Permanent historical records ยท Updated 2026-11-03

1971 in Switzerland

Explore 7 historical events and records for Switzerland in 1971.

Historical records for Switzerland in 1971

Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 7 of 7 unique records.

7Unique records
1 of 1Page
6Named events on this page
6Named people on this page
3Places on this page

December

Machine Head

Glover, Roger ยท Montreux ยท Member of Deep Purple ยท Arts / Popular Music

Begins work with Deep Purple in Montreux on sessions that become Machine Head after the casino fire disrupts recording plans.

Smoke on the Water

Blackmore, Ritchie ยท Montreux ยท Member of Deep Purple ยท Arts / Popular Music

Creates the famous guitar riff for Smoke on the Water, one of the most recognisable riffs in rock music.

Smoke on the Water

Gillan, Ian ยท Montreux ยท Member of Deep Purple ยท Arts / Popular Music

Writes lyrics inspired by the Montreux casino fire, later becoming Smoke on the Water.

Other events (month unknown)

Biology and Knowledge

Piaget, Jean ยท Science / Psychology

Publication of "Structuralism". Publication of "Biology & Knowledge"

Federal Women Suffrage Approved

Rudolf Gnaegi ยท Bern ยท President of Switzerland ยท Government / Government of Switzerland

During Gnaegi's presidential year, Swiss men approved women's suffrage in federal elections through a national referendum.

Structuralism

Piaget, Jean ยท Science / Psychology

Publication of "Structuralism". Publication of "Biology & Knowledge"

Women Gain Federal Voting Rights

Gnaegi, Rudolf ยท Switzerland ยท Government / Government of Switzerland

A federal referendum granted women the right to vote and stand in national elections, changing Switzerland's constitutional electorate.

How these records were prepared

Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.