On the night of 12 to 13 November 1970 a cyclone with winds of 185 km/h and a storm surge of up to 10 metres hit the low-lying islands of the Ganges delta in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). It is the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people. The Pakistani government in West Pakistan was criticised for its slow and inadequate relief effort. A month later, in the general election, the Bengali Awami League of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman won a landslide, and the refusal to hand over power led to the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 and the independence of Bangladesh.
Before and after
- 8 October 1970Birth of Sadiq Khan
- 22 October 1970Birth of Javier Milei
- 29 October 1970Birth of Edwin van der Sar
- 9 November 1970Death of Charles de Gaulle
- 12 November 1970The Bhola cyclone devastates East Pakistan
- 21 November 1970Death of Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
- 12 December 1970Birth of Jennifer Connelly
- 1971Founding of Las Campanas Observatory
- January 1971Founding of World Economic Forum
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The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.