1972

In history, 1972 is known as a black year. It is the year that saw a great extermination of 11 Israeli athletes when at least 8 Arab terrorists invaded the Olympic Village in Munich, Germany.

1972

It is also the year that saw the beginning of the Watergate Scandal when police apprehend five men who attempted to bug the U.S. Democratic National Committee headquarters located in the Watergate complex of Washington D.C. It also witnessed the start of the greatest modern-day political scandal.

On the other hand, Britain finally managed to take over Northern Ireland’s direct rule in an attempt for peace. Alabamans also got a bad hit the same year when Gov. George C. Wallace was shot at a political rally at Laurel, Md. Furthermore, anyone who had received a death penalty had a reason to smile because this is the year that the US Supreme Court ruled against the death penalty and deemed it unconstitutional.

In the pop culture, women got an opportunity to shine when they dominated the Grammy Awards by taking all the four top categories.

1972 is also the year that saw the first pay cable network, HBO, being transmitted by Time Inc. MAS*H also premiered on CBS and to top it all up; it was this year that saw the debut of Gloria Steinem’s Ms magazine.

Video game lovers have this year to thank the gaming fraternity, as it was when the first video game, Pong’s arcade version, was introduced by Atari.

For the Scientists, 1972 was the development year of the Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) scanning in England. Correspondingly, US’ RCA developed the compact disk almost during the same time. Then again, the Health and Nutrition sector saw the development of Prozac (fluoxetine) antidepressant by the Scottish Bryan B. Malloy and the American Klaus K. Schmiegel.

It was also the time when the last US ground troops were withdrawn from Vietnam while President Nixon signed in the Black Lung Benefits bill into law.

Discover how the world looked like in 1972

Looking for 1972 Calendar ? Here it is: January 1972, February 1972, March 1972, April 1972, May 1972, June 1972, July 1972, August 1972, September 1972, October 1972, November 1972, December 1972

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Oscar

Oscar Winners

All Academy Awards Prize winners of the 45th edition of the Oscar ceremony


Best picture

The Godfather

The Godfather

The Godfather

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

Country: United States of America

Best director

Bob Fosse

Cabaret

Cabaret

Best actor

Marlon Brando

The Godfather

The Godfather

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

Country: United States of America

Best actress

Liza Minnelli

Cabaret

Cabaret

Directed by: Bob Fosse

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Joel Grey

Country: United States of America

Best supporting actor

Joel Grey

Cabaret

Cabaret

Directed by: Bob Fosse

Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Joel Grey

Country: United States of America

Best supporting actress

Eileen Heckart

Butterflies Are Free

Butterflies Are Free

Directed by: Milton Katselas

Starring: Goldie Hawn, Edward Albert, Eileen Heckart, Paul Michael Glaser

history

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A Brief History of the 1972 Corvette: A Timeless Classic

The 1972 Corvette was a third-generation Corvette and marked a number of changes for the iconic American sports car. This was the last year for the chrome front and rear bumpers, as well as the last year for the convertible model. Sales were down from previous years, but the 1972 Corvette was still a popular car and became a timeless … read more

The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich: a Turning Point in History

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The 1972 Chevelle - A Classic American Muscle Car

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world population

Time Person of the Year

Who was the person of the year of 1972?


Richard Nixon
As President of the United States, Nixon visited China in 1972, the first U.S. President to do so. Nixon later secured the SALT I pact with the Soviet Union before being re-elected in one of the largest landslide election victories in American history.
Henry Kissinger
Kissinger, as Nixon's National Security Advisor, traveled with the President to China in 1972.

Books

Which were the most popular books released in 1972 ?
Unlimited books on any devices, try your first month free

The Game Of The Foxes by Ladislas Farago

The Game Of The Foxes

By:

Ladislas Farago was a long-standing student of espionage, and an important figure in U.S. intelligence. Naval Intelligence during World War II tells the entire story of German espionage within the United States and Great Britain, before and after World War …

The Winds Of War by Herman Wouk

The Winds Of War

By:

The author of Herman Wouk's epic historical fiction of World War II is a masterpiece in historical fiction. His story immerses us into the lives of one family, who finds themselves at the center of the war's chaos.

Open Marriage by Nena and George O'Neill

Open Marriage

By:

.

Captains And The Kings by Taylor Caldwell

Captains And The Kings

By:

Joseph Armagh was twelve years old when he first visited America in the early 1850s. He was an Irish immigrant from Ireland.

Eleanor And Franklin by Joseph P. Lash

Eleanor And Franklin

By:

#1 New York Times Bestseller--Winners of the Pulitzer Prize & National Book AwardIn Joseph P.'s extraordinary biography about the most important political couple of the 20th century, Joseph P.

1972 Chinese Zodiac and Horoscope

According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 1972 is the year of the Rat

chinese zodiac sign
Nobel Prize

Nobel Prizes

All Nobel Prize winners of 1972


Literature

  • Heinrich Böll

Physics

  • John Bardeen
  • Leon Cooper
  • John Robert Schrieffer

Economic Sciences

  • John Hicks
  • Kenneth Arrow

Chemistry

  • Christian B. Anfinsen
  • Stanford Moore
  • William Howard Stein

Physiology or Medicine

  • Gerald Edelman
  • Rodney Robert Porter
vinyl songs

Music charts

Which were the top hits of 1972?


Top #1 songs in the USA

  • - Alone Again (Naturally)
  • - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
  • - I Gotcha
  • - Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)
  • - A Horse With No Name
  • - Let's Stay Together
  • - Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me
  • - Without You
  • - I Can See Clearly Now
  • - Rockin' Robin

Top #1 songs in the UK

  • - Mouldy Old Dough
  • - Son Of My Father
  • - Puppy Love
  • - How Can I Be Sure
  • - Amazing Grace
  • - Mother Of Mine
  • - Take Me Bak 'Ome
  • - Beg, Steal Or Borrow
  • - Metal Guru
  • - You Wear It Well

Movies

Which were the most popular Movies released in those months?
Watch popular movies, TV series and live events, start your 30-day free trial

The Godfather

The Godfather

Release year: 1972

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

Country: United States of America

M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H

Release year: 1972

Written by:

Starring: Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, William Christopher

Country: United States of America

Amar Prem

Amar Prem

Release year: 1972

Directed by: Shakti Samanta

Starring: Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila Tagore, Sujit Kumar, Bindu

Sleuth

Sleuth

Release year: 1972

Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Alec Cawthorne, John Matthews

Country: United States of America

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Release year: 1972

Directed by: Luis Buñuel

Starring: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Paul Frankeur, Bulle Ogier

Country: United States of America

Popular names

Which were the top popular names given to babies born in 1972 in the USA ?

world population

World Population

Demographic statistics of the year 1972


Population statistics

  • Total population: 3.9 billion (3,851,650,245 to be precise!)
  • Urban population: 1.4 billion, that is 37.0% of the total population of 1972 lives in cities
  • Yearly change: +75.9 million, corresponding to a percentage increase of +2.01%
  • Average density: 26.0 persons per km2
history

Historical Events

Which were the important events of 1972?


Events

  • 01 Jan 1972 Company closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 690 performances
  • 02 Jan 1972 Rothschilds closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 505 performances
  • 04 Jan 1972 Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London.
  • 05 Jan 1972 NASA announces development of space shuttle
  • 06 Jan 1972 US male Figure Skating championship won by Kenneth Shelley.
  • 07 Jan 1972 William Hubbs Rehnquist sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice.
  • 08 Jan 1972 Kenneth Patchen, American writer (See You in the Morning), dies at age 60.
  • 09 Jan 1972 Passenger ship Queen Elizabeth destroyed by fire
  • 10 Jan 1972 Triple album set Concert for Bangladesh released in the UK
  • 11 Jan 1972 East-Pakistan becomes independent state of Bangladesh.
  • 13 Jan 1972 Former umpire, now housewife Bernice Gera wins her suit against baseball, initiated on March 15, 1971 to be allowed to umpire.
  • 14 Jan 1972 Sanford & Son starring Redd Foxx premieres on NBC TV
  • 15 Jan 1972 Heavyweight Joe Frazier knocks out Terry Daniels.
  • 16 Jan 1972 Super Bowl VI: Dallas Cowboys-24, Miami-3 in New Orleans; Most Valuable Player: Roger Staubach, Quarterback.
  • 17 Jan 1972 Section of Memphis, Tennessee, Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.
  • 19 Jan 1972 Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra, and Early Wynn elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 20 Jan 1972 Pakistan launched its Nuclear detterent program few weeks after its defeat in Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
  • 21 Jan 1972 Mizoram, formerly part of Assam, creates an Indian union territory
  • 22 Jan 1972 Emergency with Robert Fuller premieres on NBC TV
  • 23 Jan 1972 2nd AFC-NFC pro bowl, AFC wins 26-13
  • 24 Jan 1972 WRIP (now WDSI) TV channel 61 in Chattanooga, TN (IND) 1st broadcast
  • 25 Jan 1972 25th NHL All-Star Game: East beats West 3-2 at Minnesota.
  • 26 Jan 1972 Stewardess Vesna Vulovic survives 10,160m fall without parachute.
  • 27 Jan 1972 Magnavox begins production of the Odyssey video game. The Odyssey is a primitive video game system, with no processors or integrated circuits. It plugs into a home TV set, displaying a moving white block that can be bounced by rotating remote paddles.
  • 28 Jan 1972 Richard Chanfray claims he is the Count of St Germain on French television.
  • 29 Jan 1972 5th ABA All-Star Game: East 142 beats West 115 at Louisville.
  • 30 Jan 1972 Pakistan withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 31 Jan 1972 US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998).
  • 01 Feb 1972 Wings release Give Ireland Back to the Irish in the UK
  • 02 Feb 1972 Lefty Gomez, Ross Youngs and William Harridge selected for Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 03 Feb 1972 11th Winter Olympic games opens in Sapporo, Japan (1st in Asia)
  • 04 Feb 1972 Sen Strom Thurmond suggests John Lennon be deported
  • 05 Feb 1972 Another Puff by Jerry Reed peaks at #65
  • 08 Feb 1972 Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard selected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 09 Feb 1972 President of Ecuador José María Velasco Ibarra is deposed for the fourth time.
  • 10 Feb 1972 BBC bans Give Ireland Back to the Irish by Wings
  • 13 Feb 1972 1776 closes at 46th Steet Theater in New York City after 1,217 performances.
  • 14 Feb 1972 John andYoko co-host Mike Douglas Show for entire week
  • 15 Feb 1972 Dimitrios Papadopoulos becomes metropolitan of Imbros / Tenedos
  • 16 Feb 1972 Wilt Chamberlain hit 30,000 point mark during a game with Phoenix Suns
  • 17 Feb 1972 President Nixon leaves Washington DC for China
  • 18 Feb 1972 John andYoko end a week of co-hosting Mike Douglas Show
  • 19 Feb 1972 The Asama-Sanso hostage standoff begins in Japan.
  • 20 Feb 1972 1st time Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks (111-109)
  • 21 Feb 1972 Richard Nixon becomes 1st US President to visit China
  • 22 Feb 1972 Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani becomes Amir and Prime Minister of Qatar.
  • 23 Feb 1972 Angela Davis is released from jail. A Caruthers, California farmer, Rodger McAfee, helps her make bail.
  • 24 Feb 1972 North Vietnamese negotiators walk out of the Paris Peace Talks to protest U.S. air raids.
  • 25 Feb 1972 Paul McCartney releases Give Ireland back to the Irish single
  • 26 Feb 1972 Dam break in WV kills 107
  • 27 Feb 1972 US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai issue Shanghai Communique.
  • 28 Feb 1972 George Harrison is involved in a minor car accident
  • 29 Feb 1972 Jack Anderson discloses Dita Beard (ITT) memo indicating antitrust charges were dropped for $400,000 contribution to the Republican Party
  • 01 Mar 1972 Club of Rome publishes report Boundaries on the Growth
  • 02 Mar 1972 Pioneer 10 launched for Jupiter flyby.
  • 03 Mar 1972 Sculpted figures of Jefferson Davis, Robert E Lee, and Stonewall Jackson are completed at Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA.
  • 04 Mar 1972 Last train run between Penrith and Keswick, United Kingdom.
  • 05 Mar 1972 Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis leaves communist party.
  • 06 Mar 1972 Keswick to Penrith railway officially closes.
  • 08 Mar 1972 1st flight of the Goodyear blimp
  • 09 Mar 1972 Players on Chicago White Sox vote 31-0 in favor of a strike, if necessary.
  • 10 Mar 1972 1st black US political convention opens (Gary Indiana)
  • 11 Mar 1972 Inner City closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 97 performances
  • 12 Mar 1972 NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons.
  • 14 Mar 1972 Italian publisher and former partisan Giangiacomo Feltrinelli is killed by an explosion near Segrate.
  • 15 Mar 1972 NASA selects three-part configuration for Space Shuttle.
  • 16 Mar 1972 John andYoko are served with deportation papers
  • 17 Mar 1972 Ringo releases Back off Bugaloo in the UK
  • 18 Mar 1972 Cornell NCAA hockey team shut out for first time in 225 games (Boston University).
  • 19 Mar 1972 To Live Another Summer closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 173 performances
  • 21 Mar 1972 US Supreme Court rules states can't require one-year residency to vote.
  • 22 Mar 1972 Selling of the President opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 5 performances
  • 23 Mar 1972 Evil Knievel breaks 93 bones after successfully clearing 35 cars.
  • 24 Mar 1972 Great Britain imposes direct rule over Northern Ireland.
  • 25 Mar 1972 Selling of the President closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 5 performances
  • 26 Mar 1972 Only Fools Are Sad closes at Edison Theater NYC after 144 performances
  • 27 Mar 1972 Venera 8 launched to Venus.
  • 28 Mar 1972 Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.
  • 30 Mar 1972 Funny Thing Happened... opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 156 performances
  • 31 Mar 1972 Official Beatles Fan Club closes down.
  • 01 Apr 1972 Major league baseball players stage first collective strike.
  • 02 Apr 1972 44th Academy Awards - French Connection, Gene Hackman and Jane Fonda win.
  • 03 Apr 1972 Official US gold price raised from $35 per ounce to $38.
  • 04 Apr 1972 Adam Clayton Powell Jr, American politician (Representative-Democrat-New York), dies at age 63.
  • 05 Apr 1972 Baseball season is delayed due to a strike.
  • 06 Apr 1972 Egypt drops diplomatic relations with Jordan.
  • 07 Apr 1972 Vietnam War veteran Richard McCoy, Jr. hijacks a United Airlines jet and extorts $500,000 he is later captured.
  • 09 Apr 1972 Sugar opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 506 performances
  • 10 Apr 1972 7.0 earthquake kills 1 / 5 of population of Iranian province of Fars
  • 11 Apr 1972 Benjamin L Hooks is named to the US Federal Communications Commission.
  • 13 Apr 1972 The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.
  • 15 Apr 1972 Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Carole King, and Quincy Jones perform at a benefit for George McGovern for President.
  • 16 Apr 1972 2 giants pandas arrive in US, from China
  • 17 Apr 1972 76th Boston Marathon won by Olavi Suomalainen of Finland in 2:15:39.
  • 18 Apr 1972 Lost in the Stars opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 39 performances
  • 19 Apr 1972 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
  • 20 Apr 1972 Apollo 16 with John Young and Charles Duke lands on Moon with Boeing Lunar Rover #2.
  • 21 Apr 1972 John Young and Charles Duke explores Moon
  • 22 Apr 1972 Vietnam War: Increased American bombing in Vietnam prompts anti-war protests in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
  • 23 Apr 1972 26th Tony Awards: Sticks and Bones and Two Gentlemen of Verona win.
  • 25 Apr 1972 Hans-Werner Grosse glides 907.7 miles (1,461 km) in an AS-W-12.
  • 26 Apr 1972 The Lockheed L-1011 Tristar enters service with Eastern Airlines.
  • 27 Apr 1972 New York City Mayor John Lindsey appeals that John Lennon not be deported
  • 29 Apr 1972 The fourth anniversary of the Broadway musical ''Hair'' is celebrated with a free concert at a Central Park bandshell, followed by dinner at the Four Seasons. There, 13 Black Panther protesters and the show's co-author, Jim Rado, are arrested for disturbing the peace and for using marijuana.
  • 30 Apr 1972 Arthur Godfrey Time ends a 27-year run on radio.
  • 01 May 1972 Different Times opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 24 performances
  • 02 May 1972 Electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine - 126 die (Kellogg, Idaho, USA).
  • 04 May 1972 Vietcong forms revolutionary government in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.
  • 05 May 1972 Alitalia Flight 112 crashes into Mount Longa near Palermo, Sicily, killing all 115 aboard, making it the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy.
  • 06 May 1972 98th Kentucky Derby: Ron Turcotte aboard Riva Ridge wins in 2:01.8.
  • 07 May 1972 Betty Burfeindt wins Sealy LPGA Golf Classic.
  • 08 May 1972 Sabena aircraft at Lod International airport, Tel Aviv, Israel, captured by Palestinians.
  • 10 May 1972 Overloaded South Korean bus plunges into reservoir, killing 77.
  • 11 May 1972 John Lennon says his phone is tapped by FBI on Dick Cavett Show
  • 12 May 1972 Milwaukee Brewers beat Minn Twins, 4-3, in 22 innings (completed 5 / 13)
  • 13 May 1972 Milwaukee Brewers beat Minnesota Twins, 4-3, in 22 innings (started May 12).
  • 14 May 1972 In Willie Mays' first game as a New York Mets player, his homer beats the San Francisco Giants, 5-4.
  • 15 May 1972 Hard Job Being God opens at Edison Theater NYC for 6 performances
  • 16 May 1972 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Suzuki Golf Internationale.
  • 17 May 1972 Tottenham Hotspur wins first UEFA Cup in London, England.
  • 18 May 1972 Me & The Chimp, last airs on CBS-TV
  • 19 May 1972 WMAV TV channel 18 in Oxford, MS (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 20 May 1972 Different Times closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 24 performances
  • 21 May 1972 Heathen! opens and closes at Billy Rose Theater NYC for 1 performance
  • 22 May 1972 Ton Sijbrands becomes world checker champion.
  • 23 May 1972 The Tamil United Front (now known as Tamil United Liberation Front), a pro-Tamil organization, is founded.
  • 24 May 1972 Glasgow Rangers wins 12th Europe Cup II at Barcelona, Spain.
  • 25 May 1972 Heavyweight Joe Frazier KOs Ron Stander
  • 26 May 1972 Nixon and Brezhnev signs SALT accord
  • 27 May 1972 Applause closes at Palace Theater NYC after 900 performances
  • 28 May 1972 White House "plumbers" break into Democratic National headquarters at Watergate.
  • 29 May 1972 Sandra Palmer wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship.
  • 30 May 1972 The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout Britain.
  • 31 May 1972 Ajax wins Europe Cup 1 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • 01 Jun 1972 Tswanaland becomes Bophuthatswana in South Africa
  • 02 Jun 1972 Andreas Baader, Jan-Carl Raspe, Holger Meins and some other members of Red Army Faction are arrested in Frankfurt am Main after a shootout.
  • 03 Jun 1972 Hot Rod Lincoln, by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen hits #9
  • 04 Jun 1972 Angela Davis, black activist, acquitted of killing a white guard
  • 05 Jun 1972 If You Had Wings opens
  • 06 Jun 1972 David Bowie releases Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust
  • 07 Jun 1972 Grease opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 3,388 performances
  • 08 Jun 1972 Padres draft Dave Roberts #1, Indians draft Rick Manning #2
  • 09 Jun 1972 1st all-nite grad parties
  • 10 Jun 1972 104th Belmont: Ron Turcotte aboard Riva Ridge wins in 2:28
  • 11 Jun 1972 18th LPGA Championship won by Kathy Ahern
  • 12 Jun 1972 George P. Shultz begins term as 60th Treasury Secretary of the US.
  • 14 Jun 1972 Hurricane Agnes kills 117
  • 15 Jun 1972 West German police arrested RAF leader Ulrike Meinhof
  • 16 Jun 1972 Red Army Faction member Ulrike Meinhof is captured by police in Langenhagen.
  • 17 Jun 1972 Long Haired Lover From Liverpool by Little Jimmy Osmond peaks at #38
  • 18 Jun 1972 72nd US Golf Open: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 290 at Pebble Beach, California
  • 19 Jun 1972 40,000 pilots strike against naval officer
  • 22 Jun 1972 Man of La Mancha opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 140 performances
  • 23 Jun 1972 Nixon and Haldeman agree to use CIA to cover up Watergate
  • 24 Jun 1972 Troglodyte (Cave Man) by Jimmy Castor Bunch peaks at #6
  • 25 Jun 1972 Bernice Gera becomes 1st female umpire in pro baseball
  • 26 Jun 1972 IRA proclaims resistant in North-Ireland
  • 28 Jun 1972 U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that no new draftees will be sent to Vietnam.
  • 29 Jun 1972 Supreme Court rules (5-4) that Death Penalty is cruel and unusual
  • 30 Jun 1972 1st leap second day; also 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985
  • 01 Jul 1972 Follies closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 524 performances
  • 02 Jul 1972 Fiddler on the Roof closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 3242 performances
  • 04 Jul 1972 The first Rainbow Gathering is held in Colorado.
  • 05 Jul 1972 Pierre Messmer appointed French Premier
  • 07 Jul 1972 1st women FBI members sworn in (Susan Lynn Roley and Joanne E Pierce)
  • 08 Jul 1972 English Prince Richard marries Birgitte of Deurs (Henriksen)
  • 09 Jul 1972 1st tour of Paul McCartney andWings (France)
  • 10 Jul 1972 Democratic convention opens in Miami Beach, Florida (George McGovern wins).
  • 11 Jul 1972 The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts.
  • 12 Jul 1972 Democrats nominated George McGovern for President in Miami Florida
  • 14 Jul 1972 Jean Westwood is 1st woman chosen to head Democratic National Committee
  • 15 Jul 1972 101st British Golf Open: Lee Trevino shoots 278 at Muirfield Gullane
  • 16 Jul 1972 Dimitrios Papadopoulos becomes 269th patriarch of Constantinople
  • 17 Jul 1972 1st 2 women begin training as FBI agents at Quantico
  • 18 Jul 1972 Egypt President Sadat throws 20,000 Russian military aids out
  • 21 Jul 1972 27.5 cm rainfall at Fort Ripley, Minnesota (state record)
  • 22 Jul 1972 10.84 (27.53 cm) of rainfall, Fort Ripley, Mn (state 24-hr record)
  • 23 Jul 1972 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Raleigh Golf Classic
  • 24 Jul 1972 Jigme Singye Wangchuk becomes king of Bhutan at age 16.
  • 25 Jul 1972 43rd All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 4-3 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
  • 27 Jul 1972 NHL star Maurice "Rocket" Richard signs with WHL Quebec Nordiques.
  • 28 Jul 1972 39th NFL Chicago All Star Game: Dallas 20, All Stars 7 (54,162)
  • 29 Jul 1972 A national dock strike begins in Britain.
  • 30 Jul 1972 Jan Ferraris wins LPGA Lady Pepsi Golf Open
  • 31 Jul 1972 Dick Allen is 7th to hit 2 inside-the-park homers in a game
  • 01 Aug 1972 First article appears exposing Watergate scandal (Bernstein-Woodward).
  • 02 Aug 1972 Gold hits record US$70 an ounce in London, England.
  • 03 Aug 1972 British Premier Heath proclaims emergency crisis due to harbor strike
  • 04 Aug 1972 Arthur Bremer jailed for 63 years for shooting Alabama Gov Wallace
  • 05 Aug 1972 Detroit shortstop Ed Brinkman errors ends record streak of 72 games and 331 total chances without a miscue
  • 06 Aug 1972 Garry Player wins PGA golf tournament
  • 08 Aug 1972 New York Yanks sign 30-year lease to play in remodeled Yankee Stadium
  • 09 Aug 1972 Rockwell receives NASA contract to construct the Space Shuttle.
  • 10 Aug 1972 1 million kg heavy meteorite grazes atmosphere above Canada
  • 11 Aug 1972 Vietnam War: the last United States ground combat unit departs South Vietnam.
  • 12 Aug 1972 Funny Thing Happened... closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 156 performances
  • 13 Aug 1972 Dutch KRO-TV transmits 440th and last Bonanza
  • 14 Aug 1972 Bloody Sunday: British soldiers fire into crowd, kill 13
  • 16 Aug 1972 54th PGA Championship: Gary Player shoots a 281 at Oakland Hills, Michigan
  • 20 Aug 1972 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Southgate Ladies Golf Open
  • 21 Aug 1972 British harbor strike ends
  • 22 Aug 1972 International Olympic Committee exspells Rhodesia
  • 23 Aug 1972 Republican convention (Miami Beach, Florida) re-nominates Vice President Spiro Agnew but not unanimous - one vote given to NBC newsman David Brinkley.
  • 24 Aug 1972 Dennis Amiss scores 1st one-day int century, 103 vs. Australia
  • 26 Aug 1972 20th Olympic games open at Munich German FR
  • 27 Aug 1972 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA National Jewish Hospital Golf Open
  • 30 Aug 1972 John Lennon andYoko Ono perform at Madison Square Garden
  • 31 Aug 1972 Lasse Viren runs Olympic / world record 10,000m (27:38.4)
  • 01 Sep 1972 Egypt and Libya form federation
  • 02 Sep 1972 Renate Stecher runs 100m European female record (11.07 seconds)
  • 04 Sep 1972 US swimmer Mark Spitz becomes first athlete to win seven Olympic gold medals.
  • 05 Sep 1972 11 Israeli athletes are slain at Munich Olympics by Black Sept
  • 06 Sep 1972 Summer Olympics resume in Munich Germany after massacre
  • 08 Sep 1972 Chicago Cubs' Ferguson Jenkins wins his 20th game for 6th straight year.
  • 09 Sep 1972 86th US Womens Tennis: Billie Jean M King beats K Melville (63 75)
  • 10 Sep 1972 20th Olympic games close at Munich, German FR
  • 11 Sep 1972 BART begins service with a 26-mi (42-km) line from Oakland to Fremont
  • 12 Sep 1972 Ciod War: Icelandic gunboats sink 2 British trawlers in North Sea
  • 13 Sep 1972 1st TV broadcast of Waltons on CBS
  • 14 Sep 1972 Waltons TV program premieres
  • 15 Sep 1972 WMAO TV channel 23 in Greenwood, MS (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 16 Sep 1972 1st TV series about mixed marriage-Bridgit Loves Bernie
  • 17 Sep 1972 M*A*S*H, premieres on NBC TV
  • 18 Sep 1972 1st black NL umpire (Art Williams-Los Angeles vs. San Diego)
  • 19 Sep 1972 A parcel bomb sent to Israeli Embassy in London kills one diplomat.
  • 21 Sep 1972 Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos issues Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire country under martial law.
  • 22 Sep 1972 Dictator Idi Amin throws 8,000 Asians out of Uganda
  • 23 Sep 1972 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announces over television and radio the implementation of martial law.
  • 24 Sep 1972 New York Jets' Joe Namath passes for six touchdowns versus Baltimore Colts (44-34).
  • 25 Sep 1972 Dutch air force drives away Russian Tupolev-bomber
  • 26 Sep 1972 Norway rejects membership in European Common Market
  • 27 Sep 1972 The Joint Communique of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China is signed in Beijing.
  • 28 Sep 1972 David Bowie sells out his 1st show in New York Carnegie Hall
  • 29 Sep 1972 Sino-Japanese relations: Japan establishes diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China after breaking official ties with the Republic of China.
  • 30 Sep 1972 Roberto Clemente records the 3,000th and final hit of his career.
  • 01 Oct 1972 3rd NYC Marathon won by Sheldon Karlin in 2:27:52
  • 02 Oct 1972 From Israel with Love opens at Palace Theater NYC for 8 performances
  • 03 Oct 1972 Baltimore Roric Harrison is last AL pitcher to homer until interleague play 25 years later
  • 04 Oct 1972 Ted Williams manages his final game as Rangers lose to Royals, 4-0
  • 05 Oct 1972 Herbert Mullin, serial killer, first kills, claiming to prevent earthquakes.
  • 06 Oct 1972 22-car train carrying 2,000 pilgrims derails, kills 208 in Mexico.
  • 08 Oct 1972 From Israel with Love closes at Palace Theater NYC after 8 performances
  • 09 Oct 1972 Dude opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 16 performances
  • 10 Oct 1972 Judy Rankin wins LPGA Heritage Village Golf Open
  • 11 Oct 1972 Panama adopts constitution
  • 12 Oct 1972 Hurry, Harry opens at Ritz Theater NYC for 2 performances
  • 13 Oct 1972 Hurry, Harry closes at Ritz Theater NYC after 2 performances
  • 14 Oct 1972 Oakland A Gene Tenace is 1st to homer in 1st 2 World Series at bats
  • 15 Oct 1972 61st Davis Cup: USA beats Romania in Bucharest (3-2)
  • 16 Oct 1972 Pacific Paradise opens at Palace Theater NYC for 5 performances
  • 17 Oct 1972 1st time Islanders shut-out-5-0 vs. Penguins
  • 19 Oct 1972 Mother Earth opens at Belasco Theater NYC for 12 performances
  • 20 Oct 1972 Queen Juliana visits Yugoslavia
  • 21 Oct 1972 Dude closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 16 performances
  • 22 Oct 1972 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA GAC Golf Classic
  • 23 Oct 1972 Pippin opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 1944 performances
  • 25 Oct 1972 Nobel prize for economy awarded to Kenneth J Arrow and John R Hicks
  • 26 Oct 1972 Guided tours of Alcatraz (by US Park Service) begin.
  • 27 Oct 1972 Golden Gate National Recreation Area created.
  • 28 Oct 1972 Mother Earth closes at Belasco Theater NYC after 12 performances
  • 29 Oct 1972 Jo Ann Prentice wins LPGA Corpus Christi Civitan Golf Open
  • 30 Oct 1972 45 die in a train crash in Chicago, Illinois
  • 31 Oct 1972 Gaylord Perry wins AL Cy Young award
  • 01 Nov 1972 1st gay theme TV movie - That Certain Summer
  • 02 Nov 1972 Construction begins on the Kingdome, Seattle, Washington, USA.
  • 04 Nov 1972 Bangladesh adopts constitution
  • 05 Nov 1972 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Lady Errol Golf Classic
  • 07 Nov 1972 US President Richard Nixon (Republican) re-elected defeating George McGovern (Democrat).
  • 10 Nov 1972 Southern Airways Flight 49 from Birmingham, Alabama is hijacked and, at one point, is threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After two days, the plane lands in Havana, Cuba, where the hijackers are jailed by Fidel Castro.
  • 11 Nov 1972 Dow Jones Index moves above 1,000 for 1st time
  • 14 Nov 1972 Dow Jones closes above 1,000 for 1st time (1003.16)
  • 15 Nov 1972 Circle-in the-Square Theater opens at 1633 Broadway, New York City
  • 16 Nov 1972 Dear Oscar opens at Playhouse Theater NYC for 5 performances
  • 19 Nov 1972 Ambassador opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 9 performances
  • 21 Nov 1972 Red Sox Carlton Fisk wins AL Rookie of Year, Mets Jon Matlack wins NL
  • 22 Nov 1972 Flyers start Islanders on 15 game winless streak
  • 25 Nov 1972 Ambassador closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 9 performances
  • 26 Nov 1972 Pete Gogolak scores New York Giants record 8 points after a touchdown.
  • 27 Nov 1972 Pierre Trudeau forms Canadian government
  • 28 Nov 1972 Via Galactica opens at Uris Theater NYC for 7 performances
  • 29 Nov 1972 Atari releases the Pong coin-operated arcade video game system. Nolan Bushnell and Al Alcorn developed the game at Atari, partly based on the Magnavox Odyssey system.
  • 30 Nov 1972 BBC bans Wings Hi, Hi, Hi
  • 01 Dec 1972 Wings release Hi, Hi, Hi in the UK
  • 02 Dec 1972 Via Galactica closes at Uris Theater NYC after 7 performances
  • 03 Dec 1972 Convair 990A charter crashes in Tenerife, Canary Island, 155 die.
  • 05 Dec 1972 Joseph A Walkers River Niger, premieres in New York City
  • 07 Dec 1972 Apollo 17 (US), final manned lunar landing mission (last of Apollo Moon series), is launched.
  • 08 Dec 1972 United Airlines Flight 553 crashes after aborting its landing attempt at Chicago Midway International Airport, killing 45.
  • 11 Dec 1972 Astronauts Cernan and Harrison become 11th and 12th on Moon
  • 13 Dec 1972 Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or ''Moonwalk'' of Apollo 17. This is the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
  • 14 Dec 1972 Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt leave the Moon
  • 16 Dec 1972 Bangladesh Constitution goes into effect
  • 17 Dec 1972 WGVC (now WUCX) TV channel 35 in Grand Rapids, MI (PBS) 1st broadcast
  • 18 Dec 1972 Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.
  • 19 Dec 1972 Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth
  • 20 Dec 1972 Neil Simons Sunshine Boys, premieres in New York City
  • 21 Dec 1972 Soviet Union signs a separate peace with East Germany.
  • 22 Dec 1972 6.25 earthquake strikes Managua Nicaragua, 12,000+ killed
  • 23 Dec 1972 6.25 Earthquake destroys central Managua Nicaragua, 10,000 die
  • 24 Dec 1972 Swedish Prime minister Olof Palme compares the American bombings of North Vietnam to Nazi massacres. The U.S. breaks diplomatic contact with Sweden.
  • 25 Dec 1972 The Christmas bombing of North Vietnam causes widespread criticism of the U.S. and President Richard Nixon.
  • 26 Dec 1972 Vietnam War: As part of Operation Linebacker II, 120 American B-52 Stratofortress bombers attacked Hanoi, including 78 launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the largest single combat launch in Strategic Air Command history.
  • 27 Dec 1972 Purlie opens at Billy Rose Theater NYC for 14 performances
  • 28 Dec 1972 Martin Bormann's skeleton found in Berlin (Adolf Hitler's deputy).
  • 29 Dec 1972 Life magazine ceases publication.
  • 30 Dec 1972 US President Richard Nixon halts bombing of North Vietnam and announces peace talks.
  • 31 Dec 1972 Leap second day; also in 1973-79, 1987