1971

Fifth Street Women's Building Takeover: A coalition of over 100 feminists illegally occupy an abandoned city building in New York City. They establish a women's center, homeless shelter, food co-operative, and lesbian center before being raided by police 13 days later.

Władysław Gomułka is expelled from the Central Council of the Polish Communist Party.

The Pakistani army occupies East Pakistan.

Starbucks coffee shop is founded in the U.S. state of Washington.

The Ceylonese government promises amnesty for guerillas who surrender before May 5.

Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched toward Mars.

Michael S. Hart posts the first e-book, a copy of the United States Declaration of Independence, on the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign's mainframe computer, the origin of Project Gutenberg.

The United Kingdom opts out of the Space Race with the cancellation of its Black Arrow launch vehicle.

The Troubles: British troops are engaged in a firefight with the IRA in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Cardinal József Mindszenty, who has taken refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Budapest since 1956, is allowed to leave Hungary.

Operation Grommet: The U.S. tests a thermonuclear warhead at Amchitka Island in Alaska, code-named Project Cannikin. At around 5 megatons, it is the largest ever U.S. underground detonation.

Battle of Sylhet rages between the Pakistani military and the Indian Army.