1970 BC Lions season
The 1970 BC Lions finished in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 6–10 record and failed to make the playoffs. New coach Jackie Parker had led the team to a 4-2 record in the final 6 games of 1969 after taking over for Jim Champion and there was reason for optimism after a 5-3 start to 1970. However, the wheels fell off in the fall as the Lions won only 1 game in the second half of the season.


1970 BC Lions season
Before the season, Empire Stadium became the first facility in Canada to have artificial playing surface installed, made by 3M, under the brand name "Tartan Turf".


1970 BC Lions season
Running back Jim Evenson had his third consecutive 1,000-yard season with 1003 yards in an injury-shortened 14 games and receiver Jim Young had 1041 yards receiving. The big offseason addition of Ottawa star Vic Washington was a bust as he played only 9 games and was openly disgruntled for most of season.


1970 BC Lions season
For the first time in five seasons, the Lions had CFL All-stars as Evenson, guard Ken Sugarman and linebacker Greg Findlay were all league all-stars. Young won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award.


1970 BC Lions season
The Lions introduced a new jersey which featured orange "ti-cat" stripes down the arms of home and away jerseys. As well, the Lions went to grey pants which they would wear for the next eight seasons.


1970 BC Lions season
After the season, Jackie Parker was promoted to general manager and he hired Eagle Keys away from Saskatchewan to become head coach of the Lions for the 1971 season.


1970 BRDC International Trophy
The 22nd BRDC International Trophy was a motor race held at Silverstone on 26 April 1970 for Formula One and Formula 5000 cars.


1970 BRDC International Trophy
The race was run over 2 heats of 26 laps each, the final results being an aggregate of the two. Chris Amon, driving a F1 March-Cosworth, qualified in pole position and set fastest overall lap. Amon won heat one, and Jackie Stewart, also in a March, won heat two, with Amon winning on aggregate results. Mike Hailwood, driving a Lola-Chevrolet, was the best-placed F5000 driver, finishing seventh overall.


1970 BRDC International Trophy, Classification
Note: the classification was the sum of the times obtained in the two heats; a blue background indicates a Formula 5000 entrant.


1970 BYU Cougars football team
The 1970 BYU Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Brigham Young University in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In their seventh season under head coach Tommy Hudspeth, the Cougars compiled a 3–8 record (1–6 against WAC opponents), finished seventh in the WAC, and were outscored by a total of 255 to 138.


1970 Bahraini independence survey
An independence survey was held in the Persian Gulf island nation of Bahrain during 1970. The survey (sometimes referred to as "referendum"), took the form of a United Nations poll on whether islanders preferred independence or Iranian control. The report of the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General on the consultation stated that "the overwhelming majority of the people of Bahrain wish to gain recognition of their identity in a full independent and sovereign State free to decide for itself its relations with other States".


1970 Bahraini independence survey
As a result, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 278 on 11 May 1970, whilst in the same month Iran renounced its claim to the island. The country subsequently became independent from the United Kingdom in August 1971.


1970 Bahraini independence survey, United Nations involvement
In 1969, both the British and Iranian governments agreed to approach the United Nations Secretariat to resolve the dispute of Bahrain's sovereignty. Despite British claims that UN involvement was their initiative, evidence suggests that the Shah's desire to end territorial disputes with the British prior to their withdrawal from the Persian Gulf in 1971, was the main reason for this. In a speech in New Delhi in 1969, the Shah commented:


1970 Bahraini independence survey, United Nations involvement
I want to say that if the people of Bahrain do not wish to join our country we shall never resort to force, because it is against the policy of our government to use force for capturing this part of territory... Our policy and philosophy is to oppose occupation of other territories by force.


1970 Bahraini independence survey, United Nations involvement
In early 1970, the Iranian government asked the UN general secretary to assess the will of the Bahraini people with regards to their sovereignty. UN Secretary General U Thant accepted the task on 20 March 1970 and designated Signor Vittorio Winspeare Guicciardi, the director-general of the UN Geneva office, as his personal envoy in Bahrain during the mission. Both British and Iranian governments stated they would accept the results of the survey provided it was approved by the United Nations Security Council.


1970 Bahraini independence survey, United Nations involvement
The UN mission started on 30 March 1970 and lasted two weeks, resulting in the publication of UN Document Number 9772. Paragraph 57 of Signor Guicciardi's report on Bahrain stated "the results of the investigation have convinced me that the overwhelming majority of the people of Bahrain are in favour of their territory being officially recognised as an independent country of complete sovereignty, with the freedom of determining their relation with other nations". The report was distributed amongst the Security Council and the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 278 on 11 May 1970.


1970 Bahraini independence survey, United Nations involvement
The UN report and resolution were debated and accepted in both the lower and upper houses of Iranian parliament by 14 May 1970, renouncing their claim to Bahrain. The British revoked its special agreements with Bahrain in August 1971, allowing Bahrain to subsequently declare independence. On 29 August 1971, Bahrain and Iran established diplomatic ties.


1970 Balkans Cup
The 1970 Balkans Cup was an edition of the Balkans Cup, a football competition for representative clubs from the Balkan states. It was contested by 6 teams and Partizani Tirana won the trophy.


1970 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 1970 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In its third and final season under head coach Wave Myers, the team compiled a 5–5 record. The team played its home games at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Indiana.


1970 Ballon d'Or
The 1970 Ballon d'Or,  given to the best football player in Europe as judged by a panel of sports journalists from UEFA member countries, was awarded to the West German forward Gerd Müller on 29 December 1970. There were 26 voters, from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Germany, England, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, West Germany and Yugoslavia.


1970 Ballon d'Or
Müller became the first West German national and the first Bayern Munich player to win the Ballon d'Or.


1970 Baltimore Colts season
The 1970 Baltimore Colts season was the 18th season for the team in the National Football League. Led by first-year head coach Don McCafferty, the Colts finished the 1970 season with a regular season record of 11 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie to win the first AFC East title. The Colts completed the postseason in Miami with a victory over the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, their first Super Bowl title and third world championship (1958, 1959, and 1970). The Baltimore Colts would not return to a championship game again.


1970 Baltimore Colts season
In February 1970, head coach Don Shula departed after seven seasons for the Miami Dolphins, now in the same division, and offensive backfield coach McCafferty was promoted in early April.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Regular season, Game summaries, Week 5
This was the Super Bowl III rematch and it was truly a rematch but this time it favors the Colts as they opened up a 19–0 lead and never looked back. The Jets did mount a challenge led by Joe Namath's 392 yards passing, but he also had 6 interceptions as the Colts gain some revenge on this day.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Regular season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Postseason
The team made it to the playoffs with the best record in the AFC. The Colts hosted both AFC playoff games that they played in. (It wasn't until the 1975 season that playoff teams were seeded by record; the fact that the Colts hosted both playoff games was just due to the rotation set up with the AFL–NFL merger.) The team won both AFC playoff games as well as Super Bowl V.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Postseason, Divisional
The Colts hosted the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. The Colts relied on their defense, which had carried them all season, to best the Bengals 17–0, holding Cincinnati to only 139 total yards.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Postseason, Conference Championship
The Colts next hosted the Oakland Raiders for the AFC Championship Game. The Colts jumped out to an early lead over the Raiders, 10–3 at halftime. Oakland came back to tie it up early in the 3rd quarter. The Colts would respond with a Jim O'Brien field goal and a second Bulaich touchdown. Johnny Unitas extended the lead with a 68-yard touchdown pass to Ray Perkins that made the score 27–17. The Colts would seal the win with an interception in the end zone.


1970 Baltimore Colts season, Postseason, Super Bowl
The Colts made it to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history and played the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL championship. In the 2nd quarter, Johnny Unitas threw a pass that was tipped twice before John Mackey caught it for a 75-yard score. Later in the quarter Unitas was injured and Earl Morrall completed a sloppy and turnover-filled game: the Colts committed a total of 7 turnovers, the Cowboys 4. Following an interception by Mike Curtis, Jim O'Brien kicked the game-winning 32-yard field goal, giving Baltimore a 16–13 lead with 5 seconds left in the game, and the victory.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1970 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 108 wins and 54 losses, 15 games ahead of the runner-up New York Yankees.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season
The Orioles put together one of the most dominant postseason runs of all time, scoring sixty runs in just eight games as they swept the Minnesota Twins for the second straight year in the American League Championship Series and then went on to win their second World Series title over the National League champion Cincinnati Reds in five games, thanks to the glove of third baseman Brooks Robinson.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season
The team was managed by Earl Weaver, and played their home games at Memorial Stadium.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Regular season, Bouncing back from 1969
Following their upset loss to the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series, the Orioles picked up where they left off in 1969. They opened the season with five wins and ran away with their second straight American League East title, beating back a challenge from the New York Yankees in June. They won 19 of their last 22 games to finish with a 108-win season, one win fewer than the previous year.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Regular season, Bouncing back from 1969
The team was mostly the same as 1969. Starting pitchers Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally, and Jim Palmer each won at least 20 games, and the veteran bullpen seldom faltered. On defense, Brooks Robinson, center fielder Paul Blair, and second baseman Davey Johnson won Gold Gloves. Offensively, first baseman Boog Powell was the AL's Most Valuable Player, leading the team with 35 home runs and 114 RBIs. Don Buford and Blair continued to get on base, and Frank Robinson (.306, 25 home runs), Brooks Robinson (94 RBIs), and Powell continued to drive them home.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Regular season, Bouncing back from 1969
Elrod Hendricks led a catching platoon that produced 17 homers and 74 RBIs, and outfielder Merv Rettenmund, a product of the farm system, hit .322 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI. The Minnesota Twins were the only team in the American League to have a winning record in the regular season versus the Baltimore Orioles.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Regular season, Injury to Paul Blair
There was a sobering moment early in the season when Blair was beaned on May 31 in Anaheim, California. The California Angels' Ken Tatum threw a pitch that hit Blair in the face. Blair was seemingly on his way to a second straight strong season after having 26 home runs and 76 RBIs in 1969. He missed three weeks after the beaning, coming back to finish with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs, but he seldom produced that well over the rest of his career, and some speculated he was never the same at the plate.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Regular season, The return of Moe Drabowsky
One personnel change from '69 to '70 was the return of Moe Drabowsky, the eminent prankster relief pitcher who had been lost to the Kansas City Royals in the expansion draft before the '69 season. Now thirty-four and near the end of his career, he was reacquired during the '70 season and won four of six decisions, helping fill out a veteran bullpen.


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1970 Baltimore Orioles season, Postseason, ALCS
The Orioles win the series over the Minnesota Twins in three straight games.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1970 followed the system of annual elections in place since 1968. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and elected Lou Boudreau. The Veterans Committee met in closed sessions to consider executives, managers, umpires, and earlier major league players. It selected three people: Earle Combs, Ford Frick, and Jesse Haines. A formal induction ceremony was held in Cooperstown, New York, on July 27, 1970, with Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn presiding.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
The BBWAA was authorized to elect players active in 1950 or later, but not after 1964; the ballot included candidates from the 1969 ballot along with selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1964. All 10-year members of the BBWAA were eligible to vote.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Voters were instructed to cast votes for up to 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall. The ballot consisted of 46 players; a total of 300 ballots were cast, with 225 votes required for election. A total of 2,302 individual votes were cast, an average of 7.67 per ballot.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a dagger (†). The one candidate who received at least 75% of the vote and was elected is indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been elected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Joe Gordon, Tommy Henrich and Bucky Walters were on the ballot for the final time.


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: Gus Bell, Hal Brown, Bud Daley, Hank Foiles, Paul Foytack, Don Hoak, Sam Jones, Charlie Maxwell, Cal McLish, Bubba Phillips, Wally Post, Pete Runnels, Al Smith, Hal Smith, Gene Stephens, Tom Sturdivant, Johnny Temple, Lee Walls and Dick Williams (who would be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2008. ).


1970 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, J. G. Taylor Spink Award
Sid Mercer (1880–1945) received the J. G. Taylor Spink Award honoring a baseball writer. The award was voted at the December 1969 meeting of the BBWAA, and included in the summer 1970 ceremonies.


1970 Basilicata regional election
The Basilicata regional election of 1970 took place on 7–8 June 1970.


1970 Basilicata regional election, Events
Christian Democracy was by far the largest party, gaining almost twice the share of vote of the Italian Communist Party, which came distantly second. After the election Christian Democrat Vincenzo Verrastro was elected President of the Region.


1970 Basque Pelota World Championships
The 1970 Basque Pelota World Championships were the 6th edition of the Basque Pelota World Championships organized by  the FIPV.


1970 Basque Pelota World Championships, Events
A total of 12 events were disputed, in 4 playing areas.


1970 Baylor Bears football team
The 1970 Baylor Bears football team represented the Baylor University in the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The Bears offense scored 133 points, while the Bears defense allowed 259 points. In the Battle of the Brazos, the Bears beat Texas A&M by a score of 29–24.


1970 Baylor Bears football team, Team players drafted into the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.


1970 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1970 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 7 June 1970. It was race 4 of 13 in both the 1970 World Championship of Drivers and the 1970 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.


1970 Belgian Grand Prix
March driver Chris Amon set the new lap record at this race, at a speed of 152 miles an hour. Race winner Pedro Rodríguez had set a 160 miles an hour lap in a sports car race the week before the Grand Prix. It was also Rodriguez's last victory in Formula One, and BRM's first victory since Jackie Stewart won the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. This was the second Formula One win ever for a Mexican driver, and the last until the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. The race also saw the debut of Ignazio Giunti, who finished fourth in a Ferrari.


1970 Belgian Grand Prix
This was the last Formula One race to be held on the original Spa circuit. It was also the last Formula One victory for Dunlop.


1970 Bhiwandi riots
The 1970 Bhiwandi riots were Religious riots which occurred between 7 and 8 May in the Indian towns of Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Mahad, between Hindus and Muslims. The riots caused the deaths of over 250 people; the Justice Madon commission, which investigated the riots, stated that 142 Muslims and 20 Hindus had been killed in Bhiwandi alone, and 50 Muslims and 17 Hindus in the surrounding areas. The commission strongly criticized the police for anti-Muslim bias in the aftermath of the riots, and also criticized the Shiv Sena, a Hindu-nationalist political party, for its role in the violence.


1970 Bhiwandi riots, The riots
There had been a prolonged period of tension between Hindu nationalist groups such as the RSS, Jana Sangh and Shiv Sena and the Muslim groups Jamaat-i-Islami, the Muslim League and Majlis Tameer-e-Millat. The Rashtriya Utsav Mandal had campaigned for permission to have a procession to celebrate the birthday of the Maratha warrior-King Shivaji, which would pass through an area where the residents were predominantly Muslims, and by a mosque. Permission was given over the protests of Muslim leaders and on 7 May the procession began.


1970 Bhiwandi riots, The riots
The procession was organised by Shiv Sena and supporters of the Hindu right, who, it was reported, arrived armed with lathis and were abusive towards Muslims along the path of the procession with the police taking no action. However once the anti-Muslim violence began the police opened fire several times, but only targeted Muslims. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people had travelled from villages close to Bhiwandi, and once the procession had started some Muslims threw stones which triggered the violence. An indefinite curfew was declared by the police at 10:00 p.m. (IST) that night. As violence ensued, fire engines and ambulances were brought in from Bombay, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Kalyan, Ambarnath and other nearby places. The Indian Express reported that "knives and acid bulbs were freely used in the places".


1970 Bhiwandi riots, The riots
Subsequently, a 24-hour curfew was imposed also in the neighbouring town of Jalgaon, where 50 were reportedly injured by 8 May. The official figures put the total death toll at 21. The Indian Army was called in the same day to the two towns to bring the situation under control. It was reported that towns returned to "normalcy" the following day.


1970 Bhiwandi riots, Aftermath
Following the incident the Indian government formed a Commission headed by Justice Dinshah Pirosha Madon. The final report from the commission ran to seven volumes and was highly critical of the police for their failure to prevent the riots, the report was also highly critical of Shiv Sena for their part in the violence.


1970 Bhiwandi riots, Aftermath
According to the Madon report of those arrested during the violence 324 were Hindu and 2183 were Muslim. The Madon report was highly critical of the police, stating that their action showed a clear "anti-Muslim bias". According to K. Jaishankar, of those arrested for clearly identifiable crimes during the violence in 1970, 21 were Hindu and 901 were Muslim, a figure disproportionate to the numbers of casualties (which Jaishankar gives as 17 Hindus and 59 Muslims).


1970 Bhiwandi riots, Aftermath
Economic costs for the riots in Bhiwandi, according to the Madon and police reports ran to Rs 15,320,163. In Jalgaon 112 Muslim properties and been attacked by arsonists, with 87 of these being razed to the ground. There was looting of 250 properties and another 28 had been damaged. Economic costs for the violence in Jalgaon ran to  ₹3,474,722 with the costs to Muslims being  ₹3,390,997.


1970 Bhiwandi riots, Aftermath
The commission gave a death toll of 164 in Bhiwandi alone, 142 Muslims and 20 Hindus, and in the nearby villages of Khoni and Nagaon the commission stated that there had been 78 deaths, 17 Hindus and 50 Muslims.


1970 Bhola cyclone
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on November 11, 1970. It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the world's deadliest natural disasters. At least 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. Bhola was the sixth and strongest cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.


1970 Bhola cyclone
The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on November 8, and traveled northward, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on November 10, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on the following afternoon. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected Upazila, Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 was killed by the storm.


1970 Bhola cyclone
The Pakistani government, led by junta leader General Yahya Khan, was criticized for its delayed handling of relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media. During the election that took place a month later, the opposition Awami League gained a landslide victory in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the central government triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to widespread atrocities and eventually concluded with the creation of the independent country of Bangladesh.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Meteorological history
The remnants of Tropical Storm Nora from the West Pacific, which had lasted for two days in the South China Sea, moved west over the Malay Peninsula on November 5. The remnants of this system contributed to the development of a new depression in the central Bay of Bengal on the morning of November 8. The depression intensified as it moved slowly northward, and the India Meteorological Department upgraded it to a cyclonic storm the next day. No country in the region had ever named tropical cyclones during this time, so no new identity was given. The storm became nearly stationary that evening near 14.5° N, 87° E, but began to accelerate toward the north on November 10.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Meteorological history
The storm further intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on November 11 and began to turn towards the northeast, as it approached the head of the bay. It developed a clear eye, and reached its peak intensity later that day, with 3-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph), 1-minute sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), and a central pressure of 960 hPa. The cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of November 12, around the same time as the local high tide. Once over land, the system began to weaken; the storm degraded to a cyclonic storm on November 13, when it was about 100 km (62 mi) south-southeast of Agartala. The storm then rapidly weakened into a remnant low over southern Assam that evening.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Preparations
There is question as to how much of the information about the cyclone said to have been received by Indian weather authorities was transmitted to East Pakistan authorities. This is because the Indian and East Pakistani weather services may not have shared information given the Indo-Pakistani friction at the time. A large part of the population was reportedly taken by surprise by the storm. There were indications that the storm warning system that existed in East Pakistan was not used properly, which probably cost tens of thousands of lives.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Preparations
The Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a report calling for "danger preparedness" in the coastal regions in danger during the day on November 12. As the storm neared the coast, a "great danger signal" was broadcast on Pakistan Radio. Survivors later said that this meant little to them, but that they had recognised a No. 1 warning signal as representing the greatest possible threat.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Preparations
Following two previously destructive cyclones in October 1960 which killed at least 16,000 people in East Pakistan, the Pakistani government contacted the American government for assistance in developing a system to avert future disasters. Gordon Dunn, the director of the National Hurricane Center at the time, carried out a detailed study and submitted his report in 1961. However, the government did not carry out all of the recommendations Dunn had listed.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact
Although the North Indian Ocean is the least active of the tropical cyclone basins, the coast of the Bay of Bengal is particularly vulnerable to the effects of tropical cyclones. The exact death toll will never be known, but it is estimated to be 300,000 to 500,000 people in total. The Bhola cyclone was not the most powerful of these, however; the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone was significantly stronger when it made landfall in the same general area, as a Category 5-equivalent cyclone with 260 km/h (160 mph) winds.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact
The Bhola cyclone is the deadliest tropical cyclone on record and also one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. A comparable number of people died as a result of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, but because of uncertainty in the number of deaths in all four disasters, it may never be known which one was the deadliest.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, East Pakistan
The meteorological station in Chittagong, 95 km (59 mi) to the east of where the storm made landfall, recorded winds of 144 km/h (89 mph) before its anemometer was blown off at about 2200 UTC on November 12. A ship anchored in the port in the same area recorded a peak gust of 222 km/h (138 mph) about 45 minutes later. As the storm made landfall, it caused a 10-metre (33 ft) high storm surge at the Ganges Delta. In the port at Chittagong, the storm tide peaked at about 4 m (13 ft) above the average sea level, 1.2 m (3.9 ft) of which was the storm surge.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, East Pakistan
Pakistani radio reported that there were no survivors on the 13 islands near Chittagong. A flight over the area showed the devastation was complete throughout the southern half of Bhola Island, and the rice crops of Bhola Island, Hatia Island and the nearby mainland coastline were destroyed. Several seagoing vessels in the ports of Chittagong and Mongla were reported damaged, and the airports at Chittagong and Cox's Bazar were under 1 m (3.3 ft) of water for several hours.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, East Pakistan
Over 3.6 million people were directly affected by the cyclone, and the total damage from the storm was estimated at $86.4 million (1970 USD, $450 Million 2006 USD). The survivors claimed that approximately 85% of homes in the area were destroyed or severely damaged, with the greatest destruction occurring along the coast. Ninety percent of marine fishermen in the region suffered heavy losses, including the destruction of 9,000 offshore fishing boats. Of the 77,000 onshore fishermen, 46,000 were killed by the cyclone, and 40% of the survivors were affected severely.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, East Pakistan
In total, approximately 65% of the fishing capacity of the coastal region was destroyed by the storm, in a region where about 80% of the protein consumed comes from fish. Agricultural damage was similarly severe with the loss of $63 million worth of crops and 280,000 cattle. Three months after the storm, 75% of the population was receiving food from relief workers, and over 150,000 relied upon aid for half of their food.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, India
The cyclone brought widespread rain to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with very heavy rain falling in places on November 8 and 9. Port Blair recorded 130 mm (5.1 in) of rain on November 8, and there were a number of floods on the islands. The MV Mahajagmitra, a 5,500-ton freighter en route from Calcutta to Kuwait, was sunk by the storm on November 12, with the loss of all 50 people on board. The ship sent out a distress signal and reported experiencing hurricane-force winds before it sank. There was also widespread rain in West Bengal and southern Assam. The rain caused damage to housing and crops in both Indian states, with the worst damage occurring in the southernmost districts.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, Death toll
Two medical relief surveys were carried out by the Pakistan-SEATO Cholera Research Laboratory: the first in November and the second in February and March. The purpose of the first survey was to establish the immediate medical needs in the affected regions, and the second, more detailed, survey was designed as the basis for long-term relief and recovery planning. In the second survey, approximately 1.4% of the area's population was studied.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, Death toll
The first survey concluded that the surface water in most of the affected regions had a comparable salt content to that drawn from wells, except in Sudharam, where the water was almost undrinkable with a salt content of up to 0.5%. The mortality was estimated at 14.2%—equivalent to a death toll of 240,000. Cyclone-related morbidity was generally restricted to minor injuries, but a phenomenon dubbed "cyclone syndrome" was observed. This consisted of severe abrasions on the limbs and chest caused by survivors clinging to trees to withstand the storm surge. Initially, there were fears of an outbreak of cholera and typhoid fever in the weeks following the storm, but the survey found no evidence of an epidemic of cholera, smallpox or any other disease in the region affected by the storm.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, Death toll
The totals from the second survey were likely a considerable underestimate as several groups were not included. The 100,000 migrant workers who were collecting the rice harvest, families who were completely wiped out by the storm and those who had migrated out of the region in the three months were not included. Excluding these groups reduced the risk of hearsay and exaggeration. The survey concluded that the overall death toll was, at minimum, 224,000. The worst effects were felt in Tazumuddin, where the mortality was 46.3%, corresponding to approximately 77,000 deaths in Thana alone. The mean mortality throughout the affected region was 16.5%.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Impact, Death toll
The results showed that the highest survival rate was for adult males aged 15–49, while more than half the deaths were children under ten, who only formed a third of the pre-cyclone population. This suggests that the young, old, and sick were at the highest risk of perishing in the cyclone and its storm surge. In the months after the storm, the mortality of the middle-aged was lower in the cyclone area than in the control region, near Dhaka. This reflected the storm's toll on the less healthy individuals.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Government response
There have been mistakes, there have been delays, but by and large I'm very satisfied that everything is being done and will be done.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Government response
The day after the storm struck the coast, three Pakistani gunboats and a hospital ship carrying medical personnel and supplies left Chittagong for the islands of Hatia, Sandwip and Kutubdia. Teams from the Pakistani army reached many of the stricken areas in the two days following the landfall of the cyclone. Pakistani President Yahya Khan returned from a state visit to China and overflew the disaster area on November 16. The president ordered "no effort to be spared" to relieve the victims. He also ordered that all flags should be flown at half-mast and announced a day of national mourning on November 21, a week after the cyclone struck land.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Government response
In the ten days following the cyclone, one military transport aircraft and three crop-dusting aircraft were assigned to relief work by the Pakistani government. The Pakistani government said it was unable to transfer military helicopters from West Pakistan as the Indian government did not grant clearance to cross the intervening Indian territory, a charge the Indian government denied. By November 24, the Pakistani government had allocated a further $116 million to finance relief operations in the disaster area. Yahya Khan arrived in Dhaka to take charge of the relief operations on November 24. The governor of East Pakistan, Vice Admiral S. M. Ahsan, denied charges that the armed forces had not acted quickly enough and said supplies were reaching all parts of the disaster area except for some small pockets.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Government response
A week after the cyclone's landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts. He said there was a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster. He also said that the general election slated for December 7 would take place on time, although eight or nine of the worst affected districts might experience delays, denying rumours that the election would be postponed.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Government response
As the conflict between East and West Pakistan developed in March, the Dhaka offices of the two government organisations directly involved in relief efforts were closed for at least two weeks, first by a general strike and then by a ban on government work in East Pakistan by the Awami League. Relief work continued in the field, but the long-term planning was curtailed.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Criticism of government response
We have a large army, but it is left to the British Marines to bury our dead.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Criticism of government response
Political leaders in East Pakistan were deeply critical of the central government's initial response to the disaster. A statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after the cyclone hit charged the government with 'gross neglect, callous indifference and utter indifference'. They also accused the president of playing down the news coverage. On November 19, students held a march in Dhaka in protest of the speed of the government response, and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on November 24, when he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation. The president's political opponents accused him of bungling the efforts and some demanded his resignation.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Criticism of government response
The Pakistan Red Crescent began to operate independently of the government as the result of a dispute that arose after the Red Crescent took possession of 20 rafts donated by the British Red Cross. A pesticide company had to wait two days before it received permission for two of its crop dusters, which were already in the country, to carry out supply drops in the affected regions. The Pakistani government only deployed a single helicopter to relief operations, with Yahya Khan later stating that there was no point deploying any helicopters from West Pakistan as they were unable to carry supplies.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Criticism of government response
A reporter for the Pakistan Observer spent a week in the worst hit areas in early January and saw none of the tents supplied by relief agencies being used to house survivors and commented that the grants for building new houses were insufficient. The Pakistan Observer regularly carried front-page stories with headlines like "No Relief Coordination", while publishing government statements saying "Relief operations are going smoothly."


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Criticism of government response
In January, the coldest period of the year in East Pakistan, the National Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, headed by the editor of Ittefaq, said thousands of survivors from the storm were "passing their days under [the] open sky". A spokesman said families who were made homeless by the cyclone were receiving up to 250 rupees (US$55 dollars in 1971; equivalent to $341 in 2018)  to rebuild, but that resources were scarce and he feared the survivors would "eat the cash".


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Political consequences
The Awami League, headed by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, swept to a landslide victory in the national elections in December 1970, in part because of dissatisfaction over failure of the relief efforts by the national government. The elections for nine national assembly and eighteen provincial assembly seats had to be postponed until January 18 as a result of the storm.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Political consequences
The government's handling of the relief efforts helped exacerbate the bitterness felt in East Pakistan, swelling the resistance movement there. Funds only slowly got through, and transport was slow in bringing supplies to the devastated regions. As tensions increased in March, foreign personnel evacuated because of fears of violence. The situation deteriorated further and developed into the Bangladesh Liberation War in March. This conflict widened into the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in December and concluded with the creation of Bangladesh. This was one of the first times that a natural event helped to trigger a civil war.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
India became one of the first nations to offer aid to Pakistan, despite the generally poor relations between the two countries, and by the end of November had pledged $1.3 million (1970 USD, $6.9 million 2007 USD) of assistance for the relief efforts. The Pakistani government refused to allow the Indians to send supplies into East Pakistan by air, forcing them to be transported slowly by road instead. The Indian government also said that the Pakistanis refused an offer of military aircraft, helicopters and boats from West Bengal to assist in the relief operation.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
US President Richard Nixon allocated a $10 million ($67 million in 2020) grant to provide food and other essential relief to the survivors of the storm, and the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan pledged that he would "assist the East Pakistan government in every way feasible." The American government also sent a number of blankets, tents and other supplies. Six helicopters, two helicopters at an aid mission in Nepal and four from the United States, were sent to East Pakistan. Some 200,000 tons of wheat were shipped from the United States to the stricken region. By the end of November, there were 38 helicopters operating in the disaster area, ten of which were British and ten American. The Americans had provided about 50 small boats and the British 70 for supply distribution.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
CARE halted aid shipments to the country the week after the cyclone hit, because of unwillingness to let the Pakistani government handle distribution. However, by January, they had reached an agreement to construct 24,000 cement brick houses at a cost of about $1.2 million ($8 million in 2020). American concerns about delays by the Pakistani government in determining how the relief should be used meant that $7.5 million ($50 million in 2020) of relief granted by the US Congress had not been handed over in March. Much of the money was earmarked to be spent on constructing cyclone shelters and rebuilding housing. The American Peace Corps offered to send volunteers but were rebuffed by the Pakistani government.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
A Royal Navy task force, centred on HMS Intrepid and HMS Triumph, left Singapore for the Bay of Bengal to assist with the relief efforts. They carried eight helicopters and eight landing craft, as well as rescue teams and supplies. Fifty soldiers and two helicopters were flown in ahead of the ships to survey the disaster area and bring relief work. The British task force arrived off the Pakistan coast on November 24, and the 650 troops aboard the ships immediately began using landing craft to deliver supplies to offshore islands. An appeal by the British Disasters Emergency Committee raised about £1.5 million (£23 million in 2020) for disaster relief in East Pakistan.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
The Canadian government pledged $2 million of assistance. France and West Germany both sent helicopters and various supplies worth $1.3 million. Pope Paul VI announced that he would visit Dhaka during a visit to the Far East and urged people to pray for the victims of the disaster. The Vatican later contributed $100,000 to the relief efforts. By the start of 1971, four Soviet helicopters were still operating in the region transporting essential supplies to hard-hit areas. The Soviet aircraft, which had drawn criticism from Bengalis, replaced the British and American helicopters that had operated immediately after the cyclone.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
The government of Singapore sent a military medical mission to East Pakistan which arrived at Chittagong on December 1, 1971. They were then deployed to Sandwip where they treated nearly 27,000 people and carried out a smallpox vaccination effort. The mission returned to Singapore on December 22, after bringing about $50,000 worth of medical supplies and 15 tons of food for the victims of the storm. The Japanese cabinet approved a total of $1.65 million of relief funds in December. The Japanese government had previously drawn criticism for only donating a small amount to relief work.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
The first shipment of Chinese supplies to East Pakistan was a planeload of 500,000 doses of cholera vaccine, which was not necessary as the country had adequate stocks. The Chinese government sent $1.2 million in cash to Pakistan. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi declared that the disaster was also an Iranian one and responded by sending two planeloads of supplies within a few days of the cyclone striking. Many smaller, poorer Asian nations sent nominal amounts of aid.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
The United Nations donated $2.1 million in food and cash, while UNICEF began a drive to raise a further million. UNICEF helped to re-establish water supplies in the wake of the storm, repairing over 11,000 wells in the months following the storm. UN Secretary-General U Thant made appeals for aid for the victims of the cyclone and the civil war in August, in two separate relief programs. He said only about $4 million had been contributed towards immediate needs, well short of the target of $29.2 million. By the end of November, the League of Red Cross Societies had collected $3.5 million to supply aid to the victims of the disaster.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response
The World Bank estimated that it would cost $185 million to reconstruct the area devastated by the storm. The bank drew up a comprehensive recovery plan for the Pakistani government. The plan included restoring housing, water supplies and infrastructure to their pre-storm state. It was designed to combine with a much larger ongoing flood-control and development program. The Bank provided $25 million of credit to help rebuild the East Pakistan economy and to construct protective shelters in the region. This was the first time that the IDA had provided credit for reconstruction. By the start of December, nearly $40 million had been raised for the relief efforts by the governments of 41 countries, organisations and private groups.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, International response, The Concert for Bangladesh
In 1971, ex-Beatle George Harrison and Bengali musician Ravi Shankar were inspired to organize The Concert for Bangladesh, in part from the 1970 Bhola Cyclone, and from the 1971 Bangladesh genocide and Bangladesh Liberation War. Although it was the first benefit concert of its type, it was extremely successful in raising money, aid and awareness for the region's plight.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Post-disaster
In December, the League of Red Cross Societies drafted a plan for immediate use should a comparable event to the cyclone hit other "disaster prone countries". A Red Cross official stated some of the relief workers sent to East Pakistan were poorly trained, and the organisation would compile a list of specialists. The UN General Assembly adopted a proposal to improve its ability to provide aid to disaster-stricken countries.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Post-disaster
In 1966, the Red Crescent had begun to support the development of a cyclone warning system, which developed into a Cyclone Preparedness Programme in 1972, today run by the Government of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. The programme's objectives are to raise public awareness of the risks of cyclones and to provide training to emergency personnel in the coastal regions of Bangladesh.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Post-disaster
In the 30 years after the 1970 cyclone, over 200 cyclone shelters were constructed in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. When the next destructive cyclone approached the country in 1991, volunteers from the Cyclone Preparedness Programme warned people of the cyclone two to three days before it struck land. Over 350,000 people fled their homes to shelters and other brick structures, while others sought high ground. While the 1991 cyclone killed over 138,000 people, this was significantly less than the 1970 storm, partly because of the warnings sent out by the Cyclone Preparedness Programme. However, the 1991 storm was significantly more destructive, causing 1.5 billion dollars in damage (2 billion inflation-adjusted) compared to the 1970 storm's 86.4 million dollars in damage.


1970 Bhola cyclone, Aftermath, Post-disaster
Footage of the incident appeared in the film Days of Fury (1979), directed by Fred Warshofsky and hosted by Vincent Price.


1970 Big League World Series
The 1970 Big League World Series took place from August 17–22 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Lincolnwood, Illinois defeated San Fernando/Simi Valley, California twice in the championship game. This was the first BLWS held in Fort Lauderdale.


1970 Big League World Series
This year marked the first appearance for the European, and Latin American regions.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season
The 1970 Big Ten Conference football season was the 75th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1970 NCAA University Division football season.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season
The 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Woody Hayes, won the Big Ten football championship, was ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll, and led the conference in scoring offense (29.0 points per game). The Buckeyes were undefeated in the regular season but lost to Stanford in the 1971 Rose Bowl. Defensive back Jack Tatum and middle guard Jim Stillwagon were consensus first-team All-Americans. Stillwagon also won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football. Running back John Brockington led the conference with 102 points scored, received first-team All-American honors from multiple selectors, and was the first Big Ten player selected in the 1971 NFL Draft with the ninth overall pick. Quarterback Rex Kern finished fifth in the voting for the 1970 Heisman Trophy.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season
The 1970 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bo Schembechler, was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll and led the conference in scoring defense (9.0 points per game). Michigan's only loss was to Ohio State. Offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf was a consensus first-team All-American. Quarterback Don Moorhead and middle guard Henry Hill were selected as the team's most valuable players.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season
The 1970 Northwestern Wildcats football team, under head coach Alex Agase, tied with Michigan for second place in the Big Ten and was ranked Running back Mike Adamle of Northwestern led the conference with 1,255 rushing yards and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the conference's most valuable player.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Season overview, Results and team statistics
KeyAP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1970 seasonAP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1970 seasonPPG = Average of points scored per game; conference leader's average displayed in boldPAG = Average of points allowed per game; conference leader's average displayed in boldMVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy; trophy winner in bold


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Statistical leaders, Passing yards
1. Mike Rasmussen, Michigan State (1,344)2. Craig Curry, Minnesota (1,315)3. Neil Graff, Wisconsin (1,313)4. Maurie Daigneau, Northwestern (1,228)5. Don Moorhead, Michigan (1,167)


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Statistical leaders, Rushing yards
1. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (1,255)2. John Brockington, Ohio State (1,142)3. Otis Armstrong, Purdue (1,009)4. Billy Taylor, Michigan (911)5. Levi Mitchell, Iowa (900)


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Statistical leaders, Receiving yards
1. Larry Mialik, Wisconsin (702)2. Barry Pearson, Northwestern (552)3. Doug Dieken, Illinois (537)4. Paul Staroba, Michigan (519)5. Gordon Bowdell, Michigan State (495)


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Statistical leaders, Total yards
1. Craig Curry, Minnesota (1,610)2. Neil Graff, Wisconsin (1,561)3. Don Moorhead, Michigan (1,535)4. Mike Rasmussen, Michigan State (1,358)5. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (1,255)


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Statistical leaders, Scoring
1. John Brockington, Ohio State (102)2. Billy Taylor, Michigan (66)3. Eric Allen, Michigan State (60)3. Mike Adamle, Northwestern (60)5. Fritz Seyferth, Michigan (48)


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Awards and honors, All-Big Ten honors
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1970 All-Big Ten Conference football team.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Awards and honors, All-American honors
At the end of the 1970 season, Big Ten players secured three of the consensus first-team picks for the 1970 College Football All-America Team. The Big Ten's consensus All-American was:


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Awards and honors, All-American honors
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Awards and honors, Other awards
Jim Stillwagon of Ohio State received the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football.


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, Awards and honors, Other awards
Two Big Ten players finished in the top 10 in the voting for the 1970 Heisman Trophy. They were: Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern (fifth); and Ohio State defensive back Jack Tatum (seventh).


1970 Big Ten Conference football season, 1971 NFL Draft
The following Big Ten players were among the first 100 picks in the 1971 NFL Draft:


1970 Birthday Honours
The 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours were appointments to orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms to reward and highlight citizens' good works, on the occasion of the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. They were announced in supplements to the London Gazette of 5 June 1970.


1970 Birthday Honours
At this time honours for Australians were awarded both in the United Kingdom honours on the advice of the premiers of Australian states, and also in a separate Australia honours list.


1970 Birthday Honours
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by honour, with classes (Knight, Knight Grand Cross, etc.) and then divisions (Military, Civil, etc.) as appropriate.


1970 Birthday Honours, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Royal Victorian Order, Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
At this time the two lowest classes of the Royal Victorian Order were "Member (fourth class)" and "Member (fifth class)", both with post-nominal letters MVO. "Member (fourth class)" was renamed "Lieutenant" (LVO) from the 1985 New Year Honours onwards.


1970 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)
The 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of Elizabeth II, were appointments made by the Queen on the advice of the New Zealand government to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 13 June 1970.


1970 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour.


1970 Blue Swords
The 1970 Blue Swords (German: Pokal der Blauen Schwerter) was an international figure skating competition organized in East Germany. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles and pair skating. It was the tenth edition of the annual event and included skaters from ten countries. East Germany won all three categories, with Jan Hoffmann taking the men's title, Sonja Morgenstern winning the ladies' event, and Manuela Groß / Uwe Kagelmann becoming the pair champions.


1970 Boise State Broncos football team
The 1970 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State College during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season, the third season of Bronco football (at the four-year level) and the first as members of the Big Sky Conference and NCAA. In the College Division, they played their home games on campus at the new Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.


1970 Boise State Broncos football team
Led by third-year head coach Tony Knap, the Broncos were 8–3 overall and 2–1 in conference. BSC played only three conference games, missing Idaho, Montana, and fellow new member Northern Arizona.


1970 Boise State Broncos football team, NFL Draft
One Bronco was selected in the 1971 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).


1970 Bolivarian Games
The VI Bolivarian Games (Spanish: Juegos Bolivarianos) were a multi-sport event held between August 22 - September 6, 1970, at the Estadio Olímpico del Complejo Polideportivo in Maracaibo, Venezuela. The Games were organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization (ODEBO).


1970 Bolivarian Games
The Games were officially opened by Venezuelan president Rafael Caldera. Torch lighter was javelin thrower José "Pachencho" Romero, who won the first gold medal ever in athletics for Venezuela at the 1947–48 Bolivarian Games. The olympic stadium in Maracaibo was later named after him. The athlete's oath was sworn by athlete Brígido Iriarte, who the gold medal in pentathlon at the 1951 Bolivarian Games.


1970 Bolivarian Games
A detailed history of the early editions of the Bolivarian Games between 1938 and 1989 was published in a book written (in Spanish) by José Gamarra Zorrilla, former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, and first president (1976-1982) of ODESUR. Gold medal winners from Ecuador were published by the Comité Olímpico Ecuatoriano.


1970 Bolivarian Games, Participation
About 1122 Athletes from 6 countries were reported to participate:


1970 Bolivarian Games, Sports
The following 17 sports were explicitly mentioned:  For the first time, softball was included. On the other hand, initially scheduled events in sailing, chess, and table tennis were cancelled.


1970 Bolivarian Games, Medal count
The medal count for these Games is tabulated below. A slightly different number of medals (without Bolivia) was published elsewhere. This table is sorted by the number of gold medals earned by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals.


1970 Boston College Eagles football team
The 1970 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The Eagles were led by third-year head coach Joe Yukica and played their home games at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Boston College finished with a record of 8–2, but were not invited to a bowl game.


1970 Boston Marathon
The 1970 Boston Marathon took place on Monday, April 20, 1970. It marked the 74th time the event was organized. The race was won by Englishman Ron Hill.


1970 Boston Marathon
Women were not officially allowed to enter until 1972, but their first-place results from 1966 through 1971 were later ratified by the Boston Athletic Association.


1970 Boston Patriots season
The 1970 Boston Patriots season was the franchise's first season in the National Football League and eleventh overall. They ended the season with a record of two wins and twelve losses, fifth (last) in the AFC East Division.


1970 Boston Patriots season
This was the final season as the “Boston” Patriots, as they moved southwest to Foxborough, Massachusetts the next season and became the “New England” Patriots. Their final season as Boston did not go as planned, as the Patriots struggled all season and finished 2–12, the worst record in the NFL. Home games in 1970 were played at Harvard Stadium.


1970 Boston Patriots season
After taking the season opener at home from the Miami Dolphins, Boston lost nine in a row before beating the Buffalo Bills on the road. The season concluded with an embarrassing 45–7 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati. Head coach Clive Rush quit midway through the season because of medical reasons. His replacement, offensive backfield coach John Mazur, did not do much better of a job, but he continued as head coach the next season. The Patriots scored the fewest points in the league in 1970 with 149, and allowed 361; they missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.


1970 Boston Patriots season
Despite being a Super Bowl quarterback, no NFL team made contact with 32-year-old Joe Kapp until after the start of the regular season. Prior to the 1969 season, the Minnesota Vikings had exercised the option clause of his contract, so Kapp had played the entire season without a new contract. It was unusual for teams to use the team's option and not to offer a new contract prior to a season. This dispute made him a free agent for the 1970 season, by the NFL's own rules.


1970 Boston Patriots season
The Patriots signed him on October 2 to a four-year contract, making him the highest paid player in the league. The Patriots had to give up strong safety John Charles and a first-round draft pick in 1972 (used to select Stanford linebacker Jeff Siemon). Kapp's first appearance was on October 11 at Kansas City, relieving starter Mike Taliaferro in the third quarter of a 23–10 loss.


1970 Boston Patriots season
The Vikings paid Kapp back in full in week 13, rolling to a 35-14 victory in the Patriots' final game at Harvard and in Boston prior to the move to Foxborough.


1970 Boston Patriots season
The Patriots' poor record gave them the first overall selection in the 1971 NFL Draft. They took quarterback Jim Plunkett, the Heisman Trophy winner from Stanford, upset winner of the Rose Bowl.


1970 Boston Patriots season, Regular season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1970 Boston Red Sox season
The 1970 Boston Red Sox season was the 70th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished third in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses, 21 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who went on to win the AL championship and the 1970 World Series.


1970 Boston Red Sox season, Regular season
The 1970s began with a new manager for the Red Sox. After the firing of Dick Williams near the end of the 1969 season, general manager Dick O'Connell reached down into the farm system again for a replacement and came up with Eddie Kasko, who had managed the Red Sox Triple-A farm team, the Louisville Colonels, to a second-place finish in 1969. Kasko had been a major league infielder from 1957 to 1966, with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and the Red Sox.


1970 Boston Red Sox season, Regular season
Kasko took over a team in transition in 1970. Its leading pitcher was Ray Culp, with 17 wins. Jim Lonborg, the superstar of 1967, still was not back in form and went 4–1. Carl Yastrzemski led the American League with a .329 batting average, and Tony Conigliaro appeared to have recovered from the horrible beaning of 1967, hitting .266, with 36 home runs and 116 RBIs. Reggie Smith hit .303, and George Scott had a banner year at .296, with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. Unfortunately, the Red Sox finished 21 games behind the rampaging Baltimore Orioles, who won 108 games and then went on to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series.


1970 Boston Red Sox season, Regular season
There were no scheduled doubleheaders this season at Fenway Park.


1970 Boston University Terriers football team
The 1970 Boston University Terriers football team was an American football team that represented Boston University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA College Division football season. In their second season under head coach Larry Naviaux, the Terriers compiled a 5–4 record and outscored opponents by a total of 199 to 141.


1970 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 1970 Bowling Green Falcons football team was an American football team that represented Bowling Green University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. In their third season under head coach Don Nehlen, the Falcons compiled a 2–6–1 record (1–4 against MAC opponents) and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 178 to 118.


1970 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The team's statistical leaders included Vern Wireman with 622 passing yards, Julius Livas with 279 rushing yards, and Bill Pittman with 235 receiving yards.


1970 Brazilian legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Brazil on 15 November 1970. The result was a victory for the National Renewal Alliance Party, which won 223 of the 310 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 40 of the 46 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 77.5% in the Chamber of Deputies election.


1970 Brazilian legislative election, Results, Senate
In each state, there were two places in dispute. Then the voter deposited two votes, one for each seat. And in the state of Guanabara, there were two "normal" seats in dispute for an eight-year term, and an extra seat to complete the term of office of Senator Mario Martins, whose term was revoked by the Military Regime.


1970 Bridgwater by-election
The Bridgwater by-election of March 12, 1970 was the first election in the United Kingdom to be held after the voting age had been reduced from 21 to 18. The seat was held by the Conservatives on a turnout of 70.3%.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition
The 1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition was a Himalayan climb that was the first to take a deliberately difficult route up the face of an 8,000-metre mountain. On 27 May 1970 Don Whillans and Dougal Haston reached the summit of Annapurna I which at 26,545 feet (8,091 m) is the highest peak in the Annapurna Massif in Nepal. Chris Bonington led the expedition which approached up a glacier from the Annapurna Sanctuary and then used rock climbing techniques to put fixed ropes up the steep South Face. Although the plan had been to use supplementary oxygen, in the event it was not possible to carry any cylinders high enough for the lead climbers to use on their summit bid.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition
Low down on the mountain, on 30 May as the expedition was about to leave, Ian Clough was killed by a falling serac. Several members of the expedition rose to fame in Britain, and as a whole the expedition received international recognition in mountaineering circles on account of its innovative and extremely difficult nature.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Annapurna
The Annapurna massif is in the Eastern Himalayaa region of Nepal where for over one hundred years the ruling Rana dynasty  had not allowed explorers or mountaineers to enter the country. In 1950 Nepal at last gave permission for the 1950 French Annapurna expedition, to attempt Dhaulagiri or Annapurna I, the two highest peaks in the Annapurna region. The expedition, led by Maurice Herzog, mounted a successful summit attempt via the North Face.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Annapurna
For most Himalayan mountains the easiest route to the summit is along a ridge route but for Annapurna the North Face is not too steep (though it is very exposed to avalanches) and the route subsequently turned out to be the easiest. Although it was the first climbed of the eight-thousanders, Annapurna is not often climbed and there is a high death rate among those attempting it.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Start of rock climbing in Himalaya
After years of stagnation between the wars, British rock climbing underwent a renaissance, particularly with working-class climbing clubs starting up in the north of England and Scotland. The Rock and Ice Club in Manchester, the Creagh Dhu Mountaineering Club in Glasgow and several university climbing clubs were amongst those that engendered a highly competitive climbing environment. At Clogwyn Du'r Arddu in Wales numerous routes of a very high standard were achieved using strictly free climbing techniques. Hamish MacInnes and Dougal Haston, although not members, climbed with Creagh Dhu and MacInnes had mentored Chris Bonington's youthful climbing as early as 1953.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Start of rock climbing in Himalaya
In 1960, Bonington, as a member of a joint British–Indian–Nepalese army team led by Jimmy Roberts, reached the summit of the 26,039-foot (7,937 m) Annapurna II, 20 miles (32 km) east of the range's main summit, Annapurna I. The route did not involve rock climbing.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Start of rock climbing in Himalaya
Mount Everest was ascended in 1963 by an American team along a deliberately difficult route along its West Ridge. Two years later, when planning with the American John Harlin for Harlin's direttissima attempt on the North Face of the Eiger, Harlin introduced Bonington to the American big wall technique of directly ascending a fixed rope using jumars. Harlin fell to his death and Haston's success on the route were reported on by Bonington and Mick Burke who were on the North Face as climbing journalist and cameraman.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Start of rock climbing in Himalaya
The publicity led to the televising of a climb of the Old Man of Hoy in Scotland, this time featuring Bonington and Haston. From this start, commercial sponsorship became a possibility for rock climbing and more elaborate and ambitious expeditions could be planned. With all fourteen 8000-metre peaks climbed by 1964, Himalayan expeditions using rock climbing routes became an opportunity Bonington wanted to seize.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Start of rock climbing in Himalaya
Encouraged by Roberts, Bonington conceived of the idea of climbing Annapurna by its South Face which he realised was going to require not just rock climbing but also siege climbing tactics because the ascent would take many weeks. No one had tried rock climbing at high altitude before. The face itself was almost twice as high as the 6,000 feet (1,800 m) Eigerwand and even above the rock band there was another 3,000 feet (910 m) to the summit. The topography near the summit could be assessed from photographs Bonington had taken on the Annapurna II expedition of ten years earlier.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Planning
With financial support for the expedition from the Mount Everest Foundation, Bonington assembled a team from amongst his friends: Nick Estcourt, Martin Boysen, Ian Clough, Mike Thompson, Burke and Haston. Advised to include an American to boost sales of the book he was planning, Bonington appointed Tom Frost who had considerable big wall experience in Yosemite as well as – secretly at the time – Nanda Devi on a CIA mission to install a nuclear-powered listening device for monitoring Chinese missiles. Frost was known to and respected by Haston and Don Whillans.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Planning
Whillans was to be deputy leader for, although by then he was an overweight heavy drinker and smoker who disliked Bonington, he had more Himalayan experience than any other British mountaineer still active. Indeed, of the team assembled, only he, Bonington and Clough had been to Himalaya at all. Also included as climbers were Kelvin Kent, base camp manager, and David Lambert, the doctor. A four-man television team from ITN and Thames Television was to accompany them.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Background, Departure
They took 18,000 feet (5,500 m) of rope for fixing (they did not use their climbing rope), 40 cylinders of oxygen and six breathing sets. The baggage was sent from London by sea with Whillans and Lambert flying to Bombay to see to its unloading and transport to Pokhara by lorry. However, the ship was then delayed by about three weeks so Bonington arranged for Whillans and Lambert to travel to Kathmandu to reconnoitre the approach route instead of waiting at Bombay, and Clough would go to Bombay to deal with the baggage. They took oxygen cylinders intending to use supplementary oxygen above about 22,500 feet (6,900 m) but it was very little used for climbing and not at all above Camp VI. It was used, however, for people who had become ill.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, March-in and Base Camp
In March 1970 the expedition flew to Kathmandu and then on to Pokhara from where the trek to the southern vicinity of Annapurna was along an easy route. Unlike twenty years earlier when Herzog had no satisfactory map and had to pioneer a route, by 1970 the track was well known even to hippie wanderers. Another change was that the Sherpas were no longer unsophisticated peasants – they were smart in appearance, spoke good English and had a Western attitude. Pasang Kami, the sirdar, treated the sahibs as equals and this was reciprocated.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, March-in and Base Camp
The other Sherpas were Pemba Tharkay, Ang Pema, Mingma Tsering, Nima Tsering and Kancha. As it turned out, a group from the British Army Mountaineering Association, led by Henry Day, was setting off at the same time for an ascent on Herzog's north face route and they had greatly helped Bonington by flying out 1,500 pounds (680 kg) of baggage to supply him until his main baggage arrived.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, March-in and Base Camp
On 16 March Whillans, Thompson and two Sherpas went ahead of the main parties to reconnoitre the route and to find a suitable place for the base camp. A temporary location was found to be at the entrance to the Annapurna Sanctuary at the location of a previous base camp: that of the 1957 expedition to Machapuchare. The slower-moving baggage train of 140 porters set off from Pokhara on 22 March and Clough with his 240 porters was able to leave Bombay with the delayed baggage on 24 March.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, March-in and Base Camp
Bonington and Whillans met up on 27 March and Whillans said he thought he and his Sherpas had seen a yeti and had photographed the footprints. More significantly, he had been able to identify a climbing route up the mountain's south face. After the whole party has gathered at the temporary base camp on 29 March an advance party including Whillans, Haston and Burke established a final base camp at 14,000 feet (4,300 m) three miles from the foot of the face.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, March-in and Base Camp
Estcourt used a theodolite to make accurate altitude measurements of various points on the face because foreshortening makes estimation inaccurate. The porters returned to Pokhara from where many of them would help move up to Base Camp the main baggage being carried from Bombay by the party led by Clough, Thompson and Kent. Meanwhile, the lead climbers and Sherpas were left to ferry the advance baggage up to the final Base Camp. The monsoon was due at about the end of May.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Climbing route
Between Camp III at 20,100 feet (6,100 m) and the top of the Rock Band at 24,750 feet (7,540 m) the average slope is 55°.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
Whillans and Haston had found a difficult route across the glacier and up to a rognon – an island of rock on a glacier – where Camp I was planned to be and then reached the flattish top of the rognon where Camp I would be just far enough away from the face – about a mile away – to avoid avalanche danger. Bonington and Burke relocated the lower part of the route hoping to make it suitable for porters.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
The ridge they were to use at the start of the climb was straightforwardly approached across the glacier but steep cliffs barred the way onto the ridge itself so they skirted these on the right to reach a site for Camp II, lower than hoped for but with nowhere suitable immediately higher. For a short distance the route was seriously threatened by an ice overhang which they called the "Sword of Damocles" but they decided to reduce the risk by moving under it as quickly as possible.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
When he arrived with the main baggage Clough was supposed to stop at Hinko Cave overnight on 7 April but, due to confusing instructions, with his entourage of 240 porters he continued on in a snowstorm to temporary base camp some miles further on. Some porters had refused to go beyond Hinko Cave and the rest, overloaded and without adequate clothes and shoes in the bad weather, variously got into states of anger and collapse. However, now the main gear had arrived, it was possible to sort out shelter under cover for the night and provide medical help when necessary.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
On this same day Whillans and Haston had reached the Ice Ridge at a col where Camp III was to be established. They had to climb through deep snow in bad weather. In ten days the expedition had got from the Sanctuary to half height on the face, although with the difficult climbing all to be done further ahead. They abseiled down to Camp II from where, next day, they started placing fixed ropes towards the col.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
On 11 March Boysen and Estcourt established Camp III on the col, where there were to be two Whillans Box tents at a spacious location, free from risk of avalanches or falling rocks. The version used on Annapurna, designed by Whillans, was cuboid in shape, 6.5 by 4.0 by 4 feet (2.0 m × 1.2 m × 1.2 m), made of socketed aluminium tubes covered in nylon top and bottom and cotton-terylene at the sides. It was strengthened with nylon webbing straps and at one end was a nylon-zipped entrance. An inner nylon tent was available but not always used. It weighed 30 pounds (14 kg)


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
On 12 April, after Bonington had organised the logistics of getting Base Camp fully set up and equipped, he and Frost set from there so that on 14 April they could start to prospect a route up the Ice Ridge above Camp III. After investigating a snow shelf leading to a gully on the west of the ridge, Bonington decided avalanches posed too great a threat so he joined Frost who was ascending along the actual crest of the ridge.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
However, this turned out to be much more difficult than they had expected with snow too soft and loose for firm piton placements and there would be a need to set fixed ropes all the way up the ridge. Also, they had not formed a plan for placing fixed ropes – should the lead climber fix his rope or should he climb normally leaving the second climber to pay out a rope from his rucksack, fixing it as he climbed?


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
To begin with the latter method seemed more successful but progress was dreadfully slow with Bonington never having previously encountered such appalling snow. Later in the expedition the technique changed and they climbed using their 9-millimetre (0.35 in) fixed rope which they then secured with pitons and karabiners, not using their 11-millimetre (0.43 in) climbing rope at all.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
That night at Camp III they discussed their religious beliefs – Bonington was a sceptic and Frost a Mormon. Bonington wrote to his wife "He is a convinced and fervent Mormon, never rams it down your throat, yet his faith has given him a code of conduct that puts him way out in front of most of us". Next day it was straightforward to re-climb their fixed rope but again onward climbing was extremely difficult.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
On the previous day and this one Whillans and Haston had been ferrying supplies from Camp II up to Camp III and following their second climb they started exploring the shelf which Bonington had investigated previously beside the ridge. Here they made such good progress that the pair on the ridge needed little persuasion to abandon  entirely their efforts on the lowest part of the ridge.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
Next day all four climbers set off along the shelf with Haston breaking trail and never surrendering the lead. The avalanche risk was considerable even though they kept their distance from the ridge and matters got worse as they reached the gully threatened by avalanches from ice cliffs thousands of feet above and by cornices on the ridge itself.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
They decided to avoid the gully by climbing a minor arête which led from the foot of the gully up to a high point on the main ridge but they had to leave a deadman anchor when deteriorating weather forced them to retreat to camp. Next day Bonington and Frost got within 50 feet (15 m) of the crest of the Ice Ridge but again bad weather forced a retreat.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
By 18 April only 1,000 feet (300 m) had been gained since the Col had been reached eleven days earlier and from Base Camp and on 19 April Haston again ascended the minor arête where the way to the main ridge was blocked by huge cornices but he found he could slip through gaps in the rotten snow between the wall of the ridge and one of the cornices. However, after reaching the crest of main ridge and fixing a rope he was forced back by the weather. At last, two days later, he was able to reach the Ice Ridge and find an ideal place for Camp IV.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, To Camp III and abortive start up Ice Ridge
The expedition was unexpectedly enhanced when four trekkers – the Sherpas called them the "London Sherpas" – turned up at Base Camp completely unexpectedly. In return for "board and lodging" the two men helped carry loads even as high as Camp IV and the women helped at Base Camp where Bonington thought their presence engendered a more civilised and relaxed air. Other trekkers also turned up to get a grandstand view of the climb and to help carrying loads.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
Boysen, Estcourt, Haston and Whillans worked together establishing Camp IV but the situation at Camp III became critical after several attempts to supply it from Camp II had failed because of deep snow and avalanches. Eventually an overnight carry was successful and in general it seemed the snow conditions improved the higher one got up the mountain.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
Boysen and Estcourt tackled the upper part of the Ice Ridge above Camp IV which was very narrow with cornices to the left but solid rock on the right. At one point Boysen's progress was blocked except for a 20-foot (6.1 m) tunnel which he could clamber through, without his rucksack, as if potholing. The tunnel led not further up the ridge but out onto an ice cliff with a 2,000-foot (610 m) drop to the glacier.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
However, he managed to climb onto and up the cliff despite the drag of his climbing rope passing along a highly contorted route behind him. When he reached safety he had let out 150 feet (46 m) of rope in ascending only 50 feet (15 m). It was the most difficult ice climb Boysen had ever done. There was no direct way for Estcourt to ascend to Boysen's stance so he had to repeat the circuitous climb.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
Boysen's next lead again went on to a traverse, which was later called the "Terrible Traverse", which he was not able to complete before descending to Camp IV for the night. They had spent all day climbing 300 feet (91 m). Next day it again proved impossible to keep to the crest of the ridge but a descent on the right to solid rock gave access to an ice-covered rock wall leading upwards. This climb had to be without the rope being secured with pitons because the rope would have jammed along its contorted route.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
They regained the ridge again only some 50 feet (15 m) higher than they had reached the previous day. The following day they extended their route slightly further. After that they had to go down to recover from exhaustion but the fixed ropes they had left allowed everyone following to take a direct line though one that was neither safe nor easy.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
Bonington and Clough took over the work of extending the route, reaching Camp IV on 27 April. Sometimes they advanced only 10 feet (3.0 m) in an hour. At Whillans' suggestion, they arranged for Sherpas to carry all the climbers'supplies up to Camp III so that when climbers went down to rest they only needed to go to Camp III rather than Base Camp. After a few very difficult days, and without being able to regain the crest of the Ice Ridge at a higher point, Clough went down to be replaced by Haston.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
On 3 May Whillans, Frost and Burke carried a box tent up to Camp IV while Bonington and Haston with very difficult ice climbing reached a col at 21,650 feet (6,600 m) where the Ice Ridge terminates to be replaced by a snow slope leading up to the Ice Wall. Next day they carried a load of ropes to the col and Haston ran out 500 feet (150 m) of rope towards the Ice Wall.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
At 22,350 feet (6,810 m) the slope suddenly changes from 45° to vertical and this point was planned to become Camp V where a 18-pound (8.2 kg) hooped tent was set up, capable of sleeping three. Supplying as high as here was a logistical problem because it took at least five days for anything to arrive from base camp.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Camp IV to Camp V on the Rock Band
Supported by Frost and Burke, Whillans and Haston established Camp V but that night spindrift  inundated the site and the tent so they decided to find a better camp location. Next day they explored the Ice Wall finding a "gangway" leading to the top of the Ice Wall and the foot of the Rock Band. At this point the overhang of the bergschrund, although threatening, provided excellent shelter so they proposed moving Camp V to this point. On 9 May Frost and Burke established the camp at the new, higher location. The climb from Camp IV to V was very long and difficult so two intermediate dumps for supplies were used with carrying being done in shorter sections from above and below.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
Frost and Burke started on the Rock Band which sloped at about 50° Instead of taking the most direct line up a groove leading straight upwards, they cut over to the left aiming for the "Flat Iron", named after the similar-looking feature on the Eiger, with Burke doing the lead climbing. The good weather helped with the climbing but because of the thaw they were bombarded  from above by falling rocks.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
The climbers further down the mountain were having to rest through illness or exhaustion so shortages of rope, oxygen, tents, food and fuel built up towards Camp V. On 12 May Burke and Frost made more progress but only through taking serious risks with inadequate piton placements but when they turned back for the day a storm hit them and their tent was almost buried. Fortunately by that time fresh supplies had arrived from lower camps.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
Bonington's general plan had been to pair off the leading climbers and to share the work of the pairs equitably by having periods of rest, carrying supplies to higher camps and extending the route. The Sherpas were carrying higher up the mountain than expected and other trekkers with climbing experience had turned up by chance and helped out. However at the higher camps things were not going so well and so on 13 May Bonington decided that when Frost and Burke came down to be rested they would be replaced by Whillans and Haston.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
In fact it was the turn of Estcourt and Boysen to force the route upwards but they had been working hard doing carrying while Whillans and Haston were rested. Over the radio between various camps some of the adversely affected climbers complained but were accepting it after Bonington agreed for Whillans and Haston to do a single carry before rotating into the lead. Whillans then started criticising Burke and Frost for making very slow progress on the Rock Band and so, to curtail the increasing bitterness, the radio call was ended leaving each pair to plan the detail of their newly assigned roles.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
On their last day in the lead Burke and Frost, possibly goaded by the criticism, managed to fix ropes up all the way to the Flat Iron. Burke had been on the face for 28 days, and Frost only slightly less – Bonington thought Burke's climb had been on the most exacting rock of the entire expedition. When Frost met Bonington down at Camp II he firmly told him he thought the stab in the back of Estcourt and Boysen had wrecked the morale of the expedition – all the same he maintained his close relationship with Bonington.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
On 17 May Boysen, Whillans and Haston carried equipment to the top of the Flat Iron to a suitable site for Camp VI but on the way Boysen had to return to camp to recover. Whillans and Haston found a site for Camp VI but that night at Camp V the ridge tent was crushed with an avalanche of snow so Estcourt and Haston went down to the upper dump to collect the one intended for Camp VII and to get more food.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
Climbing back to Camp VI on 19 May, Haston's rucksack, containing his personal gear and food for Camp VI, fell down the mountain. So, that night, Whillans was alone at Camp VII with no food after the others had descended. Estcourt was alone at Camp V and so Bonington went up there to help him support the lead team. The climb from there to Camp VI was even more tiring and Bonington scarcely managed the 200-foot (61 m) jumar climb near the top.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
However, he managed and even took the time on his way down to relocate the dangling rope and place further pitons on this pitch of the climb. As for oxygen, there were only three bottles at Camp V and another three at the upper dump. There was hardly any food or rope at Camp VI.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
On 20 May Haston returned to Camp VI where Whillans had been without food for over twenty-four hours. Bonington carried up there more food and a radio but had to dump the rope slightly below the camp. Camp VI was a terrible place – the tent was too large to fit on the ledge so Whillans and Haston had to sleep lying across the width of the tent. Also, the wind was severe and it was only held by two tent pegs, a rope over the top, and the weight of the climbers.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
The same day Estcourt carried the oxygen bottles up to Camp V from the upper dump and the lead climbers climbed 400 feet (120 m) up from Camp VI but they were then out of food and rope and had no tent to pitch for Camp VII which they intended to place at the top of the Rock Band. They heard news that the army team on the other side of the mountain had reached the summit using a similar route to that of the French expedition in 1950.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
On 22 May Bonington and Estcourt headed up with supplies and oxygen cylinders towards Camp VI but Estcourt had to retreat back and Bonington, who was using supplementary oxygen, had to abandon the tent and oxygen en route. Haston and Whillans had reached the top of the "mini rock band" at the top of the Rock Band but, with no rope left, they had needed to climb without protection, leaving only about 1,500 feet (460 m) to the summit, they estimated. They had reached the 25,000-foot (7,600 m) snowfield above the Rock Band but without a tent or food.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
Next day Bonington carried tent, ciné camera and food up from V to VI but he had needed to abandon his personal gear so he had to turn down an offer to join then on a summit attempt, Bonington and so had to go down again but the tent could be carried up next day to be left on the snow field above Camp VI. On 23 May with insufficient rope and no tent for Camp VII, the lead climbers took a rest day.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Above Camp V
In terrible conditions on 24 May Bonington and Clough managed a carry to Camp VI but found Haston and Whillans had been forced back there so all four climbers had to spend the night together in the two-man tent. Bonington and Clough got back to Camp IV but once there the weather became impossible.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Summit
For the next two days the entire mountain was snowbound and it seemed the monsoon had arrived but on 27 May 1970 at Camp VI there was an improvement in the weather. Leaving Camp VI about 07:00, without supplementary oxygen because they had none, Whillans and Haston reached the snow field at 11:00 from where they could see the summit through breaks in the cloud. They agreed to move the tent up to establish a camp at a higher location but they really had a more ambitious goal for the day.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Summit
Indeed, any camp would be entirely lacking food or sleeping bags. They were faced with an ice plateau leading to a snow ridge and then an 800-foot (240 m) cliff of mixed ice and rock rising up to the top of the mountain. They abandoned the tent at the foot of the ridge and climbed on without belays. Neither climber had any difficulty with breathing.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Summit
The last fifty feet of the ice cliff was vertical though there were good holds and as they reached the northern side of the mountain the wind dropped. They could see traces of army boot footprints but the flag that had been left a week earlier by the army expedition had blown away. Haston took a ciné film of Whillans reaching the summit and then they swapped places. From the top, which they reached at 14:30 and stayed for about 10 minutes, they could see the other two Annapurna summits but nothing more. With no feeling of exhilaration, which they knew would come later. They had 150 feet (46 m) of rope which, after they had abseiled down, was all there was left on the summit. By 17:00 they had managed the difficult descent to Camp VI.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Summit
Lower down the mountain everyone had been completely stormbound but Bonington, having been confined to Camp IV, put in his routine 17:00 radio call asking Haston if they had been able to get out of their camp. Due to static on the radio he did not hear the reply "Aye, we've just climbed Annapurna" but this was heard load and clear at Base Camp and the news spread rapidly up the mountain.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Leaving the mountain
Burke and Frost wanted to make their own attempt on the summit and, contrary to his better judgement, Bonington agreed subject to the clearing of the camps proceeding at the same time. So on 28 May, Burke and Frost while Whillans and Haston descended, reaching Camp III at midday. Everyone was very excited but were held back by their British formality. Only by evening did Frost and Burke reach Camp VI. On 29 May they made their attempt but Burke had to turn back and Frost, having reached the snowfield, stayed there almost three hours but then, because it was the Lord's will, turned back in ferocious wind.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Expedition, Leaving the mountain
On 30 May the mountain was being cleared apace with most of the party reaching Base Camp when Thompson rushed down, calling out in despair. He and Clough had been passing under the place of the "Sword of Damocles" when a serac fell creating an avalanche which had killed Clough. His body was carried down to base camp and he was buried near there at the foot of a face where Clough had taught the Sherpas and the television crew to use jumars and to abseil. Returning down the valley they found the earlier snow had melted and flowers were blooming.


1970 British Annapurna South Face expedition, Aftermath
The expedition proved to be Britain's most important mountaineering achievement since the 1953 British Mount Everest expedition.