Lunar Geological Exploration: During the second Extravehicular Activity (EVA) of the Apollo 14 mission, Mission Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr., and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Dean Mitchell conducted a comprehensive geological exploration of the lunar surface near the Antares Lunar Module landing site.
  • 07 Feb 1971 Switzerland Grants Women's Suffrage: In a landmark referendum, Swiss men voted to grant women the right to vote in national elections and to hold public office, marking a significant milestone in Swiss democratic history. This decision came decades after most other Western democracies had already extended voting rights to women, highlighting Switzerland's relatively late adoption of universal suffrage.
  • 08 Feb 1971 Apollo 14 Returns to Earth: The Apollo 14 mission successfully completes the third manned lunar landing, returning astronauts safely to Earth after exploring the Fra Mauro highlands on the Moon. This mission, commanded by Alan Shepard, was a critical milestone in NASA's Apollo program, demonstrating continued lunar exploration capabilities.
  • 09 Feb 1971 Apollo 14 Mission Return: The Apollo 14 spacecraft successfully returned to Earth after completing the third manned lunar landing mission, marking another significant milestone in human space exploration during the Apollo program.
  • 10 Feb 1971 Nixon's Oval Office Recordings: U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered the installation of a voice-activated audio tape recording system in the Oval Office and White House telephones, a decision that would later play a crucial role in the Watergate scandal.
  • 11 Feb 1971 Seabed Arms Control Treaty Signed: During the Cold War, the Seabed Arms Control Treaty was opened for signature, outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters. This significant diplomatic effort involved 87 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union, aiming to prevent the militarization of the world's seabeds and reduce potential nuclear escalation.
  • 12 Feb 1971 Ken Eastwood's Only Test Cricket Match: Ken Eastwood played his sole Test Cricket match for Australia against England on February 12, 1971. During this match, he scored 5 runs in the first innings and was dismissed for 0 in the second innings, marking a brief and challenging international cricket debut.
  • 13 Feb 1971 Vietnam War: South Vietnamese Invasion of Laos: As part of the ongoing Vietnam War, 12,000 South Vietnamese troops, backed by substantial American air and artillery support, launched an invasion into Laos, marking a significant escalation of the conflict into neighboring territory.
  • 14 Feb 1971 Nixon's White House Taping System Installation: US President Richard Nixon secretly installed a comprehensive voice-activated audio recording system in the Oval Office and on White House telephones, a decision that would later become pivotal in the Watergate scandal and ultimately lead to his resignation.
  • 15 Feb 1971 OPEC Oil Embargo Measures: OPEC member states adopt the 'XXII Conference Resolution', establishing an oil embargo against 22 oil companies that fail to accept a 55% tax, with oil shipment cutoff scheduled for February 21.
  • 16 Feb 1971 Nixon's Secret White House Taping System Begins: President Richard Nixon initiated his infamous secret White House recording system, marking the first recording on this date. This clandestine documentation would later play a crucial role in the Watergate scandal and presidential resignation.
  • 17 Feb 1971 Nixon White House Oval Office Taping System Installation: A pivotal moment in the Watergate era, the Oval Office taping system was installed, capturing meetings of Secret Service agents and key White House staff, including President Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and George P. Shultz. These recordings would later become crucial evidence in the unfolding political scandal.
  • 19 Feb 1971 Michael Parkinson's Chat Show Debut: Michael Parkinson launched his groundbreaking chat show 'Parkinson' on BBC 1 in Britain, which would go on to become a landmark television program known for its in-depth, engaging celebrity interviews.
  • 20 Feb 1971 Idi Amin Seizes Power in Uganda: Major General Idi Amin Dada appoints himself President of Uganda, marking a significant moment in the country's political history and the beginning of a brutal dictatorial regime that would dramatically transform Uganda.
  • 21 Feb 1971 Deadly Tornado Outbreak in Mississippi and Louisiana: A series of devastating tornadoes swept through the Mississippi and Louisiana regions, causing widespread destruction and claiming 117 lives. The outbreak was one of the most significant natural disasters of 1971, leaving a trail of devastation across the southern United States.
  • 22 Feb 1971 Hafiz al-Assad Becomes President of Syria: Lieutenant General Hafiz al-Assad seized power through a bloodless intra-party coup, becoming the President of Syria. This marked a significant moment in Syrian political history, as al-Assad would go on to rule the country for nearly three decades, establishing a powerful authoritarian regime that would profoundly shape Syria's political landscape.
  • 23 Feb 1971 Lt. Calley's Confession in My Lai Massacre Trial: US Army Lieutenant William Calley confessed during his trial and implicated Captain Medina in the notorious My Lai Massacre, a pivotal moment in revealing war crimes committed during the Vietnam War.
  • 24 Feb 1971 Algeria Nationalizes French Oil Companies: In a significant economic and political move, the Algerian government seized majority control (51 percent) of stock ownership in French oil companies, effectively nationalizing these strategic assets. This action represented a bold assertion of economic sovereignty and marked a pivotal moment in post-colonial Algeria's relationship with its former colonial power, France.
  • 25 Feb 1971 Nixon's Foreign Policy Report: President Richard Nixon released his second comprehensive annual report on U.S. foreign affairs, detailing the strategic shift from wartime to peacetime diplomacy and outlining a new framework for international engagement during the Cold War era.
  • 26 Feb 1971 United Nations Establishes Earth Day: U.N. Secretary General U Thant officially signed a proclamation designating the vernal equinox as Earth Day, marking a significant moment in global environmental awareness and recognition of planetary ecological concerns.
  • 27 Feb 1971 First Legal Abortion Clinic Opens in the Netherlands: The Mildredhuis abortion clinic in Arnhem, Netherlands, begins performing legally sanctioned artificially-induced abortions, marking a significant milestone in reproductive healthcare and women's rights in the country.
  • 28 Feb 1971 Political Crisis in Pakistan: Pakistani President Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan indefinitely postpones the National Assembly session, triggering massive civil disobedience in East Pakistan and escalating tensions that would eventually lead to significant political upheaval.