March 1972
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The following events occurred in March
, 1972.
January 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1972.-January 1, 1972 :...
– February
February 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in February 1972.-February 1, 1972 :...
– March – April
April 1972
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November –DecemberThe following events occurred in April 1972.-April 1, 1972 :...
– May
May 1972
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November –DecemberThe following events occurred in May 1972.-May 1, 1972 :...
– June
June 1972
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1972.-June 1, 1972 :...
– July
July 1972
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1972.-July 1, 1972 :...
– August
August 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1972.-August 1, 1972 :...
– September
September 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1972:-September 1, 1972 :...
– October
October 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November–DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1972:-October 1, 1972 :...
– November
November 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1972.-November 1, 1972 :...
-December
December 1972
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1972.-December 1, 1972 :...
The following events occurred in March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
, 1972.
March 1, 1972 (Wednesday)
- The Buffalo RiverBuffalo National RiverThe Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
in ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
became the first American river to become part of the protected National Wild and Scenic Rivers program. - Juan María BordaberryJuan María BordaberryJuan María Bordaberry Arocena was a Uruguayan politician and cattle rancher, who first served as President from 1972 until 1976, including as a dictator from 1973 until his ouster in a 1976 coup...
was inaugurated as the newly elected President of UruguayPresident of UruguayThe President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is the head of state of Uruguay. His or her rights are determined in the Constitution of Uruguay. Conforms with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers and the Director of the Office of Planning and Budget, the executive branch...
, and soon assumed dictatorial power, including the operation of the nation's courts by the military under his command.
March 2, 1972 (Thursday)
- Pioneer 10Pioneer 10Pioneer 10 is a 258-kilogram robotic space probe that completed the first interplanetary mission to Jupiter, and became the first spacecraft to achieve escape velocity from the Solar System. The project was managed by the NASA Ames Research Center and the contract for the construction of the...
was launched from the Cape Kennedy at Bearing a 6-by-9-inch gold anodized plaque that contained a message for alien civilizations, the American satellite attained a record speed of more than 30,000 m.p.h. on its way to the planet JupiterJupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
, which it would reach on December 3, 1973. Pioneer 10 became, on June 13, 1983, the first man-made object to depart the solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, moving toward the star AldebaranAldebaranAldebaran is a red giant star located about 65 light years away in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. With an average apparent magnitude of 0.87 it is the brightest star in the constellation and is one of the brightest stars in the nighttime sky...
. The last transmissions from Pioneer 10 were received on March 31, 1997, and the last signal was received on January 22, 2003January 2003January 2003: ← – January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-Events:-January 1, 2003:...
. - The student senate at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
voted, 18–4, to accept the recommendation that the school's athletic teams drop the nickname "Stanford Indians". Other college and high school teams would follow, retiring Indians, Redskins, Braves, and other Native American inspired mascots. - Born: John D. BernardJohn D. BernardJohn D. Bernard is a UK businessman, currently ranked as one of the top 10 Marketers in the UK according to Marketing magazine's Little Black Book. The former head of Marketing for LG Mobile UK and Sony Ericsson, Bernard is credited for creating the LG brand in the UK in recent years through...
, English businessman, in St. Albans
March 3, 1972 (Friday)
- After more than 48 years, the carving of a the bas relief sculpture on Stone MountainStone MountainStone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock in Stone Mountain, Georgia, United States. At its summit, the elevation is 1,686 feet amsl and 825 feet above the surrounding area. Stone Mountain granite extends underground at its longest point into Gwinnett County...
(near Atlanta) was completed under the direction of Walker HancockWalker HancockWalker Kirtland Hancock was a 20th-century American sculptor and teacher. He created notable monumental sculptures, including the Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The 90 foot high representation of Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson had been started on June 23, 1923, by Gutzon BorglumGutzon BorglumGutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
. - Mohawk Airlines Flight 405Mohawk Airlines Flight 405Mohawk Airlines Flight 405, a Fairchild Hiller FH-227 twin-engine turboprop airliner registered N7818M, was a domestic scheduled passenger flight operated by Mohawk Airlines that crashed into a house on March 3, 1972, on final approach to Albany County Airport , New York, killing 17 people.-Flight...
crashed into a house on Edgewood Avenue in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New YorkAlbany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, killing 16 of the 47 persons on board, and one person in an upstairs apartment. The impact happened at after the commuter plane lost power during a snowstorm. - Born: Darren AndertonDarren AndertonDarren Robert Anderton is a retired English footballer who spent most of his career with Tottenham Hotspur as a midfielder. He played 30 times for the England national football team, scoring 7 goals.-Career:...
, English footballer, in SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
March 4, 1972 (Saturday)
- "About 1.1 million young people reached adulthood at midnight", as the New York Times described it, when a law took effect in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to lower the age of majority from 21 to 18. - The First Time Ever I Saw Your FaceThe First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. At the time the couple were lovers, although MacColl was married to someone else. MacColl and Seeger included the song in their...
, as sung by Roberta FlackRoberta FlackRoberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
, entered the Billboard Magazine charts at No. 77. Within six weeks, it hit No. 1 and remained for six more weeks, becoming the best selling single of 1972. - Stoke City beat Chelsea 2–1 to win the 1972 Football League Cup Final1972 Football League Cup FinalThe 1972 Football League Cup Final took place on 4 March 1972 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Stoke City. Chelsea went into the match as strong favourites having won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in the previous two seasons, whereas Stoke were attempting to win their...
, before a crowd of 100,000 at Wembley Stadium.- Born: Pae Gil-SuPae Gil-SuPae Gil-Su is a North Korean gymnast.He won the gold medal for the pommel horse at the 1992 Summer Olympics .Pae attended Pyongyang Sinri Primary School and the Korean Physical Education College.-External links:* *...
, North Korean gymnast
- Born: Pae Gil-Su
March 5, 1972 (Sunday)
- Prime Minister Edward HeathEdward HeathSir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
informed the House of Commons that the United Kingdom had renounced the use of the five techniquesFive techniquesThe term five techniques refers to certain interrogation practices adopted by the Northern Ireland and British governments during Operation Demetrius in the early 1970s...
for deep interrogation (hooding, wall-standing, subjection to noise, "relative" deprivation of food and drink, and sleep deprivation).
March 6, 1972 (Monday)
- The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party adopted a resolution condemning TbilisiTbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
city authorities in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic for corruption, failure to meet economic goals, and liberalism in personnel policies. The action was the beginning of the end of the rule of Georgian First Secretary Vasil MzhavanadzeVasil MzhavanadzeVasil Pavlovich Mzhavanadze was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR from September 1953 to September 28, 1972 and a member of the CPSU's Politburo from June 29, 1957 to December 18, 1972...
, and his replacement in that job by Eduard ShevardnadzeEduard ShevardnadzeEduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
. - United States immigration authorities revoked the visa of John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
.- Born: Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, American NBA star, in Newark, NJ
- Born: Shaquille O'Neal
March 7, 1972 (Tuesday)
- TWA Flight 7 was half an hour into its flight from New York to Los Angeles when the airline's officials were notified that it had a time bomb on board. The plane landed back at JFK at . A trained German shepherd named "Brandy" sniffed out the explosive, found in an attache case in the cockpit. With five pounds of C4, the device would have destroyed the , with 52 on board, in midflight at . Police defused the explosive with 12 minutes to spare.
- Federal Express was granted an FAA Operating Certificate by the Federal Aviation Administration, permitting it to operate jet service to deliver packages.
March 8, 1972 (Wednesday)
- As the extortion plot against Trans World AirlinesTrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
continued, a C4 packed time bomb was found on a second . Hidden in a bathroom, the bomb exploded at while the jet sat, unoccupied, at the airport in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Two searches had failed to detect the explosive. The plane had arrived seven hours earlier from New York. The plotters had warned TWA about bombs on four separate flights, and had demanded a $2,000,000 ransom. - The highest recorded speed for a gust of wind was measured at 207 m.p.h. during a storm at Thule Air BaseThule Air BaseThule Air Base or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport , is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located north of the Arctic Circle and from the North Pole on the northwest side of the island of Greenland. It is approximately east of the North Magnetic Pole.-Overview:Thule Air Base is the...
in GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. - President Nixon issued Executive Order 11652, setting standards for top secret, secret, and confidential classifications of government documents, as well as a schedule of declassification. EO 11652 was superseded by the orders of later American Presidents, and classified information is now governed by Executive Order 13292Executive Order 13292Executive Order 13292 was an executive order issued by United States President George W. Bush on March 25, 2003, entitled "Further Amendment to Executive Order 12958, as Amended, Classified National Security Information." The Executive Order modified the manner in which sensitive information was...
.- Born: Andrey MelnichenkoAndrey MelnichenkoAndrey Melnichenko is a Russian businessman and billionaire.He is best known for his energy and banking businesses.- Career :He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of EuroChem - one of Russia’s largest fertilizer companies with annual sales of 73.6 billion roubles US$2.5 billion) in 2009,...
, Russian billionaire, in Gomel, Byelorussian SSR, USSR
- Born: Andrey Melnichenko
- Died: Erich von dem BachErich von dem BachErich Julius Eberhard von Zelewski or Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski , was a Nazi official and a member of the SS, in which he reached the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer .- Slavic origin :...
, 73, Nazi SS-ObergruppenführerObergruppenführerObergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
who crushed the Warsaw UprisingWarsaw UprisingThe Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
March 9, 1972 (Thursday)
- The VolkskammerVolkskammerThe People's Chamber was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic . From its founding in 1949 until the first free elections on 18 March 1990, all members of the Volkskammer were elected on a slate controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , called the National Front...
voted to legalize abortion in East Germany, although 14 legislators voted against the bill and another 8 abstained, a rarity in a Communist state. The new law gave a woman, rather than a government board, the right to terminate her pregnancy within the first 12 weeks after conception, effective immediately. The number of legal abortions went from 18,700 in 1971 to 115,600 in 1972. - Died: Basil O'ConnorBasil O'ConnorBasil O'Connor was an American lawyer. In co-operation with US-President Franklin D. Roosevelt he started two foundations for the rehabiltation of polio patients and the research on polio prevention and treatment...
, 80, co-founder of the March of DimesMarch of DimesThe March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
March 10, 1972 (Friday)
- Broadcaster Larry KingLarry KingLawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
was cleared of charges of grand larceny that had been brought by a former business partner. His arrest in December 1971 nearly ruined his career, and King would work at various radio jobs before getting a nationally syndicated talk show in 1978. In 1985, he would launch Larry King LiveLarry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
on CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. - Born: Takashi FujiiTakashi Fujii, born March 10, 1972 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese comedian and singer who belongs to the Japanese entertainment conglomerate Yoshimoto Kogyo and is the popular host of Matthew's Best Hit TV , born March 10, 1972 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese comedian and singer who belongs...
, Japanese comedian, in Toyonaka, OsakaToyonaka, Osakais a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 388,633 and a population density of 10,680 persons per km². The total area is 36.38 km²...
; Matt KensethMatt KensethMatthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
, American NASCAR driver, in Cambridge, WI; Michael LucasMichael Lucas (director)Michael Lucas is an American-Russian-Israeli gay pornographic actor, director, activist, writer and the founder/CEO of Lucas Entertainment, New York's largest gay-adult-film company...
, Russian-born gay pornographic actor and director, in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
March 11, 1972 (Saturday)
- Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
made its very first voyage, as the Mardi Gras departed Miami for an 8-day cruise ... and ran aground on a sandbar. The 530 passengers, most of whom were travel agents and their families, continued to enjoy themselves until tugboats dislodged the ship the next day, and the new company received national publicity from the incident. - Died: Fredric BrownFredric BrownFredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
, 65, science fiction and mystery author; Zack WheatZack WheatWheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
, 83, Baseball Hall of Famer and Dodgers outfielder
March 12, 1972 (Sunday)
- Britain's Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
telecast a one-hour drama by Brian Clark, called Whose Life Is It Anyway?Whose Life is it Anyway?Whose Life Is It Anyway? is a play by Brian Clark adapted from his 1972 television play of the same title. The play premiered at the Mermaid Theatre in London's West End in 1978 starring Tom Conti as Ken.-Plot:...
. The videotaped story became a popular stage play in 1978 and a film in 1981. - The European satellite TD-1ATD-1ATD-1A, or Thor-Delta 1A, was a European astrophysical research satellite which was launched in 1972. Operated by the European Space Research Organisation, TD-1A made astronomical surveys primarily in the ultraviolet, but also using x-ray and gamma ray detectors.-Spacecraft:TD-1A was named after the...
was launched, designed to be the first to measure the ultraviolet spectrum. - The last troops from India were withdrawn from BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, whose independence they had secured from PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in December. - Gordie HoweGordie HoweGordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
's No. 9 jersey was retired by the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Bill RussellBill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
's No. 6 was retired by the Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
March 13, 1972 (Monday)
- The Australian soap opera Number 96Number 96 (TV series)Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
made its debut on Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, after an ad campaign with the slogan "Tonight at 8:30, Television loses its virginity!". During its five year run, the show would break taboos against showing nudity and sexual intercourse. - On United States television, The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
returned as a syndicated program after two years at the CBS Network's 11:30 time slot, and began a successful and award-winning run that ended in 1986. - Clifford IrvingClifford IrvingClifford Michael Irving is an American author of novels and works of nonfiction, but best known for using forged handwritten letters to convince his publisher into accepting a fake "autobiography" of reclusive businessman Howard Hughes in the early 1970s...
, and his wife Edith, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to charges of conspiracy to defraud, and grand larceny. Irving admitted that he had made up the autobiography of Howard Hughes, for which he had received an advance from McGraw-Hill.
March 14, 1972 (Tuesday)
- Sterling Airways Flight 267, which was bringing Danish vacationers home from a holiday in Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, crashed on its approach to the DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
airport in the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. All 112 persons on board were killed.
March 15, 1972 (Wednesday)
- The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, directed by Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, debuted in five cinemas in New York City, and would set a record (which stood until 1975) for the highest grossing film in history, taking in $87,500,000 in its first release. - Italian multimillionaire and radical Giangiacomo FeltrinelliGiangiacomo FeltrinelliGiangiacomo Feltrinelli was an Italian publisher and left-wing political activist. He founded the publishing house Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore in 1954. He was also a communist and founded the GAP militant grouping in 1970...
was found dead at the MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
suburb of SegrateSegrateSegrate is a town and comune located in the Province of Milan in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. In December 2004 it had some 33,000 inhabitants....
, apparently the victim of his own bomb. Feltrinelli had apparently planned to destroy the pylon of a high-voltage power line in order to plunge the area into darkness, when the explosive went off prematurely. He bled to death from his injuries. - King Hussein of JordanHussein of JordanHussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
unveiled his plan for the "United Arab Kingdom", a federation consisting of the existing Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and a Palestinian Arab state on Jordan's former territories on the IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i occupied West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, each with their own parliament, united under one monarch. The UAK would be dependent upon a treaty between Jordan and Israel. The PLO and other Arab nations opposed the plan. - Died: Linda JonesLinda JonesLinda Jones was an American soul singer.Jones was born in Newark, New Jersey. She started singing in her family's gospel group the Jones Singers at the age of six...
, 27, African-American pop singer, of diabetes
March 16, 1972 (Thursday)
- Demolition of the Pruitt–Igoe public housing project in St. Louis began with the implosion of the first of 33 identical eleven-storey buildings, less than 20 years after the complex had been opened. Crime-ridden and marked by low quality materials, the project's occupancy began declining three years after its 1954 dedication. By 1976, the last of the Pruitt–Igoe apartments had been torn down.
- President Nixon addressed the nation at EST to propose a moratorium on forced busing to achieve desegregation in American schools, making the issue part of his re-election campaign.
- A 160 vehicle pileup on the M1 motorwayM1 motorwayThe M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
at LutonLutonLuton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, England, killed nine people and injured 51 others. The accident came only four months after the deaths of nine people on the same stretch of highway. In both cases, fog and industrial pollution precipitated the chain reaction. - Died: Pie TraynorPie TraynorHarold Joseph "Pie" Traynor was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and radio broadcaster. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a third baseman with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed...
, 72, Baseball Hall of Famer and Pirates third baseman
March 17, 1972 (Friday)
- Lon NolLon NolLon Nol was a Cambodian politician and general who served as Prime Minister of Cambodia twice, as well as serving repeatedly as Defense Minister...
proclaimed himself to be the first President of the Khmer RepublicKhmer RepublicThe Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...
, an office that had been vacant for the first two years of the republic's existence. The monarchy, abolished in 1970, was restored in 1993. - Born: Mia HammMia HammMariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
, American soccer player, in Selma, AL
March 18, 1972 (Saturday)
- Larry MillerLarry Miller (basketball)Lawrence James Miller is a retired American basketball player.As the All American star of his Catasauqua High School team, Miller scored 46 of his team's 66 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a 65-62 win over Steelton High in the 1964 Pennsylvania state playoffs at the Hershey Arena.A 6'4"...
of the Carolina CougarsCarolina CougarsCarolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
set the all-time scoring record for the American Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA), with 67 points in a 139–125 win over the Memphis ProsMemphis ProsMemphis Pros were an American Basketball Association team during the 1970-1971 and 1971-1972 seasons.-Origins:The New Orleans Buccaneers were a charter member of the ABA and played for three seasons, 1967-1970, winning the Western Division championship in 1969...
, breaking Zelmo BeatyZelmo BeatyZelmo "Big Z" Beaty is a former American basketball player.A 6'9" center from Prairie View A&M, Beaty was selected with the third pick of the 1962 National Basketball Association Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. Beaty was named to the inaugural NBA All-Rookie Team in 1963, and played a total of...
's record of 63 that had been set three weeks earlier. It was also a record for highest number of points by a guard in any league. With 25 field goals and 17 free throws, none of Miller's shots was an ABA 3-pointer. - Born: Dane CookDane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
, American comedian, in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
March 19, 1972 (Sunday)
- Prime Ministers Indira GandhiIndira GandhiIndira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
of India and Sheikh Mujibur RahmanSheikh Mujibur RahmanSheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
of BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
signed the Indo-Bangladeshi Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Peace during Gandhi's visit to DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
.
March 20, 1972 (Monday)
- Twenty-four mountaineers were killed by an avalanche on Japan's Mount FujiMount Fujiis the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, and another six were missing and presumed dead. - The Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
set an NBA record for the largest margin of victory (63 points) in 162 to 99 win over the visiting Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. The mark stood for 19 years before being broken by Cleveland's 148–80 win over Miami. - Born: Chris CandidoChris CandidoChristopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
, American professional wrestler, in Spring Lake, NJ (d. 2005) - Died Marilyn MaxwellMarilyn MaxwellMarilyn Maxwell , born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell, was an American actress and entertainer.Noted for her blonde hair and sexually alluring persona, she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War II and the Korean War on USO tours with Bob Hope.-Career:She...
, 50, American actress
March 21, 1972 (Tuesday)
- The United States Supreme Court struck down, as unconstitutional, a Tennessee law requiring one year's residency in the state before a person could register to vote. For the 6–1 majority ruling, Thurgood MarshallThurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
wrote "30 days appears to be an ample period of time for the State to complete whatever administrative tasks are necessary to prevent fraud – and a year, or three months, too much". At the time, all but a few states required at least six months' residency. The ruling, made in Dunn v. Blumstein (405 U.S. 330) effectively opened the way for as many as people to become eligible to register. - George PapadopoulosGeorge PapadopoulosColonel Georgios Papadopoulos was the head of the military coup d'état that took place in Greece on 21 April 1967 and leader of the military government that ruled the country from 1967 to 1974. Papadopoulos was a Colonel of Artillery...
, the dictator of the Kingdom of GreeceKingdom of GreeceThe Kingdom of Greece was a state established in 1832 in the Convention of London by the Great Powers...
, moved one step closer to abolishing the monarchy. In addition to being Prime Minister of GreecePrime Minister of GreeceThe Prime Minister of Greece , officially the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic , is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. The current interim Prime Minister is Lucas Papademos, a former Vice President of the European Central Bank, following...
, as well as its Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and "Minister to the Premier" in charge of government agencies, Papadopoulos took on the ceremonial powers of the King as well. Georgios ZoitakisGeorgios ZoitakisGeorgios Zoitakis was a Greek Army general and regent of Greece from 13 December 1967 to 21 March 1972, during the period of the military regime of the Colonels.- Life :...
, who had been the regentRegentA regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
after King Constantine II went into exile in 1967, was fired by the Cabinet at the request of Papadopoulos, who then took over the job himself. - Born: Derartu TuluDerartu TuluDerartu Tulu is an Ethiopian long distance track, road and marathon athlete.Derartu , a member of the Oromo ethnic group, grew up tending cattle in the village of Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province...
, Ethiopian 10,000 meter medalist, in BekojiBekojiBekoji is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2810 meters. It is the administrative center of Bekoji woreda....
March 22, 1972 (Wednesday)
- The proposed Equal Rights AmendmentEqual Rights AmendmentThe Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
was approved by the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, 84–8, after passing the House on October 12, 354–23, and sent to the states to consider ratification. Although 35 states ratified the amendment by the original 1979 deadline (later extended to 1982), the ERA fell short of the necessary approval by at least 38 states. - The National Commission on Marihuana and Drug AbuseNational Commission on Marihuana and Drug AbuseThe National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse was created by Public Law 91-513 to study marijuana abuse in the United States. While the Controlled Substances Act was being drafted in a House committee in 1970, Assistant Secretary of Health Roger O...
(also called the Shafer Commission), a 13 member panel created by Congress, unanimously recommended the removal of federal and state restrictions against the personal possession and private use of marijuana. The Commission's surprising conclusions were not accepted by President Nixon or by Congress. - The United States Supreme Court ruled, in Eisenstadt v. BairdEisenstadt v. BairdEisenstadt v. Baird, , was an important United States Supreme Court case that established the right of unmarried people to possess contraception on the same basis as married couples and, by implication, the right of unmarried couples to engage in potentially nonprocreative sexual intercourse .The...
(405 U.S. 438), that unmarried persons had the same rights to contraceptive products as married persons did, striking down a Massachusetts law, and extending the protection of the 1965 ruling in Griswold v. ConnecticutGriswold v. ConnecticutGriswold v. Connecticut, , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution protected a right to privacy. The case involved a Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives...
. - Born: Shawn BradleyShawn BradleyShawn Paul Bradley is a retired American and German basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. At tall, Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history...
, American NBA player, in LandstuhlLandstuhlLandstuhl , literally translating as "country-throne", is a municipality of over 9,000 people in southwestern Germany. It is part of the district of Kaiserslautern, in the Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is home to the Sickinger Schloss, a small castle. It is situated on the north-western edge...
, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
; Elvis StojkoElvis StojkoElvis Stojko, MSC, MSM is a Canadian figure skater. He is a three-time World champion , two-time Olympic silver medalist , and seven-time Canadian champion ....
, Canadian figure skater, in Newmarket, OntarioNewmarket, OntarioNewmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
; Cory LidleCory LidleCory Fulton Lidle was an Americanright-handed baseball pitcher who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams...
, New York Yankees pitcher (killed in plane crash, 2006) - Died: Jeremiah Milbank, 85, American philanthropist and co-founder of the March of DimesMarch of DimesThe March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.-Organization:...
March 23, 1972 (Thursday)
- The first media event surrounding the recently discovered, cave-dwelling Tasaday people took place in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
as reporters, scientists, and VIPs (including Charles LindberghCharles LindberghCharles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
) were brought in by helicopter to meet a group of people who had never made it out of the Stone Age. It was not until after the 1986 overthrow of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos that it was discovered that the 26 Tasaday "cavemen" had been ordinary people going along with a hoax. - The world's first Green Party meeting took place in the HobartHobartHobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
Town Hall, convened by Dr. Richard JonesRichard Jones (Tasmanian politician)Dr. Richard Jones was one of the co-founders of the United Tasmania Group , the world's first Green party and the predecessor of the Tasmanian Greens. He was the UTG's first president when it formed in March 1972, through to the middle 1970s. At the time Jones was an academic biologist working at... - Born: Joe CalzagheJoe CalzagheJoseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
, Welsh boxer and world middleweight champion, in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... - Died: John CarnellJohn CarnellEdward John Carnell , known to his friends as either Ted or John, was a British science fiction editor known for editing New Worlds in 1946 then from 1949 to 1963. He also edited Science Fantasy from the 1950s...
, 59, British science fiction publisher
March 24, 1972 (Friday)
- Edward HeathEdward HeathSir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, announced direct ruleDirect RuleDirect rule was the term given, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, to the administration of Northern Ireland directly from Westminster, seat of United Kingdom government...
from London after half a century of Irish autonomy. The bicameral Parliament of Northern IrelandParliament of Northern IrelandThe Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
, commonly referred to as "Stormont", was suspended, and Prime Minister of Northern IrelandPrime Minister of Northern IrelandThe Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...
Brian FaulknerBrian FaulknerArthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, PC was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972...
was replaced by William Whitelaw, named to the newly created post of Secretary of State for Northern IrelandSecretary of State for Northern IrelandThe Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
. - Died: Cristobal BalenciagaCristóbal BalenciagaCristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was a Spanish Basque fashion designer and the founder of the Balenciaga fashion house....
, 77, Spanish fashion designer
March 25, 1972 (Saturday)
- The 254th and last original episode of the TV series BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
was broadcast, ending a run that had started on September 17, 1964. - The UCLA Bruins beat Florida State 81–76 to win their sixth consecutive NCAA basketball championship, their eighth overall, and their 45th consecutive victory.
- Following fraudulent elections in El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Colonel Benjamin Mejia led an attempted coup in order to prevent the winner, Arturo Armando MolinaArturo Armando MolinaColonel Arturo Armando Molina is a former President of El Salvador. He served between July 1, 1972 and July 1, 1977. Molina was a member of the National Conciliation Party....
, from taking office as President. Despite the rebels' temporary capture of President Fidel Sánchez HernándezFidel Sánchez HernándezFidel Sánchez Hernández was a politician, general, and former President of El Salvador. It could be said that Sánchez Hernández led his country during a tumultuous era...
, the rebellion failed to attract support from other military units, and was put down the next day, after more than 100 people had been killed and over 200 wounded.
March 26, 1972 (Sunday)
- The Lord Carrington, Britain's Secretary of State for DefenceSecretary of State for DefenceThe Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
reached an agreement with MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
's Prime Minister, Dom MintoffDom MintoffDom Mintoff is a Maltese politician, journalist and architect, who served as leader of the Labour Party from 1949 to 1984, Prime Minister of Malta from 1955 to 1958 and again, post-Independence, from 1971 to...
, renewing the United Kingdom's lease of military bases on the Mediterranean island for another seven years, and at triple the previous rent. After the British lease had expired in September, Mintoff had threatened to sign an agreement with the Soviet Union or with Libya. The new payment was $37,000,000 per annum. British forces would leave Malta permanently on March 31, 1979. - Died: Oskar RescherOskar RescherOskar Rescher , aka Osman Reşer, was a prolific German-Turkish scholar in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish literature who specialized in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry and Ottoman studies. In 1903 he began to study law in Munich but soon changed to Oriental languages...
, 88, German scholar
March 27, 1972 (Monday)
- Venera 8Venera 8Venera 8 was a probe in the Soviet Venera program for the exploration of Venus.Venera 8 was a Venus atmospheric probe and lander. Its instrumentation included temperature, pressure, and light sensors as well as an altimeter, gamma ray spectrometer, gas analyzer, and radio transmitters...
was launched from the Soviet Union to explore the planet VenusVenusVenus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, where it would land on July 22. - President Idi AminIdi AminIdi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
ordered all Israelis to leave UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. For the past ten years, Israel had trained Ugandan paratroopers, but Amin broke relations after forming an alliance with LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. - The comic strip Funky WinkerbeanFunky WinkerbeanFunky Winkerbean is a comic strip created by high school teacher Tom Batiuk , which debuted on March 27, 1972.The strip is centered on Westview High School and initially focused on several of its students: the title character, Funky Winkerbean, Crazy Harry Klinghorn, Barry Balderman, Bull Bushka,...
made its debut, introduced by King Features SyndicateKing Features SyndicateKing Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
. The author was Tom BatiukTom BatiukTom Batiuk is an American comic strip creator. His best-known comic strip is Funky Winkerbean.Batiuk attended Kent State University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in painting. He went on to teach art in junior high school...
, a 24-year-old art teacher at Eastern Heights Junior High School in Elyria, OhioElyria, Ohio-Community:Elyria has an extensive, although financially burdened, community food pantry and "Hot Meals" program administered through the Second Harvest Food Bank and several churches Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial Hospital.-Recreation and parks:...
. Funky ("just and average kid trying to figure out a confusing world ... not to mention plane geometry") introduced himself and his friends, Roland, Les and Lavinia in the first day's strip. - Born: Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkJimmy Floyd HasselbainkJerrel Hasselbaink usually known as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a Dutch former football striker who played for various clubs in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, and Spain, as well as the Dutch national team. He scored more than 200 career goals...
, Dutch footballer, in ParamariboParamariboParamaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
, Surinam - Died: M. C. EscherM. C. EscherMaurits Cornelis Escher , usually referred to as M. C. Escher , was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints...
, 73, Dutch lithographer of "impossible objects" (e.g., "Relativity"Relativity (M. C. Escher)Relativity is a lithograph print by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher, first printed in December 1953.It depicts a world in which the normal laws of gravity do not apply. The architectural structure seems to be the centre of an idyllic community, with most of its inhabitants casually going about their...
)
March 28, 1972 (Tuesday)
- The ocelotOcelotThe ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...
(Leopardus pardalis), a rare feline found only in Texas and Arizona, was placed on the Endangered Species List. - Barbara JordanBarbara JordanBarbara Charline Jordan was an American politician who was both a product and a leader, of the Civil Rights movement. She was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first southern black female elected to the United States House of Representatives...
was elected president pro temporePresident pro temporeA President pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer...
of the Texas State Senate, making her the first black woman to preside over a legislative body. As third in line for succession, she served as acting governor on June 10, 1972, when the Governor and Lieutenant Governor were out of the state. - Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
's Parliament, the Stormont, met for the very last time. The assembly was dissolved when Britain introduced direct rule. - Chong Hong Jin, South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's deputy director of intelligence, secretly traveled to North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
to arrange for closer ties between the two enemy nations.
March 29, 1972 (Wednesday)
- For the first time since 1966, authorities in East Germany opened the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
for an eight day period in order to allow visitors from West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
during the EasterEasterEaster is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
holidays, and tens of thousands of Westerners received permission to travel to East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. For the first time since 1952, the Communist government permitted visitors to go beyond the capital and into the countryside as well. The visits were permitted until April 5. - After the first seven states had ratified the proposed Equal Rights AmendmentEqual Rights AmendmentThe Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
, the ERA was rejected by OklahomaOklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The vote in the state's House of Representatives was 52–36, seven short of the necessary 2/3 majority. The "anti-ERA movement", led by Phyllis SchlaflyPhyllis SchlaflyPhyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly is a Constitutional lawyer and an American politically conservative activist and author who founded the Eagle Forum. She is known for her opposition to modern feminism ideas and for her campaign against the proposed Equal Rights Amendment...
, began receiving support in other states. - The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space ObjectsLiability ConventionThe Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, also known as the Space Liability Convention, is a treaty that expands on the liability rules created in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Because relatively few accidents have occurred resulting from space objects, the...
was signed, and took effect on September 1. - Died: J. Arthur RankJ. Arthur RankJoseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc.- Family business :...
, 83, British film producer
March 30, 1972 (Thursday)
- North VietnamNorth VietnamThe Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
launched the Nguyen Hue Offensive (referred to in the United States as the Easter Offensive), with 30,000 troops and 200 armored vehicles invading South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, with the objective of capturing the Quang TriQuang TriQuảng Trị is a town district of Quang Tri province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam. Significantly, it was the only South Vietnamese provincial capital to be captured by the North Vietnamese forces for a limited period in the 1972 offensive....
province. With American air support, the South Vietnamese army drove out the invaders. By the time the offensive ended in October, more than 40,000 soldiers from the North, and 10,000 from the South, had been killed. - Born: Karel PoborskyKarel PoborskýKarel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:...
, Czech Republic footballer, in TřeboňTrebonTřeboň is a historical town in South Bohemian Region of Czech Republic. The population stands at 8,862 .-History:Třeboň was established around the middle of the 12th century. In 1366 the House of Rožmberk become owner of the estate...
, CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992... - Died: Gabriel HeatterGabriel HeatterGabriel Heatter was an American radio commentator whose World War II-era sign-on became both his catchphrase and his caricature...
, 81, American newscaster
March 31, 1972 (Friday)
- A team of investigators from the Flamingo Park Zoo in Scarborough found a mysterious carcass floating in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's Loch NessLoch NessLoch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
, while searching for proof of the existence of the legendary Loch Ness MonsterLoch Ness MonsterThe Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
, and loaded it into their truck. They were stopped by Fife policeFife ConstabularyFife Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council area of Fife.The area policed by Fife Constabulary has a resident population of just over 350,000, almost a third of whom live in one of the three principal towns of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes...
under a 1933 law prohibiting the removal of "unidentified creatures" from the Loch, and the incident made headlines worldwide. An examination determined that the body was that of an elephant sealElephant sealElephant seals are large, oceangoing seals in the genus Mirounga. There are two species: the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal . Both were hunted to the brink of extinction by the end of the 19th century, but numbers have since recovered...
, which had died the week before at Flamingo Park. John Shields, a Zoo employee, had intended only to play a joke on his colleagues, and hadn't counted on police or press attention. - The Masjid-e-AqsaMasjid-e-AqsaThe Masjid-e-Aqsa in Rabwah is the greatest mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The foundation stone was laid in 1966 and the building's inauguration took place on March 31, 1972...
, the largest house of worship for Ahmadiyya Muslim CommunityAhmadiyya Muslim CommunityThe Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the larger of two communities that arose from the Ahmadiyya movement founded in 1889 in India by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian . The original movement split into two factions soon after the death of the founder...
, was dedicated in RabwahRabwahRabwah is a private city in the Chiniot District of Punjab Province, Pakistan located on the Chenab River near the historic city of Chiniot...
, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. - A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, AF Serial No. 56-0625, departed McCoy Air Force BaseMcCoy Air Force BaseWith McCoy's closure as an active air force installation in 1975, the site was redeveloped and is known today as Orlando International Airport, which carries the airport code MCO .- History :...
, Florida on a routine training mission. Assigned to the 306th Bombardment Wing, the unarmed aircraft sustained multiple engine failures and engine fires on engines #7 and #8 shortly after takeoff. The aircraft immediately attempted to return to the base, but crashed just short of Runway 18R in a residential area of Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, approximately 1 mile north of McCoy AFB, destroying or damaging eight homes. The flight crew of 7 airmen and 1 civilian on the ground were killed. - Died: Meena KumariMeena KumariMeena Kumari , born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema...
, 40, Indian actress and BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
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