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December 31, 1972 New Year's Eve

December 31, 1972, was a Sunday. It was 51 years, 11 months, and 30 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

On This Day

Events

Notable events that occurred on December 31, 1972:

  • Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash.
Song charts

Popular songs

On December 31, 1972, the following songs were at the top of the music charts in the USA and the UK:

  • United States: "Me And Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul
  • United Kingdom: "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond

The music charts on December 31, 1972

The following songs were dominating the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
  • Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
  • You Ought To Be With Me - Al Green
  • You're So Vain - Carly Simon
  • It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond
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.
The Poseidon Adventure

Top movie

The top movie on this day was "The Poseidon Adventure".

Facts

New Year's Eve 1972 occurred 18,992 days ago. Approximately 633 months have passed. It was the 366th day of 1972, in week 52. The decade was the seventies. It was the last day of the year. People who were born on December 31, 1972, are now 51 years old and belong to the Generation X generation. 1972 was a leap year, which means that it had an extra day in February. 211 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to December 31, 1972

Let's go back to the seventies.

The date is December 31, 1972, and it's a Sunday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Capricorn. People are currently enjoying their weekend. However, because it's a Sunday, some are dreading the week ahead.

It's New Year's Eve, and everyone is wondering what the year 1973 will bring. In America, the song "Me And Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul is at the top of the singles charts, while "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" by Little Jimmy Osmond is the number-one song in the UK. Richard Nixon is the President of the United States, and the movie The Poseidon Adventure 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 Odd Couple", "The Partridge Family", and "Ghost Story". 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. A disaster film called "The Poseidon Adventure" is currently being shown in movie theaters. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Pablo Picasso, Bruce Lee, and J. R. R. Tolkien would all still be alive.

People are playing video games such as "Pong". Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!", "Sesame Street", "The Funky Phantom", and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids". Children are playing with toys such as Army men, Suzy Homemaker, Clackers, and the Rock Flowers dolls.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 31, 1972, will have the star sign Capricorn.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1972 was the year of the Rat (Yang Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: December 31, 1972 falls under the Goose.
  • 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 31, 1972.

  • 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 31, 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 31, 1972.

  • 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.
  • December 7, 1972: Jean McConville is kidnapped by the Provisional IRA in Belfast.
  • 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.
  • This date: December 31, 1972
  • January 5, 1973: Aerosmith release their first album.
  • January 7, 1973:
    • Serial killer Edmund Kemper murders 18-year-old student Cynthia Ann Schall.
    • 23-year-old Mark Essex shoots and kills 9 people at the Howard Johnson's hotel in New Orleans.
  • January 13, 1973: The last episode of the American Western series "Alias Smith and Jones" is aired on ABC.
  • January 14, 1973:
    • Super Bowl VII: The Miami Dolphins defeat the Washington Redskins 14-7 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
    • Elvis Presley performs his concert "Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite".
  • January 22, 1973:
    • Boxing: George Foreman defeats Joe Frazier to become the new heavyweight champion.
    • Former US President Lyndon B. Johnson passes away.
    • Roberta Flack releases the single "Killing Me Softly with His Song".
  • January 27, 1973: US involvement in the Vietnam War comes to an end.

1970s fashion

Photographs of 1970s fashion and hairstyles.

1970s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in December 1972

In December 1972, TV audiences were watching the following series:

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

If you were a kid on December 31, 1972, then you were probably watching the following cartoons and TV shows:

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

If you were a child on this date, then you may have had some of the following toys:

Shrinky Dinks
Shrinky Dinks
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)
Video games

Video games

Popular video games that people were playing in December 1972.

Pong 1972
Pong

Were you born on December 31, 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 31, 1978, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on December 31.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

Actor
Born on December 31, 1937
He turned 35 on this day in 1972.

Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson

Soccer manager
Born on December 31, 1941
He turned 31 on this day in 1972.

John Denver

John Denver

American singer Deceased
Born on December 31, 1943
He turned 29 on this day in 1972.

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer

Actor
Born on December 31, 1959
He turned 13 on this day in 1972.

John Allen Muhammad

John Allen Muhammad

Convicted murderer Deceased
Born on December 31, 1960
He turned 12 on this day in 1972.

Psy

Psy

South Korean singer
Born on December 31, 1977
He was born exactly 5 years after this date.

Donald Trump Jr.

Donald Trump Jr.

American businessman
Born on December 31, 1977
He was born exactly 5 years after this date.

Hunter Schafer

Hunter Schafer

Actress
Born on December 31, 1998
She was born exactly 26 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on December 31:

USA

US President

Richard Nixon was the President of the United States on December 31, 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 31, 1972 was most likely conceived around April 9, 1972.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 31, 1972 is close to September 23, 1973.

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Stats for December 31, 1972

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 31, 1972:

  • 18,992 days have passed since this date.
  • 2,713 weeks have passed.
  • 1,640,908,800 seconds have passed since December 31, 1972.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 1,914,393,600 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 846,708,940,800 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 273,484,800 times.
  • You have taken approximately 141,118,157 steps. That's roughly 62,719 miles.
  • 19,690,906 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1972?

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