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December 7, 1972

December 7, 1972, was a Thursday. It was 52 years and 14 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Sagittarius.

On This Day

What happened?

What happened on December 7, 1972?

  • Jean McConville is kidnapped by the Provisional IRA in Belfast.
Birthdays

Born on December 7, 1972

People who were born on this exact date:

Song charts

Music charts

These songs were on top of the music charts in the United States and the United Kingdom on December 7, 1972:

  • United States: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by Temptations
  • United Kingdom: "My Ding-a-ling" by Chuck Berry

The Billboard Hot 100 on December 7, 1972

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Papa Was A Rollin' Stone - The Temptations
  • I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
  • I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
  • I'd Love You To Want Me - Lobo
  • If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes
Play the top singles from 1972
A Spotify playlist of songs from 1972. Take a trip back to the days of Elton John, Lou Reed, Al Green and Don McLean.
Lady Sings the Blues

Top movie at the box office

The movie "Lady Sings the Blues" was at the top of the box office on December 7, 1972.

Facts

This date occurred 19,007 days ago. Approximately 634 months have passed. It was the 342nd day of 1972, in week 49. The decade was the seventies. There were only 24 days left in the year. People who were born on December 7, 1972, are now 52 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. 1972 was a leap year, which means that it had an extra day in February. The Earth has experienced 211 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to December 7, 1972

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is December 7, 1972, and it's a Thursday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Sagittarius. The Christmas season of 1972 has begun.

In America, the song "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by Temptations is at the top of the singles charts, while "My Ding-a-ling" by Chuck Berry is the number-one song in the UK. Richard Nixon is the President of the United States, and the movie Lady Sings the Blues is at the top of the box office. Edward Heath is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

On television, people are watching popular shows such as "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", "The Flip Wilson Show", "The Rookies", and "Maude". In fashion, the hippie look from the 1960s is still popular. Clothing items such as tie dye shirts, bell-bottoms, midi skirts, gauchos and Mexican blouses are being worn by women. Meanwhile, men are wearing dark satin shirts, ethnic-looking tunics, bell bottom jeans, tweed sports jackets and turtlenecks. It's 1972, so radio stations are playing songs from artists such as Don McLean, Harry Nilsson, Hot Butter, Neil Young, The Moody Blues, Roberta Flack, Bill Withers and Johnny Nash.

If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Pablo Picasso, and Bruce Lee would all still be alive. People are playing video games such as "Pong". Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "Lassie", "The Bugs Bunny Show", "Underdog", and "Sesame Street".

Children are playing with toys such as Lite-Brite, Clackers, Uno (card game), and Kenner SSP Racers.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 7, 1972, will have the star sign Sagittarius.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1972 was the year of the Rat (Yang Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 11.
  • Native American Zodiac: December 7, 1972 falls under the Owl.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.
  • Birth flower (December): The Narcissus and the Holly.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on December 7, 1972.

  • Christmas 1972 has begun.

    Christmas 1972 has begun

    The Christmas holiday season of 1972 had just begun. Retailers were starting to play festive music, and decorations were beginning to spring up.
  • The Co-ed Killer is targeting students in California.

    The Co-ed Killer is targeting students in California

    Between May of 1972 and April of 1973, serial killer Edmund Kemper (aka the "Co-ed Killer") was targeting female college students in California.
  • Music cassette tapes are becoming popular.

    Music cassette tapes are becoming popular

    Audio cassettes started becoming widespread from about 1972 onward. Although they lacked the sound quality of vinyl records, they were far more convenient and portable.
  • Color TV surpasses black-and-white.

    Color TV surpasses black-and-white

    Sales of color TV sets were beginning to surpass sales of the older black-and-white models. By this stage, almost all of the popular daytime networks were broadcasting in color.
  • The US is winding down its involvement in the Vietnam War.

    The US is winding down its involvement in the Vietnam War

    During 1972, the war in Vietnam was still ongoing. However, the US had greatly reduced their presence in the country. Between 1971 and 1972, the number of US troops in Vietnam fell from 156,800 to 24,200. Instead of keeping soldiers on the ground, the US shifted its focus to providing air support while negotiators in Paris tried to hammer out a peace agreement.
  • Who were the best NBA players in 1972?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1972?

    The best NBA players in 1972 were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Spencer Haywood, Jerry West and Walt Frazier.
  • Best soccer players.

    Best soccer players

    In 1972, the best soccer players were Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Günter Netzer, Johan Cruyff, Piet Keizer, Kazimierz Deyna, Gordon Banks, Barry Hulshoff, Włodzimierz Lubański and Bobby Moore.
  • The Godfather.

    The Godfather

    "The Godfather" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972.
  • Roberta Flack - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

    Roberta Flack - "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

    "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack would go on to win a Grammy for 1972's Song of the Year.
  • 1972 in movies.

    1972 in movies

    Movies released in 1972 included The Godfather, The Poseidon Adventure, "What's Up, Doc?", Behind the Green Door, Deliverance, Super Fly, Cabaret, The Getaway, Fritz the Cat, The Legend of Boggy Creek, Jeremiah Johnson, Blacula and Silent Running.
  • Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger.

    Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger

    US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger were both named Time Person of the Year in 1972. Nixon and Kissinger had made history by traveling to China to "open up a dialogue."
  • 1972 in music.

    1972 in music

    The Billboard Charts in 1972 were dominated by Don McLean, Roberta Flack, Gilbert O'Sullivan, America, Joe Tex, Looking Glass and Al Green.
  • Have a nice day!

    Have a nice day!

    The smiley face and phrases such as "Have a nice day!" and "Have a happy day!" were being plastered onto t-shirts, mugs, and badges.
  • Bell-bottoms.

    Bell-bottoms

    Bell-bottoms (flares) were in fashion.
  • Wallpaper.

    Wallpaper

    Wallpaper was extremely common in people's homes throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't until the mid-late 1980s that "modernism" started to creep in.
  • Office workers are using typewriters.

    Office workers are using typewriters

    Although personal computers began to emerge during the 1970s, typewriters were still the norm for most office workers.
  • The Volkswagen Beetle.

    The Volkswagen Beetle

    The Volkswagen Beetle was one of the most common cars on the road. Sales of the vehicle increased following the release of the 1968 film The Love Bug (and its subsequent spin-offs).
  • The Hippie movement.

    The Hippie movement

    The hippie counterculture reached its peak during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The movement, which sprung up in opposition to the Vietnam War, was centered around peace, psychedelic music, sexual liberation, bright colors, and drugs such as LSD and marijuana.
  • Lava lamps are all the rage.

    Lava lamps are all the rage

    Sales of lava lamps increased in the late 1960s. It wasn't until the second half of the 1970s that they started to go out of fashion.
  • The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity.

    The afro hairstyle is at its peak in popularity

    The afro hairstyle took off during the 1960s and early 1970s. Public figures such as Angela Davis, Pam Grier, Jimi Hendrix, and the Jackson 5 were among those who sported the style.
  • The push-button telephone.

    The push-button telephone

    Push-button telephones were beginning to replace the older rotary-style landlines.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on December 7, 1972.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around December 7, 1972.

  • November 7, 1972: Richard Nixon is re-elected as the President of the United States.
  • November 8, 1972: The American pay television network "HBO" is launched.
  • November 10, 1972: Southern Airways Flight 49 is hijacked in Birmingham, Alabama.
  • November 20, 1972: Elton John releases the song "Crocodile Rock".
  • November 29, 1972: The game Pong is released.
  • December 5, 1972: Labor leader Gough Whitlam becomes the new Prime Minister of Australia.
  • December 6, 1972: Actress Janet Munro dies from a heart attack at the age of 38.
  • This date: December 7, 1972
  • December 12, 1972: "The Poseidon Adventure" is released in movie theaters.
  • December 13, 1972: The thriller film "The Getaway", starring Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, is released in movie theaters.
  • December 21, 1972: The Western film "Jeremiah Johnson" is released.
  • December 23, 1972:
    • NFL: The Immaculate Reception play occurs in a game between the Oakland Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
    • Over 10,000 are killed when an earthquake hits the Nicaraguan capital of Managua.
    • The survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued.
  • December 26, 1972: Former US President Harry Truman passes away at the age of 88.
  • December 29, 1972: 101 people are killed when Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashes in Florida.
  • December 30, 1972: The film "The Way of the Dragon", starring Bruce Lee, is released in movie theaters.
  • December 31, 1972: Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash.
  • January 5, 1973: Aerosmith release their first album.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in December 1972

The following TV shows were popular in December 1972:

TV shows from December 1972.

M*A*S*H
M*A*S*H
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
Ghost Story
Ghost Story
The Waltons
The Waltons
Maude
Maude
The Rookies
The Rookies
Emergency!
Emergency!
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Soul Train
Soul Train
McMillan & Wife
McMillan & Wife
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour

Cars in 1972

1972 saw the introduction of cars such as the Honda Civic, the Chevrolet LUV, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 5 Series, the Ford Thunderbird (sixth generation), and the Renault 5.

Cars in 1972.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in December 1972

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Lassie's Rescue Rangers
Lassie's Rescue Rangers
The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
The Electric Company
The Electric Company
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
Help!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!
Archie's TV Funnies
Archie's TV Funnies
The Funky Phantom
The Funky Phantom
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
All in the Family
All in the Family
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Toys

Toys in 1972

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Magnavox Odyssey
Magnavox Odyssey
Kenner SSP Racers
Kenner SSP Racers
Big Jim (action figure)
Big Jim (action figure)
Uno (card game)
Uno (card game)
The Rock Flowers dolls
The Rock Flowers dolls
Weebles
Weebles
VertiBird (toy helicopter)
VertiBird (toy helicopter)
G.I. Joe Adventure Team
G.I. Joe Adventure Team
Nerf Balls
Nerf Balls
Frisbee
Frisbee
Crissy (doll)
Crissy (doll)
Clackers
Clackers
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in December 1972.

Pong 1972
Pong

Were you born on December 7, 1972?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1972.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out December 7, 1978, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on December 7.

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky

Linguist
Born on December 7, 1928
He turned 44 on this day in 1972.

Rick Rude

Rick Rude

Wrestler Deceased
Born on December 7, 1958
He turned 14 on this day in 1972.

Nicole Appleton

Nicole Appleton

All Saints
Born on December 7, 1974
She was born exactly 2 years after this date.

John Terry

John Terry

Soccer player
Born on December 7, 1980
He was born exactly 8 years after this date.

Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter

Singer Deceased
Born on December 7, 1987
He was born exactly 15 years after this date.

USA

US President

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States on December 7, 1972.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Edward Heath was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Jack Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on December 7, 1972 was most likely conceived around March 16, 1972.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 7, 1972 is close to August 30, 1973.

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Stats for December 7, 1972

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 7, 1972:

  • 19,007 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,715 weeks have passed.
  • 1,642,204,800 seconds have passed since December 7, 1972.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,915,905,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 847,377,676,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 273,700,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 141,229,613 steps. That's roughly 62,769 miles.
  • 19,706,458 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1972?

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