At A Glance

20 February 1971 at a glance

Day of the week
20 February 1971 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds.
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 20 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 February 1971 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 February 1971 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 20 February

  • 1959 The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
  • 1962 Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
  • 1968 The China Academy of Space Technology, China's main arm for the research, development, and creation of space satellites, is established in Beijing.
  • 1971 The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
  • 1986 The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.

Famous people born on February 20

  • Justin Verlander, American baseball player (born 1983)
  • Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer (born 2003)
  • Kurt Cobain, American musician (1967–1994)
  • Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress (born 1988)

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 →