At A Glance

8 December 1971 at a glance

Day of the week
8 December 1971 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)” by Benny Hill.
Top Film of 1971
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1971 was The French Connection.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 December 1971 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 December 1971 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 8 December

  • 1962 Workers at four New York City newspapers (this later increases to nine) go on strike for 114 days.
  • 1971 Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launches an attack on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi.
  • 1974 A plebiscite results in the abolition of monarchy in Greece.
  • 1985 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia, is established.
  • 1987 Cold War: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the White House.

Famous people born on 8 December

  • Raheem Sterling, English footballer (born 1994)
  • Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen of Scots, daughter of James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise (1542–1587)
  • Sinéad O'Connor, Irish singer-songwriter (1966–2023)
  • Nicki Minaj, Trinidadian-American rapper and actress (born 1982)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1971 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1971 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 3 February – Tyneside-set British crime film Get Carter starring Michael Caine premièred (in Los Angeles).
  • 14 June – The first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner in London.
  • 25–27 June – The first Reading Festival "of jazz and progressive music" took place.

Life in 1971

Prime Minister

Edward Heath

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

17p

Loaf of Bread

11p

Average House

£5,632

Weekly Wage

£30.90

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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