At A Glance

31 January 1970 at a glance

Day of the week
31 January 1970 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5.
Top Film of 1970
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1970 was Love Story.
Bestselling Novel of 1970
“Love Story” by Erich Segal was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1970.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Marcus Welby, M.D.” (ABC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1970–71 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 January 1970 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 January 1970 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 January

  • 1961 Project Mercury: Mercury-Redstone 2: The chimpanzee Ham travels into outer space.
  • 1966 The Soviet Union launches the unmanned Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the Luna program.
  • 1968 Vietnam War: Viet Cong guerrillas attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
  • 1971 Apollo program: Apollo 14: Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.
  • 1978 The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) goes on public display after being returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II.

Famous people born on January 31

  • Julián Alvarez, Argentine footballer (born 2000)
  • Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor (born 1981)
  • Minnie Driver, English singer-songwriter and actress (born 1970)
  • Jackie Robinson, American baseball player and sportscaster (1919–1972)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1970 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1970 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 5 – The first episode of All My Children is broadcast on the ABC television network.
  • April 13 – An oxygen tank in the Apollo 13 spacecraft explodes, forcing the crew to abort the mission and return in 4 days.
  • June 23 – Kelly's Heroes is released in the US.

Life in the US in 1970

President

Richard Nixon

Gas (per gallon)

$0.36

Loaf of Bread

$0.24

Average House

$17,000

Weekly Wage

$137

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 →