Historical Events
- 37th Orange Bowl: #3 Nebraska beats #5 LSU, 17-12
- 37th Sugar Bowl: #4 Tennessee beats #11 Air Force, 34-13
- 57th Rose Bowl: #12 Stanford beats #2 Ohio State, 27-17
- Cigarette advertisements banned on TV
Famous Birthdays
- Bobby Holik, Czech ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1995, 2000; New Jersey Devils; NHL All-Star 1998-99), born in Jihlava, Czech Republic
- Bridget Pettis, American basketball guard (WNBA champion 2007, 09 assistant coach, Phoenix Mercury), born in East Chicago, Indiana
- Chris Potter, American jazz saxophonist and composer (Red Rodney; Paul Motian; Dave Holland), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Scott Riggs, American auto racer (NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year 2002), born in Bahama, North Carolina
Famous Deaths
- Amphilochius of Pochayiv [Yakov Varnavovich Golovatyuk], Ukrainian Orthodox Christian saint, dies at 76
Died in 1971 1971 Highlights
About January 1, 1971
Day of the Week: Friday
How Long Ago? 53 years, 3 months and 27 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Dog
Star Sign: Capricorn
Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States)
Music Charts
- #1 Song: My Sweet Lord/Isn't It A Pity - George Harrison
- #1 Song: I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmunds