At A Glance

31 December 1972 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1972 was a Sunday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Ben” by Michael Jackson was No. 1 on David Kent's retrospective Australian chart. This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.
Top Film of 1972
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1972 was The Godfather.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1972 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1972 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1963 The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
  • 1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
  • 1968 The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.
  • 1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings.
  • 1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1972 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1972 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 26 January – Aboriginal Tent Embassy was constructed in front of Parliament House (now old Parliament House).
  • 18 February – The Logie Awards of 1972 are held in Melbourne where Division 4's Gerard Kennedy wins his second consecutive Gold Logie.
  • 13 March – Controversial soap opera Number 96 debuts on the 0-10 Network.

Life in Australia in 1972

Prime Minister

Gough Whitlam

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.08

Loaf of Bread

$0.24

Average House

$16,000

Weekly Wage

$75.00

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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