UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
18 August 1972 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 18 August 1972 was a Friday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “School's Out” by Alice Cooper.
- Top Film of 1972
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1972 was The Godfather.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1972 fell in the Year of the Rat.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 18 August 1972 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 18 August
- 1963 Civil rights movement: James Meredith becomes the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.
- 1965 Vietnam War: Operation Starlite begins: United States Marines destroy a Viet Cong stronghold on the Van Tuong peninsula in the first major American ground battle of the war.
- 1966 Vietnam War: The Battle of Long Tan ensues after a patrol from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment clashes with a Viet Cong force in Phước Tuy Province.
- 1971 Vietnam War: Australia and New Zealand decide to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.
- 1976 The Soviet Union's robotic probe Luna 24 successfully lands on the Moon.
Famous people born on 18 August
- Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
- Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
- Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
- Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Events of 1972 in the United Kingdom
A selection from Wikipedia's '1972 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.
- 1 April – William Whitelaw is appointed as the first Northern Ireland Secretary.
- 4 April – First broadcast of the long-running BBC Television children's programme Newsround.
- 12 May – The Crown Court is established by the Courts Act 1971 to replace the courts of Assize and Quarter Sessions in England and Wales. Property qualifications requiring jurors to be householders are abolished.
Life in 1972
Prime Minister
Edward Heath
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Pint of Beer
18p
Loaf of Bread
11p
Average House
£7,374
Weekly Wage
£36.10
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Famous Faces Born in the 1970s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Matthew Rhys8 November 1974ActorView their day →Hannah Waddingham28 July 1974ActressView their day →Andy Burnham7 January 1970PoliticianView their day →Christopher Nolan30 July 1970FilmmakerView their day →Lucy Davis17 February 1973ActressView their day →Tom Hardy15 September 1977ActorView their day →Christian Bale30 January 1974ActorView their day →Kelly Macdonald23 February 1976ActressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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