360What happened in 1970?
5 moments from 1970 on 360n60, each told in 60 words or fewer.
- On this day · 22 January 1970
The Boeing 747 jumbo jet enters service
On 22 January 1970, Pan Am flew the first passenger service of the Boeing 747 from New York to London. The 'jumbo jet' could carry about 400 passengers, more than twice as many as earlier jets. Lower fares followed, and air travel opened up to millions of people.
- On this day · 11 April 1970
Apollo 13 launches towards the Moon
On 11 April 1970, Apollo 13 lifted off for the Moon. Two days later, an oxygen tank exploded, and the crew radioed: 'Houston, we've had a problem.' The landing was abandoned. Using the lunar module as a lifeboat, the three astronauts swung around the Moon and returned safely on 17 April.
- On this day · 22 April 1970
The first Earth Day
On 22 April 1970, about 20 million Americans took part in the first Earth Day, with rallies and clean-ups calling for protection of the environment. New laws on clean air and water followed. Earth Day is now marked in more than 190 countries.
- On this day · 15 December 1970
The first successful landing on another planet
On 15 December 1970, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 landed on Venus and sent back data from its surface, the first successful landing on another planet. It recorded a temperature of about 475 degrees Celsius, showing that Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system.
- 1970 · from The 1970s: development plans and the first microchips
First Saudi five-year development plan