Astronomy and Space

1970s

The 1970s (pronounced "nineteen-seventies"; commonly shortened to the "Seventies" or the "'70s") was the decade that began on January 1, 1970, and ended on December 31, 1979. It is generally regarded by historians as a transitional period between the postwar order and the more globalized, market-oriented world that emerged in the late 20th century. The decade was marked by major economic and geopolitical disruptions, including the breakdown of elements of the postwar economic system, oil shocks, stagflation, political realignments, and the continuing decline of European colonial empires, alongside significant advances in civil rights, feminism, environmentalism, human rights, and technology. At the same time, the Cold War remained the dominant framework of international politics, although the decade witnessed important shifts in the balance of power and the growth of transnational issues such as globalization, environmental protection, and population growth. In the 21st century, historians have increasingly portrayed the 1970s as a "pivot of change" in world history, focusing especially on the economic upheavals that followed the end of the postwar economic boom. On a global scale, it was characterized by frequent coups, domestic conflicts and civil wars, and various political upheavals and armed conflicts which arose from or were related to decolonization, and the global struggle between NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Many regions had periods of high-intensity conflict, notably Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. In the Western world, social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and economic liberty of women, continued to grow. In the United Kingdom, the 1979 election resulted in the victory of its Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, the first female British prime minister. Industrialized countries experienced an economic recession due to an oil crisis caused by oil embargoes by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸21 Persei
• ▸Brenninkmeijer family
• ▸Delta Normae

Uncatalogued shelf

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