1970s

The 1970s (also called the '70s) was the decade that began on January 1, 1970 and ended on December 31, 1979. It is distinct from the decade known as the 198th decade which began on January 1, 1971 and ended on December 31, 1980. 

 Events 
 Throughout the decade: decolonization continued: Angola, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Oman, the Bahamas, and many other countries gained independence. Also, metrication in many English speaking countries.
 1970, December 15 – Spaceship Venera 7 lands on Venus.
 1971 – Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
 December 16 – Partition of Pakistan of East and West Pakistans into Bangladesh and Pakistan.
 1972, March 2 – Pioneer 10 is launched (sent into space). It becomes the first spaceship to fly near Jupiter and the asteroid belt.
 1972 – Munich massacre
 1973, April 6 – Pioneer 11 is launched. It becomes the first the first spaceship to fly near Saturn.
 1974 – August 9 Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States due to the Watergate scandal. 
 1973 – 1973 Arab-Israeli War
 1975 – End of the Vietnam War
 1975 – Communists take power in Cambodia.
 1976, July 20 – Spaceship Viking 1 lands on Mars.
 1977, August 20 – Voyager 2 is launched. It becomes the first spaceship to fly near Uranus and Neptune.
 1977, September 5 – Voyager 1 is launched. It is now the farthest spaceship from the Earth.
 1977: The last cases of smallpox of the world.
 1978 – Year with three popes
 1978, October 1 – Vietnam invades Cambodia.
 1979 – The World Health Organization says it has eliminated smallpox.

 People 

 Actor 
 John Travolta, American actor
 P. Ramlee, Malaysian actor

 Actress 

 Footballer 
 Pelé, Brazilian football player

 World Leader 
 Edward Heath, Prime Minister of United Kingdom
 Harold Wilson, Prime Minister of United Kingdom
 James Callaghan, Prime Minister of United Kingdom
 Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of United Kingdom
 Fidel Castro, President of Cuba
 Augusto Pinochet, President of Chile
 Willy Brandt, Chancellor of Germany (until 1974)
 Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union beginning in 1964
Richard Nixon, President of the United States (until 1974)
Gerald Ford, President of the United States (until 1977)
 Jimmy Carter, President of the United States
 Elizabeth II, British queen since 1952
 Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel until 1977
 Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India until 1977
 Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel (until 1974)
 Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader
 Hirohito, Emperor of Japan
 Pope John Paul I, pope
 Pope John Paul II, pope
 Francisco Franco, dictator of Spain (until 1975)
 Deng Xiaoping, leader in China
 Mao Zedong, leader in China (until 1976)
 Pope Paul VI, pope (until 1978)
 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran until 1979
 Ayatollah Khomeini
 Juan Perón, President of Argentina (until 1974)
 Jorge Rafael Videla, dictator of Argentina
 Muammar al-Gaddafi, dictator Libyan
 Pol Pot, Prime Minister of Cambodia
 Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt
 Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
 Georges Pompidou, President of France
 Bhumibol Adulyadej,  King of Thailand
 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France
 Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (until 1979)