What Happened in December 1971

Historical Events

Dec 1 Cambodian Civil War: Khmer Rouge rebels intensify assaults on Cambodian government positions, forcing their retreat from Kompong Thmar and nearby Ba Ray.

Ernie Banks Released

Dec 1 Chicago Cubs release longtime star and future Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, ending his 19-year MLB career; announce Banks will serve as a coach on manager Leo Durocher's staff; Banks finishes with 512 home runs and 1,636 RBI

Baseball Player and Manager Leo Durocher

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Dec 1 Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona", starring Clifton Davis and Raul Julia, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 614 performances and wins 2 Tony Awards

Happy Xmas (War is Over)

Dec 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono release single "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" in the US

Frank Robinson

Dec 2 Frank Robinson is traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers

Dec 2 Soviet space probe Mars 3 is first to soft land on Mars
Dec 2 Trucial States Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain form the United Arab Emirates and declare independence from the United Kingdom

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

Dec 2 Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is appointed President of the United Arab Emirates

Dec 3 India invades West Pakistan claiming hundreds of lives and starting the full scale Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Dec 4 McGurk's Bar bombing: the UVF explode a bomb at a Catholic-owned pub in Belfast, killing fifteen Catholic civilians and wounding seventeen others; this was the highest death toll from a single incident in Belfast during 'the Troubles'

Music Concert

Dec 4 Montreux Casino, in Montreux, Switzerland, burns down to the ground after a fan fires a flare gun during concert by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention; incident inspires rock band Deep Purple's song "Smoke on the Water"

Guitarist, Singer, and Composer Frank Zappa

Dec 4 The Indian Navy attacks the Pakistan Navy and Karachi
Dec 4 The UN Security Council calls an emergency session to consider the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan
Dec 5 Ian Dury performs his first gig with Kilburn and the High Roads at Croydon School of Art
Dec 5 KCBJ (now KMIZ) TV channel 17 in Columbia, MO (ABC) 1st broadcast
Dec 5 Libya nationalizes British Petroleum concession
Dec 6 A woman dies trying to salvage property from the Salvation Army Citadel in Belfast after bomb which started a large fire in an adjoining building
Dec 6 Lewis Franklin Powell confirmed as US Supreme Court justice
Dec 7 An off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment is shot dead by members of the Irish Republican Army in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Dec 7 Musical "Wild and Wonderful" opens and closes at the Lyceum Theater, NYC, after 1 performance
Dec 7 Wings release their 1st album "Wild Life"

Appointment of Interest

Dec 9 Lewis F. Powell Jr. appointed to the US Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Lucasfilm Ltd. Founded

Dec 10 Lucasfilm Ltd. is founded as a film and television production company by George Lucas in San Francisco, California

Brandt Noble Peace Prize

Dec 10 West German Chancellor Willy Brandt receives the Nobel Peace Prize

Dec 10 William H Rehnquist confirmed as Supreme Court justice
Dec 11 A bomb explodes outside a furniture showroom on the mainly-Protestant and loyalist Shankill Road, Belfast; four civilians (including two babies) were killed and nineteen wounded
Dec 11 The Libertarian Party of the United States is formed

Năstase's Perfect ATP

Dec 12 Romanian tennis star Ilie Năstase finishes ATP Masters Grand Prix with a perfect 6-0 record to win the rich season ending event at the Coubertin Stadium, Paris

Dec 13 John Sinclair (sentence: 10 yrs, sold 2 marijuana joints) is freed
Dec 14 Golden Gate Bridge lights out all night due to power failure
Dec 14 The Pakistan Army executes an estimated 1,111 of East Pakistan's intellectuals during the Bangladesh Liberation War
Dec 14 U.S. premiere of "Nicholas and Alexandra", film adaptation of Robert K. Massie's best selling novel
Dec 14 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Dec 15 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
Dec 16 Don McLean's 8+ minute version of "American Pie" released
Dec 16 Vijay Diwas (Victory Day): East Pakistan's independence (as Bangladesh) from Pakistan is recognized internationally after India's army occupies Dacca, and 93,000 West Pakistani troops surrender
Dec 17 "Diamonds are Forever", 7th James Bond film, last starring Sean Conner, also starring Jill St. John is 1st released in West Germany
Dec 17 Cease fire between India & Pakistan in Kashmir
Dec 17 Radio Bangladesh begins transmitting
Dec 18 1st Candlelight Processional at the EPCOT Center, Disney World
Dec 18 CBS radio cancels Saturday morning band concerts
Dec 18 People United To Save Humanity (PUSH) formed by Jesse Jackson in Chicago
Dec 18 Three members of the Irish Republican Army die when the bomb they were transporting explodes prematurely in King Street, Magherafelt, County Derry.
Dec 18 US dollar devalued 7.9% in Holland ($1=Ÿ3,245)
Dec 19 CBS airs "Homecoming A Christmas Story," (introducing the Waltons)
Dec 19 Helen Miller and Eve Merriam's musical "Inner City" opens at Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 97 performances
Dec 19 NASA launches Intelsat 4 F-3 for COMSAT Corp

"A Clockwork Orange"

Dec 19 Stanley Kubrick's film and cult classic "A Clockwork Orange" based on the book by Anthony Burgess and starring Malcolm McDowell premieres

"Ms." Magazine

Dec 20 First preview issue of "Ms." magazine is published in the US launched by Gloria Steinem

Dec 20 Pakistan president Yahya Khan resigns
Dec 21 A publican is killed as he tried to remove a bomb from his pub, Northern Ireland

Kurt Waldheim Secretary General

Dec 21 UN Security Council chooses Kurt Waldheim as 4th Secretary-General

4th Secretary-General of the United Nations Kurt Waldheim

Dec 22 KUAC TV channel 9 in Fairbanks/College, AK (PBS) begins broadcasting
Dec 22 UN General Assembly ratifies former Austrian President Kurt Waldheim as Secretary-General
Dec 22 USSR performs underground nuclear test

PM Visits Northern Ireland

Dec 23 British Prime Minister Edward Heath visits Northern Ireland and expresses his determination to end the violence

Nixon Commutes Hoffa's Sentence

Dec 23 US President Richard Nixon commutes remaining 8 years of Teamsters labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa's 13-year jail term for bribery and fraud

One Survives Amazon Plane Crash

Dec 24 Peruvian Airlines Electra crashes at headwaters of Amazon, killing all except Juliane Margaret Koepcke found 10 days later

Mammalogist and Sole Survivor of the 1971 LANSA Flight 508 Plane Crash Juliane Koepcke

Dec 25 Longest game in NFL history as Miami Dolphins beat KC Chiefs, 27-24 in 2OT in AFL playoff game; duration: 82 minutes and 40 seconds
Dec 25 Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) formed by Jesse Jackson
Dec 25 Worst hotel fire in history kills 163 at Taeyokale Hotel in Seoul

Ali vs. Blin

Dec 26 Muhammad Ali finishes off German Jürgen Blin with a thundering right cross for a 7th-round knockout in a non-title heavyweight boxing contest in Zurich, Switzerland

Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali

Dec 27 1st Fiesta Bowl: #8 Arizona State beats Florida State, 45-38

Ballon d'Or

Dec 28 Ballon d'Or: Ajax forward Johan Cruyff wins award for best European football player ahead of Inter forward Sandro Mazzola and Manchester United winger George Best; first Dutch national and Ajax player to win award

Dec 28 Hashish now falls under the Dutch Opium Law (Opiumwet)
Dec 30 A member of the Irish Republican Army is killed in a premature bomb explosion in Santry, Dublin.
Dec 30 Long Island NHL franchise purchased (NY Islanders)
Dec 30 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
Dec 31 Edmund Compton, then Northern Ireland Ombudsman, is replaced by John Benn
Dec 31 KAID TV channel 4 in Boise, ID (PBS) begins broadcasting
Dec 31 Lt Gen Robert E Cushman, Jr, USMC, ends term as deputy director of CIA

Events in 1971

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 Christian Pescatori, Italian auto racer (Sports Racing World Cup 2000; FIA GT C'ship N-GT class 2001), born in Brescia, Italy
Dec 1 Peter Van de Veire, Belgian radio-presenter
Dec 1 Rob Waldrop, American College Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle (Outland Trophy 1993 Arizona; CFL, Toronto Argonauts), born in Atlanta, Georgia
Dec 2 Francesco Toldo, Italian soccer goalkeeper (28 caps; Fiorentina, Internazionale), born in Padua, Italy
Dec 2 Rachel McQuillan, Australian tennis player (5 WTA, 21 ITF titles), born in Newcastle, Australia
Dec 2 Wilson Jermaine Heredia, American actor (Rent), born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 3 Frank Sinclair, Jamaican soccer defender (28 caps; Chelsea, Leicester City), born in Lambeth, England
Dec 3 Heiko Herrlich, German soccer manager and forward (5 caps; Bayer Leverkusen; Borussia Dortmund), born in Mannheim, West Germany
Dec 3 Henk Timmer, Dutch soccer goalkeeper (7 caps; Zwolle, Feyenoord), born in Hierden, Netherlands
Dec 3 Keegan Connor Tracy, Canadian actress (Once Upon A Time; The Magicians), born in Windsor, Ontario
Dec 3 Vernon White, American mixed martial arts fighter (King of the Cage Middleweight Champion; UFC), born in Sparks, Nevada
Dec 4 Shannon Briggs, American boxer (lineal 1997-98 & WBO heavyweight champion 2006-07), born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 5 Bryan Schwartz, American NFL linebacker (Jacksonville Jaguars), born in St. Lawrence, South Dakota
Dec 5 Joe Fleming, American CFL defensive end (CFL All-Star 1998, 2000, 01, 03; Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders), born in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Dec 5 Kali Rocha, American actress (Liv and Maddie), born in Memphis, Tennessee
Dec 6 José Contreras, Cuban baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 2006; World Series 2005; Olympic gold 1996; Chicago White Sox), born in Las Martinas, Pinar del Río, Cuba

Dec 6 Naozumi Takahashi, Japanese singer and voice actor, born in Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Dec 6 Richard Krajicek, Dutch tennis player (Wimbledon 1996), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Dec 6 Rika Hiraki, Japanese tennis star (1992 Japan doubles), born in Beirut, Lebanon
Dec 7 Mauricio Hadad, Colombian tennis star (1995 Bermuda), born in Cali, Colombia
Dec 7 Stephanie D'Abruzzo, American actress, puppeteer (Avenue Q; Sesame Street), and cabaret singer, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dec 7 Vladimir Akopian, Armenian chess Grandmaster, born in Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Dec 8 James Stewart, American NFL running back (Minnesota Vikings), born in Vero Beach, Florida
Dec 9 Chris Boniol, NFL kicker (Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles), born in Alexandria, Louisiana
Dec 9 Clifton Abraham, American NFL cornerback (Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Bucs), born in Dallas, Texas
Dec 9 Petr Nedved, Czech NHL center (Team Czech, Pitts Penguins), born in Liberec, Czechia
Dec 10 Brian Nichols, American spree killer (on trial for rape when he escaped from custody and murdered the judge presiding over his trial, a court reporter, a sheriff's deputy and later a federal agent), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Dec 10 Carla Sacramento, Portuguese 1.5k runner, born in São Sebastião da Pedreira, Lisbon
Dec 10 Manjula Munasinghe, Sri Lankan-Australian cricketer (Sri Lankan ODI pace bowler), born in Colombo, Ceylon
Dec 11 Willie McGinest, American NFL outside linebacker (NE Patriots), born in Long Beach, California
Dec 12 Jenny Conlee (-Drizos), American rock accordionist, pianist, organist, and melodica player (The Decemberists), born in Seattle. Washington

Dec 12 Tito Wooten, American NFL safety (NY Giants), born in Goldsboro, North Carolina
Dec 13 Mike Pelton, American NFL defensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts), born in Goshen, Alabama
Dec 14 Chris Therien, Canadian NHL defenceman (Philadelphia Flyers), born in Ottawa, Ontario
Dec 14 Natascha McElhone, English actress (The Truman Show), born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England
Dec 16 Laurence Cottle, Welsh session rock, jazz, and jazz-fusion bass guitarist and composer (Earthworks; Alan Parsons Project; Black Sabbath), born in Swansea, Wales
Dec 16 Michael McCary, American R&B singer (Boyz II Men), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 16 Paul van Dyk [Mattias Paul], German DJ, and record producer, born in Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany
Dec 17 Alyson Habetz, Crowley LA, female pitcher (Colo Silver Bullets)
Dec 17 Antoine Rigaudeau, French basketball player
Dec 17 Carl Reeves, NFL defensive end (Chicago Bears)
Dec 17 Claire Forlani, British actress (Mallrats, Meet Joe Black, Hawaii Five-0), born in Twickenham, London
Dec 17 Nikki McCray, American Women's Basketball HOF guard (WNBA All-Star 1999, 2000, 01 Washington Mystics; ABL MVP 1997 Columbus Quest; Olympic gold 1996, 2000) and coach (Old Dominion, Mississippi State), born in Collierville, Tennessee (d. 2023)
Dec 17 Sari Kristiina Fisk, ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics 1998)
Dec 17 Tony Richardson, American football fullback (Pro Bowl 2003, 04, 07; KC Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings; Walter Payton Award 2010 NY Jets), born in Frankfurt, Germany

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (52 years old)

Dec 18 Spanish tennis player (US Open 1994, French Open 1989, 94, 98), born in Barcelona, Spain

Dec 18 Barkha Dutt, Indian journalist (Mojo Story) and author (This Unquiet Land: Stories from India’s Fault Lines), born in New Delhi, India
Dec 18 Joe Dziedzic, NHL left wing (Pitts Penguins), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 18 Neil Little, Canadian NHL goalie (Philadelphia Flyers), born in Medicine Hat, Alberta
Dec 18 Noriko Matsueda, Japanese video game score composer, born in Tochigi, Japan
Dec 19 Amy Locane, American actress (Andrea-Spencer, Sandy-Melrose Place), born in Trenton, New Jersey
Dec 19 Jennifer Dore, American rower (World C'ship gold W8+ 1995, silver 1993, 94, 98), born in Montclair, New Jersey
Dec 19 Liz Cho, American television reporter
Dec 20 Jerry Ellison, American NFL running back, 1994-99 (Tampa Bay Bucs), born in Augusta, Georgia
Dec 21 Brett Scallions, American singer (Fuel, The X's), born in Brownsville, Tennessee
Dec 21 Fenton Keogh, Australian celebrity chef
Dec 21 Matthieu Chedid, French musician, born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Dec 22 Pat Mastroianni, Canadian actor, born in Toronto, Ontario
Dec 23 Corey Haim, Canadian actor (Silver Bullet, Lucas, License to Drive), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2010)
Dec 23 Masayoshi Yamazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter, born in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Dec 23 Michalis Klokidis, Greek footballer, born in Greece
Dec 23 Steve Stenstrom, American football quarterback (Chicago Bears), born in Lake Forest, California
Dec 23 Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite, born in Hampshire (d. 2017)
Dec 23 Wim Vansevenant, Belgian cyclist, born in Diksmuide, Belgium
Dec 24 Christopher Daniels, American professional wrestler, born in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Dec 24 Giorgos Alkaios, Greek singer, born in Athens, Greece

Ricky Martin (52 years old)

Dec 24 Puerto Rican singer (Menudo) and actor (General Hospital), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Dido (52 years old)

Dec 25 English pop singer (No Angel; Eminem's "Stan"), born in London, England

Justin Trudeau (52 years old)

Dec 25 23rd Prime Minister of Canada, born in Ottawa, Ontario

Dec 25 Noel Hogan, Irish musician (Cranberries), born in Moyross, Ireland
Dec 25 Terry Vaughn, American CFL receiver (1006 career receptions, 1st in CFL history to reach 1,000; Grey Cup 1998, 2003), born in Sumter, South Carolina
Dec 26 Jared Leto, American actor (My So Called Life; Requiem for a Dream), born in Bossier City, Louisiana
Dec 26 Jonathan M. Parisen, American film director, born in Staten Island, New York
Dec 26 Mark Lathwell, English cricketer (England opening batsman v Australia 1993), born in Bletchley, United Kingdom
Dec 27 Bryan Smolinski, NHL forward (Team USA, Pitts Penguins), born in Toledo, Ohio
Dec 27 Duncan Ferguson, Scottish footballer
Dec 27 James Stewart, NFL running back (Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions), born in Fairfield, Texas
Dec 28 Benny Agbayani, American baseball player, born in Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec 28 Frank Sepe, US bodybuilder, born in Rosedale, New York
Dec 28 Melvin Nieves, Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder (Detroit Tigers), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Dec 28 Steve Morrison, US NFL linebacker (Indianapolis Colts), born in Birmingham, Michigan
Dec 28 William Gates, American basketball player, born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 29 Jay Fiedler, American NFL quarterback (Amsterdam Admirals), born in Long Island, New York
Dec 29 Margot Thien, American synchronized swimmer (Olympic gold 1996), born in San Diego, California
Dec 29 Mark Montreuil, Canadian NFL cornerback (San Diego Chargers), born in Montreal, Quebec
Dec 30 Daniel Sunjata, American actor
Dec 30 Sylvester Wright, NFL linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles)
Dec 31 Brent Barry, American basketball guard (NBA C'ship 2005, 07 San Antonio Spurs), executive (SA Spurs) and broadcaster (NBA on TNT), born in Hempstead, New York
Dec 31 Ricardo López Felipe, Spanish soccer goalkeeper (2 caps; CA Osasuna 190 games), born in Madrid, Spain

Born in 1971

Famous Weddings

William Hurt

Dec 2 Actors William Hurt and Mary Beth Supinger tie the knot (divorced 1982)

George Foreman

Dec 24 Professional boxer George Foreman (22) weds Adrienne Calhoun

Tony Bennett

Dec 29 American singer Tony Bennett (45) weds actress Sandra Grant in Manhattan, New York; divorce in 1983

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Arthur B. Spingarn, American lawyer and civil rights activist (NAACP chairman, 1940-65), dies at 93
Dec 4 Shunryu Suzuki, Zen monk and teacher, (founder of San Francisco Zen Center, populised Zen Buddhism in the US) dies at 67
Dec 5 Hugh Wakefield, British actor (The Man Who Knew Too Much, Blithe Spirit), dies at 83
Dec 6 Hugo Godron, Dutch composer, dies at 71
Dec 6 Jan Altink, Dutch Expressionist painter (co-founder of Plooeg), dies at 86
Dec 7 Milton Rosmer, British director (Murder in the Red Barn), dies at 90

Ralph Bunche (1904-1971)

Dec 9 American diplomat, UN delegate and 1st person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1950), dies at 67

Dec 9 Sergey Konenkov, Russian sculptor, dies at 97
Dec 10 Jo [Jozef Maria Laurens Theo] Cals, Prime Minister of Netherlands (1965-66) and Minister of Education, Arts and Sciences, dies at 57
Dec 11 Maurice "Mac" McDonald, American fast-food pioneer (b. 1902)
Dec 12 David Sarnoff, American radio and television pioneer (RCA, NBC), dies at 80
Dec 12 Frank Wolff, actor (Erotic Illusion, Last Gun), commits suicide at 43
Dec 12 Jack Barnhill, Northern Ireland senator, assassinated
Dec 12 John A Emmens, art historian/poet (Dog of Pavlov), dies at 47
Dec 13 Max Mell, Austria artillery officer and literary (Donauweibchen), dies at 88
Dec 14 Dick Tiger, Nigerian professional boxer, dies at 42
Dec 15 Paul Pierre Lévy, French mathematician (b. 1886)
Dec 18 Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and editor in chief (Novyj Mir), dies at 61

Bobby Jones (1902-1971)

Dec 18 American golfer, course designer (13 major titles, Grand Slam 1930), dies of syringomyelia at 69

Dec 18 Diana Lynn [Dolores Eartha Loehr], American actress (Annapolis Story, Easy Come Easy Go), dies of a stroke at 45
Dec 20 Roy O. Disney, American businessman and co-founder of the Walt Disney Company with brother Walt, dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 78
Dec 22 Fred Guy, American jazz banjo player and guitarist (Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra; Duke Ellington's Washingtonians), dies at 74
Dec 22 Godfried Bomans, Dutch humorist, TV personality and writer (Eric), dies at 58
Dec 22 Renee Evans, entertainer, dies of a heart attack at 63
Dec 23 Carlo Jachino, Italian composer, dies at 84
Dec 24 Maria Koepcke, ornithologist (b. 1924)
Dec 25 Byron Arnold, American composer, dies at 70
Dec 26 Robert Lowery [Hank], American stage and screen actor (Batman and Robin (1949); Circus Boy - "Big Tim"; The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond), dies of heart failure at 58
Dec 28 Max Steiner, Austrian composer (Gone With The Wind), dies at 83
Dec 29 John Marshall Harlan II, American lawyer, jurist and 91st Supreme Court Justice (1955-71), dies of spinal cancer at 72
Dec 29 Stuart Holmes, American actor (Life's Shop Window, Prisoner of Zenda), dies of stomach ailment at 87
Dec 30 Dorothy Comingore [Linda Winters], American actress (Citizen Kane), dies after illness at 58
Dec 30 Jan Mul, Dutch composer, dies at 60
Dec 30 Melba Rae, American actress (Search for Tomorrow) (b. 1922)
Dec 31 Marin Sais, American actress (b. 1890)
Dec 31 Pete Duel [Deuel], American stage and screen actor (Gidget; Love on a Rooftop; Alias Smith and Jones), commits suicide at 31
Dec 31 Vikram Sarabhai, Indian physicist (b. 1919)

On This Day