At A Glance

5 February 1972 at a glance

Day of the week
5 February 1972 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “American Pie” by Don McLean.
Top Film of 1972
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1972 was The Godfather.
Bestselling Novel of 1972
“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1972.
Top-Rated TV Show
“All in the Family” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1972–73 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 February 1972 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 February 1972 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 5 February

  • 1962 French President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria to be granted independence.
  • 1963 The European Court of Justice's ruling in Van Gend en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen establishes the principle of direct effect, one of the most important, if not the most important, decisions in the development of European Union law.
  • 1967 Cultural Revolution: The Shanghai People's Commune is formally proclaimed, with Yao Wenyuan and Zhang Chunqiao being appointed as its leaders.
  • 1971 Astronauts land on the Moon in the Apollo 14 mission.
  • 1981 Operation Soap: The Metropolitan Toronto Police Force raids four gay bathhouses in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, arresting just under 300, triggering mass protest and rallies.

Famous people born on February 5

  • Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer (born 1985)
  • Michael Sheen, Welsh actor and director (born 1969)
  • Neymar, Brazilian footballer (born 1992)
  • Laura Linney, American actress (born 1964)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1972 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1972 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • March 15 – The Godfather has its premiere at the Loew's State Theatre in New York City.
  • April 10 – The 44th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jack Lemmon, is held at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. William Friedkin's The French Connection wins five awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Friedkin.
  • April 12 – The X-rated animated movie Fritz the Cat is released.

Life in the US in 1972

President

Richard Nixon

Gas (per gallon)

$0.36

Loaf of Bread

$0.25

Average House

$19,400

Weekly Wage

$154

Or

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →