At A Glance

15 August 1971 at a glance

Day of the week
15 August 1971 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” by Bee Gees.
Top Film of 1971
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1971 was The French Connection.
Bestselling Novel of 1971
“Wheels” by Arthur Hailey was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1971.
Top-Rated TV Show
“All in the Family” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1971–72 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 15 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 15 August 1971 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 15 August 1971 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 15 August

  • 1969 The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in Bethel, New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era.
  • 1970 Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game.
  • 1971 President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors.
  • 1971 Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1975 Takeo Miki makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Famous people born on August 15

  • Napoleon, French general and emperor (1769–1821)
  • Ben Affleck, American actor and filmmaker (born 1972)
  • Jennifer Lawrence, American actress and producer (born 1990)
  • Joe Jonas, American singer, songwriter, and actor (born 1989)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1971 in the United States

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

  • January 12 – The landmark television sitcom All in the Family, starring Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker, debuts on CBS.
  • March 30 – The first Starbucks coffee shop opens, in Pike Place Market, Elliott Bay, Seattle.
  • May 1 – Amtrak begins inter-city rail passenger service in the United States.

Life in the US in 1971

President

Richard Nixon

Gas (per gallon)

$0.36

Loaf of Bread

$0.25

Average House

$18,000

Weekly Wage

$145

Or

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →