From world leaders to pioneers to innovators, who were the most influential people in 1972? What was the median household income, the average life expectancy, and how much did a new house or car cost? Finally, what was 1972 best known for, and was it a good or bad year overall? Let's find out.
Here is a summary of the top news stories and history events that happened in 1972:
- In 1972, platform shoes, shag carpeting, and Star Wars were all the rage. Swedish meatballs and Black Forest cake were real crowd-pleasers, and Michael and Jennifer were two of the most popular baby names. The year 1972 also had its own unique collection of slang expressions, including at least 10 different ways to say the word “cool.”
- In the 1972 presidential election, Republican President Richard M. Nixon defeated Democratic Senator George McGovern. Nixon carried 49 of the 50 states, a phenomenon that has only occurred one other time in U.S. political history.
- President Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev jointly signed the SALT I Treaty. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) "curtailed the manufacture of strategic missiles that were capable of carrying nuclear weapons."
- In 1972, the last U.S. ground troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, the last manned mission to the Moon took place, and the United States ban on the pesticide DDT went into effect.
- The Equal Rights Amendment passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the individual states for ratification. (By 1977, the legislatures of 35 U.S. states had approved the amendment.)
- The Watergate scandal began to unfold when five White House staffers "were arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee."
- Mariner 9—a robotic spacecraft—sent spectacular photos of the "deeply-pitted Martian landscape" back to Earth. Space.com tells us that "The spacecraft's imagery included pictures of Mars' polar caps, the vast Valles Marineris canyon, and the Martian moons. Mariner 9 also discovered evidence that water had flowed on the planet in the ancient past."
- The California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty and commuted all death sentences to life in prison.
- Sally Jane Priesand became the first woman in the U.S. to be ordained as a rabbi, the first female FBI agents were hired, and women were allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon for the first time.
- Great Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC), and the retired Queen Elizabeth passenger liner burned and sank during retrofitting in Hong Kong's harbor.
- On Bloody Sunday (January 30), 26 civilians were shot by British paratroopers during a protest march in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
- In 1972, a family of four had to spend $11,880 "to live at a moderate level." This was $790 more than in 1971, mainly due to an increase in housing and food costs.
- The Oakland Athletics won the World Series, the Dallas Cowboys were the Super Bowl champs, and the Boston Bruins clinched the Stanley Cup.
- The 13-day Major League Baseball strike in April was the first players' strike in MLB history. Baseball resumed after owners and players agreed to a $500,000 increase in pension fund payments.
- Why was 1972 the longest year in history? According to EarthMagazine.org, 1972 was a leap year, which meant that it already had 24 extra hours. Next, 1972 also included two "leap seconds." One leap second was added to the clock on June 30, and the other one was added on December 31.
- Hewlett-Packard introduced the first scientific hand-held calculator. It retailed for $395, which is about $2,775 in today's money.
- In 1972, the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle came off the assembly line and broke "a world car production record held for more than four decades by the Ford Motor Company's iconic Model T, which was in production from 1908 to 1937."
- United Airlines launched the first frequent flyer program. Members received plaques and promotional offers as gifts.
- At the 44th Academy Awards, The French Connection won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
- At the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards, All in the Family (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Elizabeth R (PBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.
- In 1972, The Godfather was the most popular film, All in the Family was the most popular TV show, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull was the most popular fiction book.
- The section of Highway 51 South that runs through Memphis, Tennessee was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard, in honor of the city's most famous resident.
- Consumer products launched in 1972 included Cottonelle bathroom tissue, Egg Beaters, the Egg McMuffin, Jovan Musk, Mr. Coffee, Nike Cortez running shoes, the Pong video game, Shoe Goo, Snapple tea and juice drinks, and Stove Top stuffing.
- American companies and brands that were established in 1972 included Atari, Inc., Burlington stores, Carnival Cruises, Half Price Books, HBO, Hobby Lobby, Meineke car care centers, Nutrisystem weight loss products, Public Storage, and Popeyes restaurants.
- At the 45th Scripps National Spelling Bee, the winner was 13-year-old Lauren Pringle of Buffalo, New York, who correctly spelled the word “macerate
FAMOUS CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Cameron Diaz
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Ben Affleck
Carmen Electra
Alyssa Milano
Dane Cook
Brad Paisley
Busta Rhymes
Dana Perino
