1970s

1970:

-Biafra surrenders after 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria.

-Doctors are writing 4.8 million prescriptions for Librium in England alone.

1971:

-Shillings disappear in Britain and decimals come in.

1972:

-Bloody Sunday,peaceful civil-rights march in Derry descends into chaos as British paratroopers open fire, killing 14 irish civilians.

-Newsround, first news programme for children.

-Second longest running soap on Brit tv = Emmerdale.

- Supreme Court rules that death penalty is unconstitutional (June 29).

-Eleven Israeli athletes at Olympic Games in Munich are killed after eight members of an Arab terrorist group invade Olympic Village.

1973:

-Great Britain, Ireland, and Denmark enter European Economic Community.

-Chile's Marxist president, Salvadore Allende, is overthrown.

-Watergate Trial, trial of 7 men accused of bugging the Democratic Party HQ in Washington leads to constitutional crisis.

-First teletext system is devised by BBC technicians.

-Fourth and biggest Arab-Israeli conflict begins as Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel as Jews mark Yom Kippur, holiest day in their calendar (Oct. 6

1974:

-Local Government Act reforms local government; replaces counties with metropolitan and non-metropolitan county and district councils.

-Patricia Hearst, 19-year-old daughter of publisher Randolph Hearst, kidnapped by Symbionese Liberation Army, later she takes part in the gang's terror activities, claiming she had been brainwashed.

1975:

-Equal Pay Act makes it illegal for men and women to have different terms and conditions of employment.

1976:

-Supreme Court rules that blacks and other minorities are entitled to retroactive job seniority.

-Trial of Liberal MP Jeremny Thorpe begins after allegations that he had arranged to murder a man with whom he had had a homosexual relationshiop.

-Bill Grundy from Sex Pistols says F word live on early evening tv, Pistols are dropped from their record label, the punk movement gains nationwide publicity.

1977:

-First woman Episcopal priest ordained.

-Elizabeth II celebrates her Silver Jubilee; 25 years on the throne.

1978:

-Winter of Discontent': during strikes power cuts and fuel shortages commonplace.

-Over 900 members of Reverend Jim Jones' cult die after a mass suicide/murder at their compound in Guyana, where poisoned juice is distributed, or force fed to his followers.

-Home cooking is in decline as people turn to takeaways, Delia takes charge!

1979:

-Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister (first woman to hold the office).

-Oil spills pollute ocean waters in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

-Revolutionary forces under Muslim leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, take over.

-Soviet invasion of Afghanistan stirs world protests (Dec. 27).