Born in 1971
Turns 55 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1971
1971 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1971 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
Decimal Day replaced pounds, shillings and pence with a currency based on one hundred new pence, changing everyday shopping and banking. Intel released the 4004 microprocessor, and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On brought war, racism, poverty and family into a searching Motown album.
What happened in 1971?
The dollar leaves the gold standard
On 15 August 1971, President Nixon suspended the dollar's convertibility into gold, breaking a central Bretton Woods mechanism.
Disney builds a world of its own
Walt Disney World opened on 1 October 1971, expanding the theme-park idea into a large resort built around transport, hotels and storytelling.
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club · D23: The Official Disney Fan Club
Dennis Gabor wins the Physics Nobel
Dennis Gabor received the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing and developing holography.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment lowers the voting age to 18
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment extended the right to vote to citizens age 18 and older; federal records certify its ratification on July 5, 1971.
Constitution Annotated, Congress.gov, Library of Congress · National Archives and Records Administration, DocsTeach
Firsts and new ideas
Apollo 15 takes science on wheels
Apollo 15 explored the Moon from 26 July to 7 August 1971, using a lunar rover to extend geological work around Hadley–Apennine.
Intel releases the 4004 microprocessor
Intel introduced the 4004 microprocessor on November 15, 1971, through an advertisement in Electronic News.
Number ones and music in 1971
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
George Harrison opens 1971 atop the Hot 100
George Harrison’s double A-side was No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issue dated January 2, 1971.
Snoop Dogg is born in Long Beach
Rapper and songwriter Snoop Dogg was born in Long Beach, California, on October 20, 1971.
Prices and everyday money in 1971
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic first-class letter postage | 6¢ | USD per letter weighing one ounce or less Federal Register, U.S. Post Office Department; Smithsonian National Postal Museum |
| Federal minimum wage: workers covered by the original FLSA or 1961 amendments | $1.60 | USD per hour U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division; Congressional Record, U.S. House of Representatives; GovInfo |
| White bread, one-pound loaf, U.S. average | 24.8¢ | USD per one-pound loaf U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service; Congressional Record, U.S. House of Representatives; Congress.gov |
| Regular gasoline, U.S. average | 38¢ | USD per U.S. gallon at retail U.S. Census Bureau; source credited to Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, annual; Congressional Record, U.S. House of Representatives; GovInfo |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1971 turns 55 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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