The Year 1971 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1971. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, entertainment trivia, grocery and other prices, and much more.

1. In 1972, Richard Nixon (R-California) was the president of the United States, and Spiro Agnew (R-Maryland) was the nation’s vice president.
2. The 92nd Congress (1971-73) was in session, and there were 255 Democrats and 180 Republicans.
3. Average annual income per year: $10,600
4. Average cost of a new house: $25,250
5. Average monthly rent: $150
6. Average price of a new car: $3,560
7. Inflation rate: 4.38%
8. Property crime per 1,000 people: 37.7
9. Unemployment rate: 6.0%
10. Violent crime per 1,000 people: 41.6
11. In 1971, a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder cost 53 cents, tuition at Harvard was $2,600, and ice skates were $11.98 a pair. A movie ticket cost $1.50, a Ford Mustang Grande was $3,395, and the average price of a television was $188.00.
12. American companies and brands established in 1971 included Bed Bath & Beyond, Cardinal Health, Cuisinart, FedEx, Jiffy Lube, Nasdaq, the Shane Company, Starbucks, and Sunglass Hut.
13. Consumer products launched during the year included Action Jackson toys, Buc Wheats cereal, Cup Noodles, Hamburger Helper, Herbal Essence hair care products, the Intel microprocessor, the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, Pebbles cereal, Rive Gauche perfume, Spree candy, and the Wonka bar.
14. On January 1, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act “made it illegal for tobacco companies to advertise cigarettes on television and radio.”
15. On January 7, the temperature plunged to -40°F in Hawley Lake, Arizona, setting a state record.
16. On January 15, the Aswan Dam opened in Egypt.
17. On January 23, the temperature plunged to -80°F at Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, setting a U.S. record.
18. On January 25, Charles Manson, along with three of his female followers, was convicted of the Tate-LaBianca murders.
19. On February 4, Rolls Royce, the British carmaker, filed for bankruptcy.
20. On February 4, the Nasdaq stock exchange began operating “as the world's first electronic stock market.” Nasdaq, an acronym for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations,” “replaced physical trading floors and manual ‘pink sheet’ systems with a computer-based quotation system.”
21. On February 12, James Cash Penney, founder of the department store chain JCPenney, passed away at the age of 95.
22. On February 21, a series of tornadoes ravaged Mississippi and Louisiana, killing 117.
23. On March 15, chat rooms debuted on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.
24. By March 21, Vermont’s seasonal snowfall totaled 132.2".
25. On March 31, the first Starbucks opened at the historic Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl founded the coffeehouse chain. They later sold the company to American businessman Howard Schultz, “who was the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000, from 2008 to 2017, and interim CEO from 2022 to 2023.” (Today, Starbucks has about 30,000 retail locations worldwide.)
26. On April 2, Dark Shadows, a Gothic soap opera, aired its last episode on ABC.
27. On April 14, the Supreme Court “unanimously upheld the constitutionality of busing as a means to ‘dismantle the dual school system’ of the South. But the Court made it clear that today's decision did not apply to Northern-style segregation, based on neighborhood patterns.”
28. On April 15, at the 43rd Academy Awards, which honored the best films of 1970, Patton won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton) won an Oscar for Best Director. George C. Scott (Patton) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Glenda Jackson (Women in Love) won an Oscar for Best Actress.
29. On April 24, an estimated 500,000 people in Washington, DC, and 125,000 more in San Francisco, marched to protest the Vietnam War.
30. May 1: Amtrak began service with 184 trains a day and 323 stations. The first train “operated by the new company was a Clocker that departed from New York City for Philadelphia shortly after midnight.”
31. On May 3, a Harris Poll claimed that 60% of Americans were against the Vietnam War.
32. On May 3, National Public Radio (NPR) began broadcasting.
33. On May 9, at the 23rd Primetime Emmy Awards, All in the Family (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and The Bold Ones: The Senator (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Jack Klugman (The Odd Couple) won an Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, and Jean Stapleton (All in the Family) won an Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.
34. On June 6, the final broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show aired on CBS.
35. On June 13, the New York Times began publishing excerpts from the Pentagon Papers, “the name given to a top-secret Department of Defense study of U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967.”
36. On June 18, Southwest Airlines, the most successful low-cost air carrier in history, began its first flights between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
37. On June 26, the 1965 musical, Man of La Mancha, closed at the ANTA Washington Square Theater in NYC after 2,329 performances.
38. On July 1, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, was ratified.
39. On July 19, the South Tower of the World Trade Center “topped out at 1,362 feet,” making it the second tallest building in the world at the time.
40. On October 1, Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida.
41. On October 29, the total number of American troops in Vietnam dropped to 196,700, the lowest number since January 1966.
42. On November 1, the Eisenhower dollar was put into circulation.
43. On November 15, Intel released the world’s first microprocessor, the Intel 4004.
44. On December 18, the U.S. dollar was devalued for the first time since President Roosevelt's devaluation of the dollar during the Great Depression.
45. In 1971, Amanda Holden, Corey Haim, Denise Richards, Justin Trudeau, Lance Armstrong, Mark Wahlberg, and Ricky Martin were all born.
46. The first McDonald’s in Japan opened in Tokyo.
47. Japan’s first Dunkin’ Donuts opened as well.
48. McDonald's introduced the Quarter Pounder, which cost 53 cents.
49. Coca-Cola introduced the plastic bottle.
50. Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York legalized the year-round sale of oysters. Up until that time, their sale had been illegal from May to August.
51. Here are some sports facts from 1971: The Pittsburgh Pirates won their 4th World Series, the Baltimore Colts were the Super Bowl champs, and the Montreal Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup.
52. Apples (McIntosh): Three pounds for 39 cents
53. Applesauce (Mott’s): 19 cents for a 15-ounce jar
54. Bacon: 49 cents for a one-pound package
55. Bananas: 12 cents a pound
56. Bisquick: 54 cents for a 40-ounce box
57. Bread (white): Three 20-ounce loaves for 89 cents
58. Candy canes: 57 cents a dozen
59. Celery: 38 cents a stalk
60. Eggs: 25 cents a dozen
61. Flour (Pillsbury): 39 cents for a five-pound bag
62. Grape jelly (Welch’s): 38 cents for a 20-ounce jar
63. Ketchup (Heinz): 25 cents for a 14-ounce bottle
64. Macaroni dinner (Kraft): 19 cents for a 7.5-ounce package
65. Margarine (Fleischmann’s): 51 cents for a one-pound package
66. Mayonnaise (Hellman’s): 65 cents for a quart jar
67. Milk: 98 cents a gallon
68. Onions (yellow): Three pounds for 20 cents
69. Oranges (Florida): 10 for 59 cents
70. Potatoes (Idaho): Five pounds for 59 cents

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/1971-fun-facts-trivia-and-history/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_in_the_United_States
3. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1971
4. https://www.historic-newspapers.com/blogs/article/1971-timeline
5. https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/70s-slang
6. https://m.the-numbers.com/market/1971/top-grossing-movies
7. https://www.ranker.com/list/companies-founded-in-1971/reference
8. https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1971.htm
9. https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/vintage-recipes-from-the-70s-worth-trying-today/
10. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1971.html
11. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1971

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor