1971 (MCMLXXI) was .

Events 

 January 2 – A ban on television cigarette advertisements goes into effect in the United States.
 January 3 – BBC Open University begins in the United Kingdom
 January 18 – Strikes in Poland demand resignation of interior minister Kazimierz Switala. He resigns January 23 and is replaced by Franciszek Szlachcic
 January 19 – Representatives of 23 western oil companies begin negotiations with OPEC in Tehran to stabilize oil prices. February 14 they sign a treaty with six Persian Gulf countries
 January 25 – Charles Manson and three female "family members" are found guilty of the 1969 murder of Sharon Tate and others at Sharon's house
 January 25 – Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda's president
 January 25 – Himachal Pradesh becomes the 18th Indian state
 West Pakistan attacks the Republic of India in retaliation and the Republic of India attacks the former East Pakistan.
 December 6 – The Government of India recognizes the former East Pakistan region as Bangladesh.
 December 16 – East Pakistan becomes a nation as Bangladesh by surrender of West Pakistani combined forces.
 DIC, an animation company, is founded in Paris, France
 November 24 – During a severe thunderstorm over Washington, a man calling himself D. B. Cooper hijacks a plane and gets US$200,000 in ransom money. He jumps from the plane and is never seen again (this is the only unsolved skyjacking in history).

Births 
 January 17 - Sylvie Testud, French actress
 February 17 – Denise Richards, American actor
 February 25 – Sean Astin, American actor
 February 27 – Roman Giertych, Polish Minister of Education
 March 10 – Timbaland, American music producer
 April 2 – Zeebra, Japanese rapper
 April 18 – David Tennant, Scottish actor
 April 18 – Aphex Twin, Irish-English musician
 May 10 – Kim Jong-nam, Son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
 June 5 – Mark Wahlberg, American actor and singer
 June 16 – Tupac Shakur, American rapper (d. 1996)
 July 30 – Tom Green, Canadian actor
 August 20 – Ke Huy Quan, Vietnamese-American actor
 September 18 – Lance Armstrong, American athlete
 October 2 – Tiffany Darwish, American singer & actress
 October 13 – Sacha Baron Cohen, English actor and comedian
 October 20 
Snoop Dogg, American rapper & actor
Dannii Minogue, Australian model & singer, sister of Kylie Minogue
 December 24 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican singer

Deaths 
 April 6 – Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer (b. 1882)
 May 19 – Ogden Nash, American poet (b. 1902)
 June 18 – Paul Karrer, Swiss biochemist (b. 1889)
 July 3 – Jim Morrison, American singer (The Doors) (b. 1943)
 July 6 – Louis Armstrong, American jazz musician (b. 1901)
 July 7 – Ub Iwerks, American animator (b. 1901)
 September 11 – Nikita Khrushchev, Leader of the Soviet Union (b. 1894)

Movies released 
 Clockwork Orange
 Carnal Knowledge
 Duel
 Dauria
 Dirty Harry
 The French Connection
 THX 1138

Hit songs 
 "Joy to the World" – Three Dog Night
 "Knock Three Times" – Tony Orlando and Dawn
 "Stairway to Heaven" – Led Zeppelin
 "What's Going On" – Marvin Gaye
 "Another Day" – Paul & Linda McCartney
 "Black Dog" – Led Zeppelin
 "Black Magic Woman" – Santana
 "Brown Sugar" – The Rolling Stones
 "Coz I Love You" – Slade
 "Draggin' the Line" – Tommy James
 "Family Affair" – Sly & the Family Stone
 "Get It On" – T. Rex
 "Go Away Little Girl" – Donny Osmond
 "Got to Be There" – Michael Jackson
 "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" – Cher
 "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" – The Bee Gees
 "I Woke Up in Love This Morning" – The Partridge Family
 "If You Really Love Me" – Stevie Wonder
 "Imagine" – John Lennon
 "Indian Reservation" – The Raiders
 "It Don't Come Easy" – Ringo Starr
 "It's Too Late" – Carole King
 "Maggie Mae" – Rod Stewart
 "My Sweet Lord" – George Harrison
 "Never Can Say Goodbye" – The Jackson Five
 "One Bad Apple" – The Osmonds
 "One Less Bell to Answer" – Fifth Dimension
 "Peace Train" – Cat Stevens
 "Proud Mary" – Ike & Tina Turner
 "She's a Lady" – Tom Jones
 "Sooner or Later" – The Grass Roots
 "Temptation Eyes" – The Grass Roots
 "Treat Her Like a Lady" – Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
 "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" – Paul & Linda McCartney
 "Where Do I Begin" (Love Story) – Andy Williams