World Aviation in 1970

21 January
The first scheduled service of the wide-bodied Boeing 747 flies from New York to London, heralding a new era of mass international air travel.

11 February
Japan launches it’s first domestic satellite, becoming he fourth nation to do so using it’s own nationally built rocket.

11-17 April
Apollo 13 suffers an oxygen tank explosion during the outward flight of an attempt to land on the Moon. The resulting emergency is resolved through brilliant improvisation and returns Astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise to Earth.

24 April
China launches its first satellite into Earth orbit, using its own nationally built rocket.

25 May
The United States Government announces that its nuclear missiles are to be equipped with multiple warheads, called Multiple Individual Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs).

22 August
Two Sikorsky HH53C helicopters complete a non-stop transpacific flight of 14,484 kilometres (9,000 miles) using in-flight refuelling.

6 September
Three airliners, a British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC) VC10, a TWA Boeing 707 and a Swissair DC8 are hijacked by Palestinian Terrorists and flown to Dawson’s Field in Jordan. A fourth aircraft, a Pan-Am Boeing 747 is flown to Cairo.

12 September
The three airliners hijacked on the 6 September are blown up by Palestinian Terrorists after they release most of the 255 passengers. The Pan American World Airways (Pan-Am) 747 is blown up after all aboard have been freed. These incidents highlight the vulnerability of international air travel as a terrorist target.

17 November
A lunar vehicle, the Russian Lunokhod I, lands on Sea of Rains.

15 December
Soviet probe Venera 7 becomes the first Spacecraft to land on Venus.

31 December
Colonel Jeanne M. Holm becomes the first female Brigadier General in the United States Air Force (USAF).