At A Glance

31 December 1972 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1972 was a Sunday.
Irish Chart Song in 1972
The Irish chart song for 1972 was “Mouldy Old Dough” by Lieutenant Pigeon.
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 Ireland

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

  • 1 January – The Central Bank of Ireland became the banker of the Government of Ireland in succession to the Bank of Ireland in accordance with the Central Bank Act 1971, completing its transition from a currency board to a fully operating central bank.
  • 12 February – William Craig launched the Ulster Vanguard movement in Lisburn.
  • 30 March – UK Prime Minister Edward Heath dissolved the Parliament of Northern Ireland and imposed Direct Rule over Northern Ireland.
More events of 1972 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Ireland in 1972

Taoiseach

Jack Lynch

Petrol (per litre)

£0.26/gal

Loaf of Bread

£0.08

Average House

£6,200

Weekly Wage

£14

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.

Cillian Murphy25 May 1976ActorView their day →Michael Fassbender2 April 1977ActorView their day →Andrew Scott21 October 1976ActorView their day →Colin Farrell31 May 1976ActorView their day →Dolores O'Riordan6 September 1971MusicianView their day →Sharon Horgan13 July 1970Actress & writerView their day →Glen Hansard21 April 1970Musician & songwriterView their day →Jimmy Carr15 September 1972Comedian & humouristView their day →

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

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