1970 in the United States

1970 in the United States
Events from the year 1970 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal government
President: Richard Nixon (R-California)
Vice President: Spiro Agnew (R-Maryland)
Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger (Minnesota)
Speaker of the House of Representatives: John William McCormack (D-Massachusetts)
Senate Majority Leader: Mike Mansfield (D-Montana)
Congress: 91st
Events
January
January 5 – The first episode of All My Children is broadcast on the ABC television network.
January 11 – Super Bowl IV: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings 23–7.
January 14 – Diana Ross & The Supremes perform their farewell live concert together at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, and Ross' replacement, Jean Terrell, is introduced onstage at the end of the last show.
February
February 17 – MacDonald family massacre: Jeffrey R. MacDonald kills his wife and children at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, claiming that drugged-out "hippies" did it.
February 18 – A jury finds the Chicago Seven defendants not guilty of conspiring to incite a riot, in charges stemming from the violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Five of the defendants are found guilty on the lesser charge of crossing state lines to incite a riot.
March
March 6 – A bomb constructed by members of the Weathermen and meant to be planted at a military dance in New Jersey explodes, killing three members of the organization.
March 17
My Lai massacre: The United States Army charges 14 officers with suppressing information related to the incident.
The critically wounded pilot of Eastern Air Lines Shuttle Flight 1320 saves the 68 passengers and five crew of the DC-9 jet, landing safely in Boston despite being shot by a hijacker who killed the co-pilot.
March 18 – United States Postal Service workers in New York City go on strike; the strike spreads to the state of California and the cities of Akron, Ohio, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and Denver; 210,000 out of 750,000 U.S. postal employees walk out. President Nixon assigns military units to New York City post offices. The strike lasts two weeks.
March 21 – The first Earth Day proclamation is issued by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto.
March 31 – NASA's Explorer 1, the first American satellite and Explorer program spacecraft, reenters Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.
April
April 1
The 1970 United States Census begins. There are 203,392,031 United States residents on this day.
President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, banning cigarette television advertisements in the United States, starting on January 1, 1971.
American Motors Corporation introduces the Gremlin.
April 6 – In the worst day of California law enforcement, 4 California Highway Patrolmen are killed in what is known as the "Newhall Incident". This led to new procedures & training for law enforcement, nationwide.
April 7 – The 42nd Academy Awards ceremony is held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, the second in a row with no official host. John Schlesinger's Midnight Cowboy wins both Best Picture and Best Director, while George Roy Hill's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wins four awards and Charles Jarrott's Anne of the Thousand Days is nominated for ten. It is, to date, the highest-rated televised ceremony, according to Nielsen ratings.
April 10 – Paul McCartney announces that The Beatles are breaking up.
April 11 – Apollo program: Apollo 13 (Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert) is launched toward the Moon.
April 13 – An oxygen tank in the Apollo 13 spacecraft explodes, forcing the crew to abort the mission and return in 4 days.
April 17 – Apollo program: Apollo 13 splashes down safely in the Pacific.
April 22 – The first Earth Day is celebrated in the U.S.
April 29 – The U.S. invades Cambodia to hunt out the Viet Cong; widespread, large anti-war protests occur in the United States.
May
May 1
Demonstrations against the trial of the New Haven Nine, Bobby Seale, and Ericka Huggins draw 12,000 people.
President Richard Nixon orders U.S. forces to cross into neutral Cambodia, threatening to widen the Vietnam War, sparking nationwide riots and leading to the Kent State Shootings.
Colorado State College changes its name to the University of Northern Colorado.
May 4 – Kent State shootings: Four students at Kent State University in Ohio are killed and nine wounded by Ohio State National Guardsmen, at a protest against the incursion into Cambodia.
May 8
Hard Hat Riot: Unionized construction workers attack about 1,000 students and others protesting the Kent State shootings near the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street and at New York City Hall.
The New York Knicks win their first NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 113–99 in Game 7 of the world championship series at Madison Square Garden.
May 9 – In Washington, D.C., 100,000 people demonstrate against the Vietnam War.
May 10 – The Boston Bruins win their first Stanley Cup since 1941 when Bobby Orr scores a goal 40 seconds into overtime for a 4–3 victory which completes a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues.
May 11
Henry Marrow is killed in an alleged hate crime in Oxford, North Carolina.
Lubbock Tornado: An F5 tornado hits downtown Lubbock, Texas, the first to hit a downtown district of a major city since Topeka, Kansas, in 1966; 28 are killed.
Race riots erupt in Augusta, Georgia, after the suspicious death of a teenage inmate in the county jail. The disorder, the largest of its kind in the South, results in six fatalities.
May 12 – The 1976 Winter Olympics are awarded to Denver, Colorado, but it is later rejected.
May 14 – In the second day of violent demonstrations at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, state law enforcement officers fire into the demonstrators, killing two and injuring twelve.
May 26 – Pufnstuf, the film adaptation of the TV series H.R. Pufnstuf, is released.
June
June 6 – A D-Day celebration is held in Washington, D.C., on the 26th anniversary of the event.
June 11 – The United States gets its first female generals: Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington.
June 21 – Penn Central declares Section 77 bankruptcy, the largest ever US corporate bankruptcy up to this date.
June 22 – U.S. President Richard Nixon signs the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970, a measure lowering the voting age to 18.
June 23 – Kelly's Heroes is released in the US.
June 24 – The United States Senate repeals the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
June 28
U.S. ground troops withdraw from Cambodia.
First pride parade in history, Stonewall riot.
June 30 – Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati opens.
July
July 1
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is subordinated to the Public Health Service.
Colorado State College changes its name to University of Northern Colorado.
July 4
Bob Hope and other entertainers gather in Washington, D.C., for Honor America Day, a nonpartisan holiday event.
American Top 40, a nationally syndicated radio program featuring a countdown of the Top 40 hits of the past week according to the Billboard Hot 100, premieres. Hosted by Casey Kasem, the show is a major success.
Riots break out in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
July 16 – Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh opens.
July 31 – NBC anchor Chet Huntley retires from full-time broadcasting.
August
August 3 – NBC Nightly News premieres on NBC.
August 7 – Harold Haley, Marin County Superior Court Judge, is taken hostage and murdered, in an effort to free George Jackson from police custody.
August 13–August 15 – Special Olympics World Summer Games are held in Chicago.
August 17 – August 18 – The U.S. sinks 418 containers of nerve gas into the Gulf Stream near the Bahamas.
August 24 – Vietnam War protesters bomb Sterling Hall at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, leading to an international manhunt for the perpetrators.
August 26 – The Women's Strike For Equality takes place down Fifth Avenue in New York City.
August 29 – The Chicano Moratorium, against the Vietnam War, begins in East Los Angeles, California, and leads to a riot that kills three people, including journalist Rubén Salazar.
September
September 5 – Vietnam War – Operation Jefferson Glenn: The United States 101st Airborne Division and the South Vietnamese 1st Infantry Division initiate a new operation in Thua Thien Province (the operation ends in October 1971).
September 6 – Terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijack four passenger aircraft from Pan Am, TWA and Swissair on flights to New York from Brussels, Frankfurt and Zürich.
September 7 – An anti-war rally is held at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, attended by Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and future Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
September 9 – Elvis Presley begins his first concert tour since 1958, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
September 10 – The Chevrolet Vega is introduced.
September 11 – The Ford Pinto is introduced.
September 13
The first New York City Marathon begins.
The covert incursion of Operation Tailwind is instigated by the American forces in southeast Laos.
September 18 – Jimi Hendrix dies at age 27 in London, due to alcohol-related complications.
September 21 – Monday Night Football debuts on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network. The Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Jets by a score of 31–21.
September 23 – The first women's only tennis tournament begins in Houston, known as the Houston Women's Invitation.
September 24 – American television series The Odd Couple premieres on ABC.
September 26 – The Laguna Fire starts in San Diego County, burning 175,425 acres (710 km2).
September 27 – Richard Nixon begins a tour of Europe, visiting Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
September 29 – The U.S. Congress gives President Richard Nixon authority to sell arms to Israel.
October
October 2
The Wichita State University football team's "Gold" plane crashes in Colorado, killing most of the players. They were on their way (along with administrators and fans) to a game with Utah State University.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) Corps, one of seven federal uniformed services of the United States, is renamed to NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps under the soon to be formed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
October 4
National Educational Television ends operations, being succeeded by PBS.
In Los Angeles, rock musician Janis Joplin dies in her hotel room at age 27 from a heroin overdose. Joplin died exactly 16 days after Jimi Hendrix, both at 27 years of age.
October 5
The Public Broadcasting Service begins broadcasting.
U.S. President Richard Nixon's European tour ends.
October 8
The U.S. Foreign Office announces that renewal of arms sales to Pakistan.
Vietnam War: In Paris, a Communist delegation rejects U.S. President Richard Nixon's October 7 peace proposal as "a maneuver to deceive world opinion."
October 12 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas.
October 15 – The Baltimore Orioles defeat the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 of the World Series, 9–3, to win the series 4 games to 1 for their 2nd World Championship.
October 21 – A U.S. Air Force plane makes an emergency landing near Leninakan, Soviet Union. The Soviets release the American officers, including 2 generals, November 10.
October 25 – The wreck of the Confederate submarine Hunley is found off Charleston, South Carolina, by pioneer underwater archaeologist, Dr. E. Lee Spence, then just 22 years old. Hunley was the first submarine in history to sink a ship in warfare.
October 26
Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury debuts in approximately two dozen newspapers in the United States.
Gary Gabelich drives the rocket-powered Blue Flame to an official land speed record at on the dry lake bed of the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record, the first above 1,000 km/h, stands for nearly thirteen years.
November
November – The 1969–1970 recession ends.
November 3 – Democrats sweep the U.S. Congressional mid-term elections; Ronald Reagan is re-elected as Governor of California; Jimmy Carter is elected as Governor of Georgia.
November 4
Vietnam War – Vietnamization: The United States turns control of the air base in the Mekong Delta to South Vietnam.
Social workers in Los Angeles, California take custody of Genie, a girl who had been kept in solitary confinement since her birth.
November 5 – Vietnam War: The United States Military Assistance Command in Vietnam reports the lowest weekly American soldier death toll in five years (24 soldiers die that week, which is the fifth consecutive week the death toll is below 50; 431 are reported wounded that week, however).
November 8 – Tom Dempsey, who was born with a deformed right foot, sets a National Football League record by kicking a 63-yard field goal to lift the New Orleans Saints to a 19–17 victory over the Detroit Lions at Tulane Stadium.
November 9 – Vietnam War: The Supreme Court of the United States votes 6–3 not to hear a case by the state of Massachusetts, about the constitutionality of a state law granting Massachusetts residents the right to refuse military service in an undeclared war.
November 10 – Vietnam War – Vietnamization: For the first time in five years, an entire week ends with no reports of United States combat fatalities in Southeast Asia.
November 14 – Southern Airlines Flight 932 crashes in Wayne County, West Virginia; all 75 on board, including 37 players and 5 coaches from the Marshall University football team, are killed.
November 17 – Vietnam War: Lieutenant William Calley goes on trial for the My Lai massacre.
November 18 – U.S. President Richard Nixon asks the U.S. Congress for US$155,000,000 in supplemental aid for the Cambodian government (US$85,000,000 is for military assistance to prevent the overthrow of the government of Premier Lon Nol by the Khmer Rouge and North Vietnam).
November 21 – Vietnam War – Operation Ivory Coast: A joint Air Force and Army team raids the Son Tay prison camp in an attempt to free American POWs thought to be held there (no Americans are killed, but the prisoners have already moved to another camp; all U.S. POWs are moved to a handful of central prison complexes as a result of this raid).
November 23
The American Indian Movement seizes a replica of the Mayflower in Boston.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! makes its network TV debut, when CBS telecasts the 1955 film version as a three-hour Thanksgiving special.
December
December 2 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
December 19 – The final episode of H.R. Pufnstuf, "An Old Fashioned Christmas," airs on NBC.
December 23 – The North Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out at 1,368 feet (417 m), making it the tallest building in the world.
December 24 – Walt Disney Productions' 20th feature film, The Aristocats, is released. It is the studio's final film that Disney personally approved before his death. Though reception is middling compared to past efforts, the film is a box office success.
December 29 – U.S. President Richard Nixon signs the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) into law.
Ongoing
Cold War (1947–1991)
Space Race (1957–1975)
Vietnam War, U.S. involvement (1964–1973)
Détente (c. 1969–1979)
Sport
May 10 – Boston Bruins win their fourth (and first since 1941) Stanley Cup by defeating the St. Louis Blues 4 games to 0. The deciding Game 4 is played at the Boston Garden.
Births
January
January 1 – Kimberly Page, wrestling personality, actress, dancer, and valet
January 2
Royce Clayton, baseball player
Eric Whitacre, composer
Nancy St. Alban, actress
January 3
Christian Duguay, comic actor
Matt Ross, actor
January 4
Basil Iwanyk, filmmaker
Chris Kanyon, wrestler (d. 2010)
January 6
Julie Chen, news anchor and host
Keenan McCardell, football player
Gabrielle Reece, volleyball player and model
January 7
Todd Day, basketball player
Doug E. Doug, comedian, actor and director
January 8 – Adam Reed, voice actor and animator
January 10 – Buff Bagwell, wrestler and actor
January 12 – Zack de la Rocha, musician
January 13
Keith Coogan, actor
Shonda Rhimes, producer and writer
January 15
Bonnie "Prince" Billy, musician
Shane McMahon, wrestler and businessman, son of Vince McMahon
January 17
Steve Asheim, drummer for Deicide and Order of Ennead
Jeremy Roenick, hockey player
Genndy Tartakovsky, Russian-born animator
January 18 – Leo Araguz, football player
January 20
Joe Allison, football player
Kerri Kenney-Silver, actress, comedian, writer, singer, and musician
Edwin McCain, singer/songwriter and guitarist
Skeet Ulrich, actor
January 21 – Ken Leung, actor
January 24
Jake Ellzey, politician
Matthew Lillard, actor and producer
January 28
James Atkins, football player
Andrea Berger, tennis player
January 29
Heather Graham, actress
Cary Katz, businessman and poker player
Paul Ryan, politician, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2015 to 2019), and 2012 vice presidential candidate
February
February 1 – Louis Age, football player
February 3
Tom Graves, politician and businessman
Anthony Russo, director
February 4
Gabrielle Anwar, English-born actress
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden
Jo Jo English, basketball player
Michael Guest, politician
February 7 – Michael Grimm, politician, U.S. Marine, and convicted felon
February 8 – Alonzo Mourning, basketball player
February 10
Sarah Aldrich, actress
Bobby Jones, baseball player
February 11
J. M. Allain, company executive
Josh Green, politician, 9th Governor of Hawaii (2022-present)
February 12 – Armando Gallop, record producer (d. 1996)
February 15 – Shepard Fairey, temporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator, and founder of OBEY
February 16
Kevin Allison, comedian, writer, actor, and storyteller
Armand Van Helden, DJ and music producer
February 17
Yari Allnutt, soccer player
Tommy Moe, Olympic alpine skier
February 18 – Susan Egan, actress, voice actress, singer, and dancer
February 19 – Bellamy Young, actress, singer and producer
February 23 – Niecy Nash, actress
February 24 – Sonya Anderson, politician
February 25 – Allan Fung, politician, Mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island (2009-2021)
February 27 – Rob Adams, actor, acting coach, football player, and football coach
February 28 – Daniel Handler, author
March
March 1 – Warren Davidson, politician
March 3 – Julie Bowen, actress
March 5
John Frusciante, guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lisa Robin Kelly, actress (d. 2013)
Paul Whelan, Canadian-born detainee in Russia
March 6 – Brian Alvey, entrepreneur, programmer, designer, and blogger
March 7
Nwando Achebe, Nigerian-born historian
Rachel Weisz, British-born actress
March 8
Jason Elam, football player
Greg Stanton, politician, Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona (2012-2018)
March 9 – Shannon Leto, drummer for 30 Seconds to Mars
March 10 – Antonio Edwards, football player
March 12
John Nemechek, race car driver (d. 1997)
Troy Winbush, actor
March 13
Michael Arrington, businessman, founder of TechCrunch
Tim Story, director, writer, and producer
March 14
Tom Allen, football coach
Meredith Salenger, actress
March 18 – Queen Latifah, actress and rapper
March 19 – Steve Light, children's book author and illustrator
March 20
Robert Arp, philosopher
Michele Jaffe, novelist
Linda Larkin, actress and voice actress
Michael Rapaport, actor
March 21 – Cenk Uygur, Turkish-born political commentator, activist, and attorney
March 23 – Kate Jennings Grant, actress
March 24
Lisa Albano, tennis player
Lara Flynn Boyle, actress
March 26 – Justin Meldal-Johnsen, songwriter
March 27 – Elizabeth Mitchell, actress
March 28 – Vince Vaughn, actor, writer, and producer
March 29 – Richard Irvin, lawyer, politician, and the mayor of Aurora, Illinois
March 30
Jeff Antebi, entrepreneur
Secretariat, thoroughbred racehorse (d. 1989)
March 31 – Samantha Brown, television host
April
April 1 – Mark Wheeler, football player
April 4
Janice Kawaye, actress and voice actress
Tom Wiscombe, architect
April 7 – Matt Anoaʻi, wrestler (d. 2017)
April 8 – JR Bourne, actor
April 9 – Chris Apple, soccer player and coach
April 10
Deb Andraca, politician
Sean Gilbert, football player and coach
Kenny Lattimore, Contemporary R&B singer
Q-Tip, musician and actor
April 12 – Retta, actress and comedian
April 13
Monty Brown, wrestler and football player
Mike Ford, NASCAR crew chief
Ricky Schroder, actor
April 14 – Steve Avery, baseball player
April 15 – Flex Alexander, actor
April 17 – Redman, American rapper and actor
April 20 – Shemar Moore, actor
April 21
Jeff Anderson, actor, director, and screenwriter
Rob Riggle, actor and comedian
Nicole Sullivan, actress, comedian, and voice artist
April 22 – Paulie Ayala, boxer
April 24 – Brian Gamble, martial artist and wrestler
April 25 – Jason Lee, actor, comedian, and skateboarder
April 26
Melania Trump, Slovenian-born model, businesswoman, and First Lady of the United States (2017-2021)
Tionne Watkins, actress and singer/songwriter
April 29
Andre Agassi, tennis player
John C. Atkins, politician
Uma Thurman, actress
April 30 – Ralph Alvarado, physician and politician
May
May 1 – Dave Willis, voice actor, writer, animator, producer, and musician
May 3
Bobby Cannavale, actor
Michael Kang, director
May 4
Gregg Alexander, singer/songwriter and frontman for New Radicals
Will Arnett, Canadian-born actor
Dawn Staley, basketball coach
May 5
LaPhonso Ellis, basketball player
Kyan Douglas, television personality
Todd Newton, television personality
May 8
Reggie Freeman, football player
Dale Strong, politician
May 9
Dostie, basketball player and television personality
Ghostface Killah, rapper
Curtis Bray, football player and coach (d. 2014)
May 10 – Craig Mack, rapper (d. 2018)
May 12
Stevie Anderson, football player
Eric Champion, Christian musician
Raj Chandarlapaty, educator and author
Samantha Mathis, actress
David A. R. White, actor and producer
May 13
Eric Agol, astronomer and astrophysicist
Ian Agol, mathematician
May 14 – Daniel Lewin, American-born Israeli mathematician and entrepreneur (d. 2001)
May 15
Brad Rowe, actor, writer, producer, and public policy advocate
Prince Be, rapper, singer, record producer, and member of P.M. Dawn (d. 2016)
Rod Smith, football player
May 17
A.L.T., rapper
Jordan Knight, singer/songwriter and member of New Kids on the Block
May 18 – Tina Fey, comedian and actress
May 20 – Crissy Ahmann-Leighton, Olympic swimmer
May 22
Mark Bingham, businessman and passenger on board United Airlines Flight 93 (d. 2001)
Noah Feldman, legal scholar and academic
Brody Stevens, actor and comedian (d. 2019)
May 23
Matt Flynn, musician
Robert Peirce, attorney
May 24
Tommy Page, singer/songwriter (d. 2017)
Jeff Zgonina, football player
May 25
Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, actresses
Jamie Kennedy, actor and comedian
Octavia Spencer, actress
May 26
Eric Anderson, basketball player (d. 2018)
Keith Gattis, country singer/songwriter (d. 2023)
John Hamburg, writer and director
May 27
Mara Brock Akil, screenwriter and producer
Alex Archer, American-born Australian musician
May 29 – Pete Gas, wrestler
June
June 1 – Alexi Lalas, soccer player
June 2 – B-Real, rapper
June 3
Susan Abulhawa, Kuwaiti-born writer and human rights activist
Heather Cox, sports broadcaster
Greg Hancock, motorcycle racer
Ammon McNeely, rock climber
June 5 – Deborah Yates, dancer and actress
June 6
J. C. Adams, author, magazine editor, and reporter
Randy Jordan, football player and coach
June 7 – Mike Modano, hockey player
June 8
Gabby Giffords, politician
Kwame Kilpatrick, politician
Kelli Williams, actress
June 11
Lonni Alameda, softball player and coach
Alex Kendrick, pastor, filmmaker, and actor
June 12 – Rick Hoffman, actor
June 13 – Rivers Cuomo, singer and frontman for Weezer
June 15
Kevin Mullin, politician
Leah Remini, actress, television presenter, and campaigner
June 16
Roslyn Clark Artis, lawyer, academic administrator, and 14th president of Benedict College
Phil Mickelson, golfer
June 17
Arnold Ale, football player
Alma Allen, sculptor
Will Forte, actor and comedian
Michael Showalter, actor, writer, and director
June 19
D-Nice, rapper and member of Boogie Down Productions
Quincy Watts, Olympic sprinter
June 20 – Marc Andreyko, comic book writer and screenwriter
June 21 – Pete Rock, rapper and DJ
June 22
Freddy Soto, comedian and actor (d. 2005)
Michael Trucco, actor
June 23 – Zen Gesner, actor
June 24 – Glenn Medeiros, singer/songwriter
June 26
Paul Thomas Anderson, screenwriter and director
Sean Hayes, actor, comedian and producer
Chris O'Donnell, actor
Matt Letscher, actor and playwright
Nick Offerman, actor, writer, and carpenter
David Teeuwen, managing editor of USA Today (d. 2015)
June 27 – Ahmed Ahmed, Egyptian-born actor and comedian
June 28
Ace Atkins, journalist and author
Steve Burton, actor
Mike White, writer, director, actor, and producer
June 29 – Mike Vallely, skateboarder, actor, and musician
June 30
Chris Conrad, actor
Brian Bloom, actor, voice actor, and screenwriter
July
July 1
Joni Ernst, politician
Henry Simmons, actor
July 2
Derrick Adkins, Olympic hurdler
Scott Aukerman, writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host
Spice 1, rapper
Amy Weber, actress, model, producer, singer, real estate broker, and wrestling valet
July 3 – Audra McDonald, actress and singer
July 5
Kenny Dope, record producer and DJ
Mac Dre, rapper (d. 2004)
July 7 – Robia LaMorte, actress and dancer
July 8
Beck, singer/songwriter and record producer
Todd Martin, tennis player
July 9 – Trent Green, football quarterback
July 10
Dexter Allen, blues singer and musician
Gary LeVox, singer/songwriter and frontman for Rascal Flatts
July 11
Billy Ashley, baseball player
Justin Chambers, actor and fashion model
Michael Saucedo, Hispanic Irish actor
July 15
Jenifer Alcorn, boxer
Amber Hood, voice actress
July 18
Sal Abruscato, metal singer and drummer for Type O Negative and Life of Agony
Cheryl Casone, news anchor
July 19 – Lenny Curry, politician, Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida (2015-present)
July 20
Anjanette Abayari, actress and beauty queen
Shannon Baker, football player
Howard Jones, singer and frontman for Blood Has Been Shed (1997-2005), Killswitch Engage (2002-2012), and Light the Torch (2012-present)
July 22 – Melvin Aldridge, football player
July 23 – Charisma Carpenter, actress
July 24 – Stephanie Adams, model, author, and murderer (d. 2018)
July 26 – Cress Williams, actor
July 29 – Kit Hoover, television host, sportscaster, and broadcast journalist
July 30 – Rob Ambrose, football player and coach
August
August 1 – Quentin Coryatt, football player
August 2
Elijah Alexander, football player (d. 2010)
Tony Amonte, ice hockey player
Kevin Smith, screenwriter, director, and actor
August 3 – Alejandro Alcondez, Mexican-born actor and filmmaker
August 4
Pete Abrams, webcomic artist
John August, screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist
Claudine Gay, political scientist, university professor, and 30th President of Harvard University
Hakeem Jeffries, politician
Ron Lester, actor (d. 2016)
August 6
Wendi Andriano, convicted murderer
M. Night Shyamalan, Indian-born filmmaker
August 8 – Trev Alberts, sports administrator and football player
August 9
Chris Cuomo, journalist
Thomas Lennon, actor, comedian, and writer
August 10
Doug Flach, tennis player
Bret Hedican, ice hockey player
August 11 – Paul Durousseau, convicted serial killer
August 13 – Will Clarke, novelist
August 14 – Kevin Cadogan, musician, singer/songwriter, record producer, and guitarist
August 15
Anthony Anderson, actor, comedian and writer
Maddie Corman, actress
August 16 – Bonnie Bernstein, sportscaster
August 17
Januarius Jingwa Asongu, Cameroonian-born philosopher, scholar, journalist, author, entrepreneur, and activist
Jim Courier, tennis player
Tammy Townsend, actress and singer
August 18
Jay Obernolte, politician
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor
August 19
Fat Joe, rapper
Jeff Tam, baseball player
August 20 – Fred Durst, rapper
August 21 – Chad Erickson, ice hockey player
August 22 – Giada De Laurentiis, Italian-born chef
August 23
Jay Mohr, actor and comedian
River Phoenix, actor, musician and activist (d. 1993)
August 25 – Jo Dee Messina, singer
August 26 – Melissa McCarthy, actress, comedian, writer, producer and fashion designer
August 27
Ann Aguirre, author
Jim Thome, baseball player
August 31
Debbie Gibson, singer
Epic Mazur, singer and rapper
September
September 1
Roland Gutierrez, politician
Padma Lakshmi, Indian-born author, activist, actress, and model
September 3
Maria Bamford, comedian and actress
Jeremy Glick, passenger on board United Airlines Flight 93 (d. 2001)
September 4 – Ione Skye, British-born actress
September 5 – Michael Akers, director, producer, screenwriter, and editor
September 6 – Ant, hip hop producer
September 7
Jay Adelson, internet entrepreneur
Tom Everett Scott, actor
September 8
Rosearik Rikki Simons, voice actor
Latrell Sprewell, basketball player
September 10
John Asimakopoulos, sociologist, author, and University professor
Molly McKay, attorney and LGBT activist
September 11
Taraji P. Henson, actress, singer and author
William Joppy, boxer and coach
Ted Leo, singer/songwriter and guitarist
Laura Wright, actress
September 12 – Josh Hopkins, actor
September 13 – Lee Abramson, composer and musician (d. 2016)
September 14
Mike Burns, soccer player
Robert Ben Garant, actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director
Ketanji Brown Jackson, judge and justice for the U.S. Supreme Court
September 15 – Eric Garner, martyr to the New York City Police Department
September 16
Taalam Acey, spoken-word artist
Stan Boyd, stock car racing driver
Tamron Hall, journalist and tv talk show host
September 17
Ashley Ambrose, football player and coach
Mark Brunell, football player and coach
September 18 – Aisha Tyler, actress, author, producer, writer, director, and talk show host
September 19
Dan Bylsma, ice hockey player
Victor Williams, actor
September 20
Vaea Anitoni, rugby player
Raymond Arroyo, author, journalist, and producer
Patty Bentley, politician
September 21 – Samantha Power, diplomat
September 22
Scot Armstrong, screenwriter, director, and producer
Mike Matheny, baseball player
Mystikal, rapper
Chris Tallman, actor and comedian
September 23
Patrick Allen, bowler
Ani DiFranco, American-born Canadian musician
September 24
Glenn Allen Jr., racing driver and co-owner of Allen-Hock Motorsports
Marc Guggenheim, screenwriter, producer, comic book writer, and novelist
September 25 – David Benioff, producer and director
September 26 – Frank Guinta, politician
September 29
AMG, rapper
Natasha Gregson Wagner, actress
September 30
Aceyalone, rapper
Tony Hale, actor and comedian
October
October 1
Adele Anthony, Singaporean-born Australian-American violinist
Marne Levine, businesswoman
October 2 – Kelly Ripa, actress and TV personality
October 3 – Tyji Armstrong, football player
October 5 – Audie Pitre, singer and bass player (d. 1997)
October 6 – Amy Jo Johnson, actress
October 7 – Nicole Ari Parker, actress and model
October 8 – Matt Damon, actor
October 9
Kenny Anderson, basketball player
David Benkof, political commentator
Jason Butler Harner, actor
October 11 – Chidi Ahanotu, football player
October 12
Herman Arvie, football player
Kirk Cameron, actor and Christian activist
Hillary Schieve, politician, mayor of Reno, Nevada (2014-present)
Charlie Ward, football and basketball player
October 13 – Serena Altschul, journalist
October 14 – Jon Seda, actor
October 15
Reid Anderson, bassist and composer
Ginuwine, R&B singer/songwriter, dancer, and actor
Chris Mims, football player (d. 2008)
October 18
Mahdi Abu-Omar, Israeli-born chemist and University professor
Jose Padilla, convicted terrorist
October 19 – Chris Kattan, comedian and actor
October 20
Harold Alexander, football player
Michelle Malkin, political commentator
October 22
D'Lo Brown, wrestler
Sebastian Gorka, British-born Hungarian-American media personality
October 23
Matthew Barzun, diplomat and businessman
Bruce Kennedy, producer, screenwriter, and director
October 25 – Adam Goldberg, actor, filmmaker, musician, and photographer
October 26
Jessie Armstead, football player
Chavo Guerrero Jr., wrestler
October 28
Ayad Akhtar, playwright, novelist, and screenwriter
Greg Eagles, actor and voice actor
October 30
Ben Bailey, host
Nia Long, actress
October 31
Ray Austin, boxer
Nolan North, actor and voice-over artist
November
November 1 – Corey Barlow, football player
November 2 – Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman, wrestling valet
November 3 – Dawn Marie Psaltis, wrestler
November 4
Anthony Ruivivar, actor
Tony Sly, singer (d. 2012)
November 5
Joe Aresimowicz, politician
Heather Pick, television news anchor (d. 2008)
November 6
Bryant Anderson, wrestler
Jason Atkinson, politician
Ethan Hawke, actor
November 7
Chris Adrian, author
Mo Alexander, comedian
Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker and activist
November 8 – Tom Anderson, internet entrepreneur, co-founder of Myspace
November 9
Chris Jericho, American-born Canadian wrestler
Scarface, rapper
Dan Schlissel, record producer
November 10
Orny Adams, comedian
Trent Dimas, Olympic gymnast
Warren G, rapper
November 12 – Tonya Harding, Olympic figure skater
November 15 – Jack Ingram, country music singer
November 16
Dave Johnson, basketball player
Martha Plimpton, actress
Beth Van Duyne, politician, Mayor of Irving, Texas (2011-2017)
November 18
Elizabeth Anne Allen, actress
Mike Epps, comedian and actor
Megyn Kelly, journalist and media personality
November 19 – Mark Abboud, soccer player
November 20
Phife Dawg, rapper for A Tribe Called Quest (d. 2016)
Joe Zaso, actor and producer
November 21 – Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League
November 22
Jamie Arentzen, guitarist for American Hi-Fi
Joe Son, South Korean-born actor, wrestler, and convicted felon
November 23 – Oded Fehr, Israeli-born actor
November 24 – Julieta Venegas, American born-Mexican singer, guitarist, and producer
November 26 – John Amaechi, American-born British psychologist, consultant, and basketball player
November 27
David August, computer scientist and University professor
Mr. Lobo, television personality
Kelly Loeffler, politician
November 29 – Larry Joe Campbell, actor and comedian
November 30
Walter Emanuel Jones, actor
Natalie Williams, basketball player
December
December 1
Sarah Silverman, actress and comedian
December 2
Treach, rapper
Joshua Seth, voice actor and hypnotist
Joe Lo Truglio, actor, comedian, writer, and producer
December 3 – Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, politician
December 4
Antwun Echols, boxer (d. 2023)
Fat Pat, rapper (d. 1998)
Kevin Sussman, actor and comedian
December 6
Katie Arrington, politician
Adrian Fenty, politician, Mayor of Washington, D.C. (2007-2011)
December 8 – Randy Altschuler, businessman and politician
December 9 – Kara DioGuardi, American Idol judge
December 10 – Kevin Sharp, country music singer, and motivational speaker (d. 2014)
December 11
Chris Anderson, golfer
Chris Henderson, soccer player
December 12
Mädchen Amick, actress
Jennifer Connelly, actress
Regina Hall, actress
December 13 – Bart Johnson, actor
December 14 – Nicholas Angelich, pianist (d. 2022)
December 15 – Greg Abbey, voice actor
December 17 – Sean Patrick Thomas, actor
December 18
DMX, rapper (d. 2021)
Miles Marshall Lewis, author
Rob Van Dam, wrestler
December 19
Eric Alva, U.S. Marine and Iraqi War veteran
Adrian Smith, politician
December 21
Monique Ambers, basketball player and coach
Tim Armstrong, business executive
December 22
Ted Cruz, Canadian-born politician
Clay Dreslough, game designer
December 23
Karl Buechner, metalcore singer
Robert John Burck, singer/songwriter and street performer known as the Naked Cowboy
Jeff Landry, politician
December 24
Breck Eisner, director
Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican-born actor and producer
December 28 – Elaine Hendrix, actress
December 29
Dallas Austin, musician, songwriter, record producer, and filmmaker
Glen Phillips, singer/songwriter and frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket
Kevin Weisman, actor
December 30 – Bart Evans, baseball player
December 31
Dunstan Anderson, football player (d. 2004)
Bryon Russell, basketball player
Full date unknown
luciana achugar, dancer and choreographer
Danielle Ackley-McPhail, author and editor
Derrick Adams, artist and curator
Greg Adams, writer
J. A. Adande, sportswriter, commentator, and educator
Ahmed Ahmed, Egyptian-born actor and comedian
Robert Ahrens, producer
Haluk Akakçe, Turkish-born artist
Romeo Alaeff, artist, photographer, filmmaker, author, and editor
Nate Albert, music executive, songwriter, producer, and guitarist
Chaz Allen, politician, mayor of Newton, Iowa (2004-2012)
Rachel Allen, architect
Todd M. Allen, Canadian-born immunologist and virologist
Ellen Altfest, painter
Christopher Anderson, photographer
Greg Anderson, guitarist for Goatsnake and co-founder of Southern Lord Records
Keith Anderson, saxophonist
Paul Anderson, politician
Steven S. Andrews, scientist
Chris Applebaum, music video director
Jason A. Archinaco, attorney
Treena Livingston Arinzeh, University professor
Oliver Arms, painter
Dorsey Armstrong, scholar
Scott Arpajian, technology executive, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Download.com
Marina Arsenijevic, Serbian-born pianist and composer
Susan Athey, economist
Jeff Atwood, software developer, author, blogger, and entrepreneur
Shalom Auslander, novelist, memoirist, and essayist
Bela Bajaria, English-born businesswoman and media executive
Grant Barrett, lexicographer and radio personality
Regina Barzilay, Moldovan-born Israeli-American computer scientist
Matthew Burtner, composer
Geoff Edgers, journalist, author, filmmaker, television and podcast host
Wanda Ewing, artist (d. 2013)
Lisa Fairfax, legal scholar and professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Garrett Fisher, composer
Gordon Gallagher, judge
Roman Glick, bassist and guitarist
Eric Heisserer, filmmaker, writer, producer, and comic book writer
Patrick Lachman, heavy metal singer and guitarist
Matt Letscher, actor, director, and playwright
Jeffrey Sebelia, fashion designer
Kate Snyder, politician, mayor of Portland, Maine (2019-present)
Deaths
January 5 – Cyril Fagan, Irish-American astrologer and author (b. 1896)
January 20 – George M. Humphrey, lawyer and politician, Secretary to the Treasury (b.1890)
February 2 – Lawrence Gray, actor (b. 1898)
February 6 – Roscoe Karns, actor (b. 1891)
February 7 – Abe Attell, boxer (b. 1883)
February 11 – Lee W. Stanley, cartoonist (b. 1885)
February 14 – Arthur Edeson, cinematographer (b. 1891)
February 22 – Edward Selzer, film producer (b. 1893)
March 30 – Heinrich Brüning, German politician and former Chancellor of Germany (born 1885)
April 15 – Ripper Collins, American baseball player (b.1904)
May 9 – Louise Freeland Jenkins, astronomer (b. 1888)
June 16 – Brian Piccolo, American football player (b. 1943)
September 8 – Percy Spencer, inventor of the microwave oven (b. 1896)
September 18 – Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (b. 1942)
November 26 – Benjamin O. Davis Sr. US Army General. First African-American to rise to the rank of Brigadier General. (born 1877)
December 7 – Rube Goldberg, cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor (born in 1883)
December 12 – George Terwilliger, film director and screenwriter (b. 1882)
December 24 – Charles M. Cooke Jr., admiral (b. 1886)
See also
List of American films of 1970
Timeline of United States history (1970–1989)
References
External links
1970s in the United States
United States
United States
Years of the 20th century in the United States