TIMELINER

History's most surprising connections

Who Was Alive in 1971

106 of 328 historical figures were alive in 1971

Pablo Picasso
Pablo PicassoAge 90
1881–1973 · Art
Cubism, Guernica, most prolific artist
Igor Stravinsky
Igor StravinskyAge 89
1882–1971 · Music
The Rite of Spring, modern classical
Coco Chanel
Coco ChanelAge 88
1883–1971 · Business & Industry
Fashion icon, Chanel No. 5
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'KeeffeAge 84
1887–1986 · Art
Mother of American modernism
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie ChaplinAge 82
1889–1977 · Film & Entertainment
The Tramp, silent film legend
Agatha Christie
Agatha ChristieAge 81
1890–1976 · Literature
Best-selling mystery novelist ever
Haile Selassie
Haile SelassieAge 79
1892–1975 · Politics & Leadership
Emperor of Ethiopia, Rastafari symbol
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. TolkienAge 79
1892–1973 · Literature
The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth
Mao Zedong
Mao ZedongAge 78
1893–1976 · Politics & Leadership
Founder of the People's Republic of China
Golda Meir
Golda MeirAge 73
1898–1978 · Politics & Leadership
Fourth Prime Minister of Israel
Duke Ellington
Duke EllingtonAge 72
1899–1974 · Music
Jazz legend, big band pioneer
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis BorgesAge 72
1899–1986 · Literature
Labyrinths, master of magical realism
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred HitchcockAge 72
1899–1980 · Film & Entertainment
Master of Suspense — Psycho, Vertigo
Werner Heisenberg
Werner HeisenbergAge 70
1901–1976 · Science & Invention
Uncertainty principle, quantum mechanics pioneer
Louis Armstrong
Louis ArmstrongAge 70
1901–1971 · Music
What a Wonderful World, jazz trumpet
Hirohito
HirohitoAge 70
1901–1989 · Politics & Leadership
Emperor of Japan during WWII
Bob Hope
Bob HopeAge 68
1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment
Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years
Salvador Dalí
Salvador DalíAge 67
1904–1989 · Art
The Persistence of Memory, surrealist
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul SartreAge 66
1905–1980 · Philosophy & Thought
Existentialism, declined the Nobel Prize
Hannah Arendt
Hannah ArendtAge 65
1906–1975 · Philosophy & Thought
The Banality of Evil, political theorist
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de BeauvoirAge 63
1908–1986 · Philosophy & Thought
The Second Sex, feminist existentialist
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame NkrumahAge 62
1909–1972 · Politics & Leadership
First President of Ghana
Dorothy Hodgkin
Dorothy HodgkinAge 61
1910–1994 · Science & Invention
Nobel Prize for X-ray crystallography of biochemical substances
Mother Teresa
Mother TeresaAge 61
1910–1997 · Activism & Social Change
Missionary of Charity in Calcutta
Akira Kurosawa
Akira KurosawaAge 61
1910–1998 · Film & Entertainment
Seven Samurai, master filmmaker
Jacques Cousteau
Jacques CousteauAge 61
1910–1997 · Exploration
Ocean explorer, pioneered scuba diving
Rosa Parks
Rosa ParksAge 58
1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change
Mother of the civil rights movement
Jesse Owens
Jesse OwensAge 58
1913–1980 · Sports
4 gold medals at 1936 Berlin Olympics
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy LamarrAge 57
1914–2000 · Science & Invention
Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping
Orson Welles
Orson WellesAge 56
1915–1985 · Film & Entertainment
Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds broadcast
Frank Sinatra
Frank SinatraAge 56
1915–1998 · Music
My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes
Roald Dahl
Roald DahlAge 55
1916–1990 · Literature
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella FitzgeraldAge 54
1917–1996 · Music
First Lady of Song, jazz icon
Indira Gandhi
Indira GandhiAge 54
1917–1984 · Politics & Leadership
First female Prime Minister of India
Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar BergmanAge 53
1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment
The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema
Nelson Mandela
Nelson MandelaAge 53
1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership
Anti-apartheid hero, South African President
Richard Feynman
Richard FeynmanAge 53
1918–1988 · Science & Invention
Quantum electrodynamics, bongo-playing physicist
Edmund Hillary
Edmund HillaryAge 52
1919–2008 · Exploration
First to summit Mount Everest
Jackie Robinson
Jackie RobinsonAge 52
1919–1972 · Sports
Broke baseball's color barrier
Stan Lee
Stan LeeAge 49
1922–2018 · Film & Entertainment
Co-created Spider-Man, X-Men, Marvel
Marlon Brando
Marlon BrandoAge 47
1924–2004 · Film & Entertainment
The Godfather, method acting pioneer
James Baldwin
James BaldwinAge 47
1924–1987 · Literature
Go Tell It on the Mountain, civil rights essayist
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret ThatcherAge 46
1925–2013 · Politics & Leadership
The Iron Lady, British Prime Minister
B.B. King
B.B. KingAge 46
1925–2015 · Music
King of the Blues
Fidel Castro
Fidel CastroAge 45
1926–2016 · Politics & Leadership
Cuban revolutionary leader
Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel García MárquezAge 44
1927–2014 · Literature
One Hundred Years of Solitude
James Watson
James WatsonAge 43
1928–present · Science & Invention
Co-discovered the structure of DNA
Andy Warhol
Andy WarholAge 43
1928–1987 · Art
Pop art icon, Campbell's Soup Cans
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley KubrickAge 43
1928–1999 · Film & Entertainment
2001: A Space Odyssey, perfectionist auteur
Maya Angelou
Maya AngelouAge 43
1928–2014 · Literature
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Vera Rubin
Vera RubinAge 43
1928–2016 · Science & Invention
Discovered evidence for dark matter
Noam Chomsky
Noam ChomskyAge 43
1928–present · Philosophy & Thought
Father of modern linguistics, political activist
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey HepburnAge 42
1929–1993 · Film & Entertainment
Breakfast at Tiffany's, humanitarian
Grace Kelly
Grace KellyAge 42
1929–1982 · Film & Entertainment
Hollywood star turned Princess of Monaco
Chinua Achebe
Chinua AchebeAge 41
1930–2013 · Literature
Things Fall Apart, father of modern African literature
Neil Armstrong
Neil ArmstrongAge 41
1930–2012 · Exploration
First human to walk on the Moon
Ray Charles
Ray CharlesAge 41
1930–2004 · Music
The Genius of Soul, Georgia On My Mind
Tu Youyou
Tu YouyouAge 41
1930–present · Science & Invention
Discovered artemisinin, Nobel Prize in Medicine
Desmond Tutu
Desmond TutuAge 40
1931–2021 · Activism & Social Change
Anti-apartheid cleric, Nobel Peace Prize
Toni Morrison
Toni MorrisonAge 40
1931–2019 · Literature
Beloved, Nobel Prize in Literature
Johnny Cash
Johnny CashAge 39
1932–2003 · Music
The Man in Black, country music legend
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth TaylorAge 39
1932–2011 · Film & Entertainment
Cleopatra, golden age Hollywood star
Yoko Ono
Yoko OnoAge 38
1933–present · Art
Avant-garde artist, peace activist
Wole Soyinka
Wole SoyinkaAge 37
1934–present · Literature
First African Nobel laureate in Literature
Carl Sagan
Carl SaganAge 37
1934–1996 · Science & Invention
Cosmos, pale blue dot, science communicator
Jane Goodall
Jane GoodallAge 37
1934–present · Science & Invention
World's foremost expert on chimpanzees
Dalai Lama
Dalai LamaAge 36
1935–present · Philosophy & Thought
Tibetan spiritual leader, Nobel Peace Prize
Elvis Presley
Elvis PresleyAge 36
1935–1977 · Music
The King of Rock and Roll
Woody Allen
Woody AllenAge 36
1935–present · Film & Entertainment
Annie Hall, prolific filmmaker
Pope Francis
Pope FrancisAge 35
1936–2025 · Philosophy & Thought
First pope from the Americas
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford CoppolaAge 32
1939–present · Film & Entertainment
The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now
Pelé
PeléAge 31
1940–2022 · Sports
The King of Football, 3 World Cups
Bruce Lee
Bruce LeeAge 31
1940–1973 · Film & Entertainment
Martial arts legend, Enter the Dragon
John Lennon
John LennonAge 31
1940–1980 · Music
The Beatles, Imagine
Wangari Maathai
Wangari MaathaiAge 31
1940–2011 · Activism & Social Change
Kenyan environmentalist, first African woman Nobel laureate
Bob Dylan
Bob DylanAge 30
1941–present · Music
Blowin' in the Wind, Nobel Prize in Literature
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad AliAge 29
1942–2016 · Sports
The Greatest, heavyweight boxing champion
Aretha Franklin
Aretha FranklinAge 29
1942–2018 · Music
Queen of Soul, Respect
Stephen Hawking
Stephen HawkingAge 29
1942–2018 · Science & Invention
Black holes, A Brief History of Time
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean KingAge 28
1943–present · Sports
Tennis champion, gender equality advocate
George Harrison
George HarrisonAge 28
1943–2001 · Music
The Beatles, My Sweet Lord
Jim Morrison
Jim MorrisonAge 28
1943–1971 · Music
The Doors, Light My Fire
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu KyiAge 26
1945–present · Activism & Social Change
Myanmar democracy leader, Nobel laureate
Bob Marley
Bob MarleyAge 26
1945–1981 · Music
Reggae icon, One Love
Freddie Mercury
Freddie MercuryAge 25
1946–1991 · Music
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody
Steven Spielberg
Steven SpielbergAge 25
1946–present · Film & Entertainment
Jaws, Schindler's List, greatest blockbuster director
David Bowie
David BowieAge 24
1947–2016 · Music
Ziggy Stardust, musical chameleon
Haruki Murakami
Haruki MurakamiAge 22
1949–present · Literature
Norwegian Wood, surreal modern fiction
Robin Williams
Robin WilliamsAge 20
1951–2014 · Film & Entertainment
Good Will Hunting, comedy genius
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah WinfreyAge 17
1954–present · Film & Entertainment
Media mogul, cultural icon
Steve Jobs
Steve JobsAge 16
1955–2011 · Business & Industry
Co-founded Apple, changed technology
Ai Weiwei
Ai WeiweiAge 14
1957–present · Art
Chinese dissident artist, Sunflower Seeds
Michael Jackson
Michael JacksonAge 13
1958–2009 · Music
King of Pop, Thriller
Prince
PrinceAge 13
1958–2016 · Music
Purple Rain, multi-instrumentalist genius
Keith Haring
Keith HaringAge 13
1958–1990 · Art
Pop art and graffiti-inspired works
Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta MenchúAge 12
1959–present · Activism & Social Change
Indigenous rights leader, Nobel Peace Prize
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel BasquiatAge 11
1960–1988 · Art
Neo-expressionist street art icon
Princess Diana
Princess DianaAge 10
1961–1997 · Activism & Social Change
People's Princess, humanitarian
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne GretzkyAge 10
1961–present · Sports
The Great One, greatest ice hockey player
Barack Obama
Barack ObamaAge 10
1961–present · Politics & Leadership
44th US President, first African American president
Whitney Houston
Whitney HoustonAge 8
1963–2012 · Music
The Voice, I Will Always Love You
Michael Jordan
Michael JordanAge 8
1963–present · Sports
Greatest basketball player of all time
Jeff Bezos
Jeff BezosAge 7
1964–present · Business & Industry
Founded Amazon, space entrepreneur
Kurt Cobain
Kurt CobainAge 4
1967–1994 · Music
Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit
Elon Musk
Elon MuskAge 0
1971–present · Business & Industry
Tesla, SpaceX, tech entrepreneur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac ShakurAge 0
1971–1996 · Music
Influential rapper, Changes

Notable World Events in 1971

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