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1972 This year is marked as a black year in history due to the use of terrorism entering sport with the massacre of 11 Israel Athletes by Arab Gunman. Also this is the beginning of the biggest political scandal in modern times and the start of the Watergate Scandal. On the other side of the Atlantic a worsening of the problems between the IRA and the British government see wrongs from both sides and innocent lives are lost.
Cost Of Living, - News, Facts and Events, - Movies, TV and Music, - Born This Year, - Technology, - World Leaders,


Cost of Living 1972

How Much things cost in 1972
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 3.27%
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 6.4%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1020
Average Cost of new house $27,550.00
Average Income per year $11,800.00
Average Monthly Rent $165.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 55 cents
Roxanne Ladies Swimsuit $30.00
Kodak Pocket Camera History $28.00
Wrangler Jeans $12.00
ladies Timex WatchFrom $30.00
Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Stirling

Average House Price 7,374
Gallon of Petrol 0.35
To find more prices and information for the 70's including 1972
1970's - Cars and Car Prices - Music -


What Events Happened in 1972

Germany
  • 11 Israel Athletes murdered by Arab Gunman at Munich Olympics on September 6th
Israel
  • Three gunmen open fire at Lod International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 26 people and injuring dozens more
Northern Ireland
  • Bloody Sunday - the British Army kills 13 unarmed Roman Catholic civil rights marchers in Derry, Ireland.
UK
  • The British government declares a state of emergency over 47 day miners' strike
Turkey
  • Earthquake lasting 20 seconds destroys most of Bingol, Turkey - more than 1000 dead, 10.000 made homeless
Iraq
  • Earthquake in the town of Ghir, in southern Iraq leaves over 5,000 dead
U.S.
  • Hurricane Agnes on June 13th kills 117 in US east coast.
  • 16 survivors from plane crash survive and are rescued after practicing cannibalism
U.S.
  • Five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee the start of the Watergate Scandal.
U.S.
  • In Late June Hurrican Agnes ( Category 1 hurricane ) wrecks havoc on the state of Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia causing the death of 128 , In the worst hit state of Pennsylvania 48 people die due to the hurricane.
Iceland
  • Bobby Fischer beats Boris Spassky to become the World Chess Champion in Reykjavik, Iceland,
Vietnam
  • Last US ground troops withdrawn from Vietnam
Nicaragua
  • Earthquake in Nicaragua kills 5,000-10,000 in the capital Managua
Yugoslavia
  • The last major epidemic of smallpox in Europe breaks out in Yugoslavia.
U.S.
  • The Black Lung Benefits bill signed into law by President Nixon
Northern Ireland
  • Bloody Friday 22 bombs explode in Belfast Ireland and 9 people are killed with a further 130 seriously injured.
Northern Ireland
  • Bloody Sunday14 unarmed Catholic protesters are gunned down by British Police on bloody Sunday
UK
  • IRA bomb explodes at the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters at Aldershot
U.S.
  • The Equal Rights Amendment which provided for the legal equality of the sexes passed by the U.S. Senate on 22nd March
World
  • Pilots organise worldwide strike protesting increased Air Piracy / Hijacking and lack of government action.
UK
  • CND ( Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament ) organises a series of demonstrations against nuclear arms
UK
  • After spending 20 years fighting in the courts for compensation 300 Thalidomide victims are offered £11.85 million over 10 years
Iceland
  • The Second Cod War between UK and Iceland
World
  • The worlds leaders agree to banning biological warfare
U.S.
  • Antiwar demonstrations draw 100,000 demonstrators in US cities
Palestine
  • Palestinian hijackers hijack a Lufthansa jet
Philippines
  • Martial Law Declared in the Philippines
Hong Kong
  • The ex RMS Queen Elizabeth Sets on Fire and Sinks in Hong Kong
Sri Lanka
  • Ceylon becomes a republic and changes its name to Sri Lanka
Uganda
  • General Idi Amin of Uganda takes control of British firms and interests in the country
Uganda
  • General Idi Amin of Uganda expells 50,000 Asians From Uganda
UK
  • UK unemployment rises to one million for the first time since the depression years of the 1930s
U.S.
  • The Dow Jones closes above 1000 for the first time in history
Sierra Leone
  • The Largest Diamond The Star of Sierra leone is unearthed it is 969.8 carats
U.S.
  • Flash Flood caused by dam burst in Rapid City, South Dakota kills over 200
U.S.
  • Governor George Wallace is shot three times in an attempted assasination attempt by Arthur Bremer which leaves him paralyzed.
China
  • Richard Nixon Visits China
U.S.
  • A dam In West Virginia’s Buffalo Creek Valley collapses killing 118 people
U.S.
  • American Swimmer Mark Spitz wins a record 7 gold medals in the Summer Olympics in Munich
Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Gains Independence From Pakistan
Cameroon
  • Cameroon Gains Independence From France and Britain
Japan
  • The Winter Olympic Games are held in Sapporo, Japan
U.S.
  • Federal Water Pollution Control Amendments come into force




Popular Culture

Popular Films

  • The Godfather
  • Fiddler on the Roof
  • Diamonds Are Forever
  • What's Up, Doc?
  • Dirty Harry
  • The Last Picture Show
  • A Clockwork Orange
  • Cabaret

Popular Musicians and songs

  • ABBA
  • Roxy Music
  • The Eagles
  • John Lennon
  • Paul Simon
  • Simon and Garfunkel
  • Rod Stewart
  • Don Mclean with " American Pie "
  • Michael Jackson with " Ben "
  • Don McLean
  • Elton John
  • The Moody Blues
  • David Bowie
  • Led Zeppelin

Check out our Television Programmes From The 70s whenever possible we have included a trailer to jog your memory. Series trailers and more information are found on the decade they started.

Popular TV Programmes

  • Monty Python's Flying Circus
  • Sesame Street
  • The Benny Hill Show
  • The Brady Bunch
  • Dad's Army
  • Hawaii Five-O
  • Here's Lucy





Technology 1972

  • HBO launched in US as the first subscription cable service


  • Richard Nixon orders the start for the space shuttle program


  • Apollo 16 lands on the moon where the Lunar Rover is tested by astronauts John W Young and Charles M Duke


  • Apollo 17 lands on the moon and the last men to walk on the moon are Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan


  • Digital Watches are introduced


  • First scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) introduced (price $395).


  • The Volkswagen Beetle becomes the most popular car ever sold with in excess of 15 million sold.


  • Atari kicks off the first generation of video games with the release of PONG, the first game to achieve commercial success




    • Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )
    Artificial Heart USA Willem J Koiff
    Optical Fiber USA



Major World Political Leaders 1972

Australia Prime Minister William McMahon Till 5 December
Australia Prime Minister Gough Whitlam From 5 December

Brazil President Emilio Medici

Canada Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau

China Chairman of the People's Republic of China Dong Biwu

France President Georges Pompidou

Germany Chancellor Willy Brandt

India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

Italy Prime Minister Emilio Colombo Till 17 February
Italy Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti From 17 February

Japan Prime Minister Eisaku Sato Till 7 July
Japan Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka From 7 July

Mexico President Luis Echeverría

Russia / Soviet Union
First Secretary of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev

South Africa Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes Vorster

United States President Richard Nixon

United Kingdom Prime Minister Edward Heath


Political Elections This Year


United States Presidential Election 1972 Richard Nixon (Republican) Defeats George McGovern (Democratic) and John G. Schmitz (American)


Canadian Federal Election 1974 Pierre Trudeau ( Liberal ) defeats Robert Stanfield ( Progressive Conservatives )


The Information above is taken from our new page that gives world leaders from 1920 to current.
WorldLeaders