1970

The 7.1 Mw Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Between 10,000 and 14,621 are killed and 30,000 injured.

Ostpolitik: The leaders of West Germany and East Germany meet at a summit for the first time since Germany's division into two republics. West German Chancellor Willy Brandt is greeted by cheering East German crowds as he arrives in Erfurt for a summit with his counterpart, East German Ministerpräsident Willi Stoph.

China's first satellite (Dong Fang Hong 1) is launched into orbit using a Long March-1 Rocket (CZ-1).

Assassination of Pedro Eugenio Aramburu: Former de facto President of Argentina is extrajudicially executed by Montoneros three days after being kidnapped from his Buenos Aires apartment.

Black Tot Day observed the last daily distribution of one-eighth of an imperial pint of rum to sailors of the Royal Navy, an amount that had been dispensed since 1866.

Death of Jimi Hendrix: American rock musician Jimi Hendrix gives his last public performance, two days before his death.

Pope Paul VI names Saint Catherine of Siena (d. 1380) as the second female Doctor of the Church.

A Chinese nuclear test is conducted in Lop Nor.

The Club Cinq-Sept fire in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France, kills 146.

The Miss World 1970 beauty pageant, hosted by Bob Hope at the Royal Albert Hall, London is disrupted by Women's Liberation protesters. Earlier on the same evening a bomb is placed under a BBC outside broadcast vehicle by The Angry Brigade, in protest at the entry of separate black and white contestants by South Africa.

October Crisis: In Montreal, kidnapped British trade commissioner James Cross is released by the Front de libération du Québec terrorist group after being held hostage for 60 days. Police negotiate his release and in return the Government of Canada grants 5 terrorists from the FLQ's Chenier Cell their request for safe passage to Cuba.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat makes its first flight.