This page offers an insight into life in 1972 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1972.
The year 1972 began on a Saturday and was a leap year
1972 In The News
14th January – Margrethe II succeeded her father as Queen of Denmark.
30th January – Bloody Sunday 14 civil rights marchers killed by British army.
26th May – Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
5th September – 11 Israeli athletes were murdered after Black September terrorists infiltrated the Olympic Park.
2nd October – Denmark joined the European Economic Community EEC.
Life in 1972 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £7,000; USA – $27,571
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.35; USA – $0.36
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.10; USA – $0.25
Gold per ounce:
UK – $58.42, USA – $60
Life in 1972 – Population
World: – 3,867,398,553
Australia: – 13,177,000
Canada: – 22,284,500
China: – 863,439,040
India: – 579,509,440
Soviet Union: 131,768,680
United States: – 209,284,000
United Kingdom: – 56,079,000
Life in 1972 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – Amazing Grace – The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band
USA – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
AUS – Puppy Love -Donny Osmond
CAN -American Pie – Don McLean
Best Selling Album:
UK – 20 Dynamic Hits – Various Artists
USA – Harvest – Neil Young
AUS – Teaser and the Firecat – Cat Stevens
CAN – American Pie – Don McClean
Popular Artists:
David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Elton John, Gilbert O’ Sullivan, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, The Stylistics, T-Rex
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1972:
Watership Down – Richard Adams
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Judy Blume
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator – Roald Dahl
All Creatures Great and Small – James Herriot
The Odessa File – Frederick Forsyth
At the Movies
1972 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. The Godfather – $86.3 million
2. The Poseidon Adventure – $42 million
3. What’s Up Doc – $28 million
4. Deliverance – $22.5 million
5. Jeremiah Johnson – $21.9 million
Life in 1972 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – William McMahon to 5th December; Gough Whitlam from 5th December
Canada Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
China President – Dong Biwu and Soong Ching-ling
India Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi
Soviet Union Leader – Leonid Brezhnev
United States President – Richard Nixon
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Edward Heath
Born in 1972
12th January – Toto Wolff (F1)
7th April – Time Peake (Astronaut)
2nd May – Dwayne Johnson (Wrestler)
23rd June – Zinedine Zidane (Footballer)
15th August – Ben Affleck (Singer)
27th September – Gwyneth Paltrow (Actress)
Died in 1972
14th January – Frederick IX of Denmark (Royal Family)
27th March – M C Escher (Artist)
2nd May – J Edgar Hoover (Head of FBI)
22nd May – Margaret Rutherford (Actress)
28th May – Edward Duke of Windsor (Royal Family)
24th December – Charles Atlas – (Entertainer)
26th December – Harry S Truman (US President)
1972 Sport Highlights
Football – Leeds United won the FA Cup
US Football – Dallas won the Superbowl
Cycling – Eddy Merckx (BEL) won the Tour de France
Olympics – Summer Olympics held at Munich, Germany. Winter Olympics held at Sapporo, Japan
Tennis – Billie Jean King won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open
Golf – Jack Nicklaus won the US Open and Lee Trevino won the British Open
Baseball – Oakland Athletics won the World Series
Horse Racing – Glencaraig Lady won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Uno Card Game
Skateboard
Easy Bake Oven
Etch-a-Sketch
Risk board Game
Talky Chrissy Doll
What Was New?
Pong Video Game
Word Processor invented
Floppy Disc
Scientific Pocket Calculator
Access Credit Card
Hepatitis C Virus discovered
Published Oct 20 2022 @ 08.49 – Updated –