- August 15
- US President Richard Nixon's administration refuses to settle foreign debts in gold at $35 per ounce, dropping the gold standard, and allowing the dollar to float in foreign exchanges. The president also declares a state of national emergency, imposes a ten percent duty increase on many imports, and a 90-day wage and price freeze. [240.5] [245] [484.110] [836.143] [861.337] [916.153]
- August 30
- The British florin is re-denominated as a 10-pence coin, and the shilling as a 5-pence coin. [520.52]
- September 1
- Qatar declares independence. [278.457]
- September 3
- Qatar becomes an independant state. [5]
- Signing of the Four Power Agreement on Berlin. [37]
- September 4
- Alaskan 727 crashes into Chilkoot Mountain, kills 109 (Alaska). [1]
- September 9
- 1,000 convicts seize Attica, New York prison. [1]
- September 13
- Nine hostages and 28 prisoners die in take-over at Attica State Prison. [1]
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- October 1
- The Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World Resort opens in Orlando, Florida. Similar to Disneyland, seven themed areas are Main Street, Adventureland, Bear Country, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Tomorrowland. Attendance on opening day is 10,000. First guest to enter the park is William Windsor, Junior. Cost of creating the theme park was US$400 million. [5] [6]
- October 14
- Two killed in Memphis, Tennessee racial disturbances. [1]
- October 25
- Roy Disney dedicates Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. [1]
- United Nations General Assembly admits Mainland China and expels Taiwan. [1]
- October 27
- Republic of the Congo becomes Republic of Zaïre. [1]
- October 28
- England becomes sixth nation to have a satellite (Prospero) in orbit. [1]
- Congo changes its name to Zaire. [707.491]
- November 6
- The United States Atomic Energy Commission tests the largest U.S. underground hydrogen bomb, code-named Cannikin, on Amchitka Island in the Aleutians. [5]
- November 13
- The American space probe Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, swinging into its planned trajectory around Mars without a hitch. [1] [5]
- November 23
- People's Republic of China seated in United Nations Security Council. [1]
- November 24
- Dan "DB" Cooper parachutes from a Northwest Airlines 727 jet aircraft over Washington State, USA with US$200,000 ransom money, never to be seen again. [1] [563.34]
- November 25
- Cargo ship Estia of Estia Cia. Nav. S.A. of Piraeus, Greece, sinks off coast of Somalia following an engine room explosion. [152.40]
- November 27
- The Soviet space program's Mars 2 orbiter releases a descent module. It malfunctions and crashes, but it is the first man-made object to reach the surface of Mars. [1] [5]
- November 28
- Wasfi Tal, Jordan's Prime Minister, assassinated in Cairo, Egypt. [1]
- December 1
- People's Republic of South Yemen renames itself People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. [1]
- December 2
- Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujeira, Sharjah, and Umm al Qiwain form the United Arab Emirates. [700.246,292] [796.28] [994.937] [1016.32]
- Zayid bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan of Abu Dhabi becomes President of United Arab Emirates. [1]
- December 3
- At a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in Montreux casino's showroom, a fan fires a flare gun, which results in burning down the entire casino. Members of rock music group Deep Purple witness the blaze, and later record the song "Smoke on the Water" about the incident. [187.468] [457]
- December 10
- West German union chancellor W Burns receives Nobel Prize of Peace. [1]
- December 12
- Jack Barnhill, Northern Ireland senator, assassinated. [1]
- December 15
- USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. [1]
- December 16
- Bangladesh (East Pakistan) declares independence from Pakistan. [1]
- December 17
- Cease-fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. [1]
- Radio Bangladesh begins transmitting. [1]
- December 19
- The USA devalues the dollar and realigns exchange rates. [607.30]
- December 20
- Pakistan President Yahya Khan resigns. [1]
- December 21
- United Nations Security Council chooses Kurt Waldheim as fourth Secretary General. [1]
- December 22
- United Nations General Assembly ratifies Kurt Waldheim as Secretary-General. [1]
- USSR performs underground nuclear test. [1]
- December 24
- Peruvian Airlines Electra crashes at headwaters of Amazon, killing all except Juliane Margaret Koepcke (found ten days later). [1]
- December 25
- Worst hotel fire in history kills 163 at Taeyokale Hotel in Seoul, South Korea. [1]
- December 30
- USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. [1]
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