What was happening in 1972?
From sports to food to music to celebrities, find out some fabulous fun facts about 1972.
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1972 Fun Facts
In 1972, Richard Nixon was president, the last human-crewed moon landing was completed, Hurricane Agnes hit the East coast, and the band KISS was formed.
And that’s not even half of it!
Read on to find out some more fun facts about 1972.
What Was Happening in 1972?
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was the Top Song
Scoring number 1 on the 1972 Billboard Charts, Roberta Flack’s version of “The First Time Every I Saw Your Face” is a sweet, emotional tune, proving that people were romantics in 1972!
Other chart-topping hits include “American Pie” by Don McClean, “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, and “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green.
Germany Hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics
The summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany.
Swimmer Mark Spitz broke the record for most gold medals in a single Olympics (he won 7).
In every single race, Spitz broke the world record!
The gold medal basketball game is considered the most controversial game in basketball history.
The US played the Soviet Union, and the US appeared to win by 50-49.
Then the final seconds of the game were replayed three times by the judges, and they ultimately decided the score was 51-50, with the Soviet Union on top.
The US team refused to accept their silver medals in protest.
The Godfather Is the Top Movie
Topping the box office charts in 1972 was the cinematic classic The Godfather.
Coming next was the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
The top TV shows in 1972 included “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” and the original “Hawaii Five-O.”
Pantsuits Are On Trend in 1972
With more women heading into the workforce, pantsuits were the new thing.
Women still wore miniskirts (a carry-over from the 60s) but added colorful tights and long sweaters.
For men and women, pants were bell bottoms, and shirts were tight.
And everybody loved plaid shirts!
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin Debuted in 1972
Egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese on an English muffin became the new breakfast staple at McDonald’s; the Egg McMuffin was born!
Other favorite foods from 1972 include the popular appetizer: cheese and pineapple chunks on toothpicks.
Snapple Was Invented
Hyman Golden and Leornard Marsh opened the juice company in New York in 1972.
The company got its name because one of the first batches of apple juice accidentally fermented in the bottles.
The resulting carbonation caused the caps to fly off the bottles!
The word “Snapple” is a combination of “snappy” and “apple.”
Ruby Tuesdays and Popeye’s Get Their Start
The first Ruby Tuesdays opened in Knoxville near the University of Tennessee campus.
Popeye’s fast food opens its first restaurant in Arabi, Louisiana.
It’s the beginning of the love of spicy fried chicken spreading all over the US!
Silly String Is Accidentally Invented
Inventor Leonard Fish and chemist Robert Cox tried to invent a plastic spray-on cast for broken arms and legs.
Things didn’t turn out quite as planned; the liquid plastic string in one can shot 30 feet across the room!
Fish decided to pivot and market it as a children’s toy.
Silly String was born!
Dryer Sheets Help Clothes Smell Fresh
In 1972, Bounce introduced the dryer sheet: a scented piece of fabric that helps reduce static cling and keep clothes smelling fresh longer.
Jennifer and Michael Are Top Baby Names
In 1972, popular girls’ names included Jennifer, Michelle, Lisa, Kimberly, Angela, and Amy.
The top boys’ names were Michael, Christopher, James, David, Robert, and John.
A List of Fun Facts from 1972
1972 was an eventful year!
It was also the year many celebrities were born: Enimen, Gwenyth Paltrow, Sofia Vergara, Cameron Diaz, Idris Elba, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are just a few.
Amaze and delight your friends and family with these fun facts about 1972.