Top News Stories from 1970

World Events

• Biafra surrenders after 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria (Jan. 12).
• Rhodesia severs last tie with British Crown and declares itself a racially segregated republic (March 1).
• US troops invade Cambodia (May 1). Background: Vietnam War
• A Palestinian revolt erupts in Jordan. Forces loyal to King Hussein suppress the revolt and expel the PLO from the country.
• Earthquake kills more than 50,000 in Peru (May 31).
• Egyptian President Nasser dies and is replaced by Anwar el-Sadat.
• Tonga (June 4) and Fiji (Oct. 10) gain independence from Britain.

U.S. Events

• Four students at Kent State University in Ohio slain by National Guardsmen at demonstration protesting incursion into Cambodia (May 4).
• Senate repeals Gulf of Tonkin resolution (June 24).

Economics

Sports

Super Bowl

World Series

NBA Championship

Stanley Cup

Wimbledon

Kentucky Derby Champion

NCAA Basketball Championship

NCAA Football Champions

World Cup

Entertainment

Events

• The Beatles break up. By the end of the year, each member had released a solo album.
• George C. Scott gives one of film's most memorable performances in Patton. He won the Best Actor Oscar for his turn as the title character, but refused the gold statuette.
• Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both die drug-related deaths at age 27.
• FCC regulations require separate ownership of television networks and studios.
• Monday Night Football debuts on ABC, with Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Don Meredith giving play-by-play.
• Midnight Cowboy wins the Best Picture Oscar, the first and only time an X-rated movie received the honor.

Movies

• M*A*S*H, Patton, Love Story, Airport

Books

• Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• John Berryman, Love and Fame
• Nikki Giovanni, Black Talk/Black Judgement
• Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude
• Gail Godwin, The Perfectionist
• John Updike, Bech: A Book

Science

• Biochemist Hamilton O. Smith (US) discovers a restriction enzyme that will allow biologist Daniel Nathans (US) to map a complete viral genome. Background: genetic engineering
• IBM introduces the floppy disk. Background: Computers and Internet
• Bar codes (computer-scanned binary signal code) are introduced for retail and industrial use in England.
• The LCD (liquid crystal display) is invented by Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland).
• The Food and Drug Administration warns that birth control pills may cause blood clots. Background: Birth & Contraception
• Lithium is approved by the FDA for the treatment of manic-depression.

Death

• Jimi Hendrix
• Janis Joplin
• Sonny Liston

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