1972

Events

Dated Events

• Real World: January 4. Kurt Waldheim becomes Secretary General of the United Nations.

• Real World: January 5. U.S. President Richard Nixon initiates a space-shuttle development program.

• Planet of the Apes (Films): January 8. Astronauts George Taylor, Dodge, Landon and Stewart are launched on America's first interstellar exploration flight aboard the ICARUS to the constellation of Orion. (Planet of the Apes)

• Real World: January 24. Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese soldier, is discovered in Guam. He was posted there 28 years prior, during World War II.

• Real World: January 28. Richard Chanfray claims to be the Comte Saint-Germain on French television.

• Real World: January 30. In what comes to be known as Bloody Sunday, British soldiers kill 13 unarmed pro-Catholic civil rights marchers in Northern Ireland. Pakistan leaves the British Commonwealth.

• Real World: February 2. In reaction to Bloody Sunday, anti-British riots erupt across the Republic of Ireland.

• Real World: February 4. In orbit around Mars, Mariner 9 sends back pictures of the surface.

• Real World: February 5. Airlines in the U.S. begin mandatory inspections of passengers and luggage.

• Real World: February 21. U.S. President Richard Nixon meets with Mao Zedong in the People's Republic of China. The visit lasts eight days in all.

• Real World: February 24. North Vietnamese diplomats walk out of Paris-based peace talks, protesting U.S. air raids.

• Real World: March 8. The Good Year blimp makes its first appearance.

• Real World: March 24. Great Britain takes direct control of Northern Ireland to quell rioting.

• Real World: March 30. Eastertide Offensive begins after North Vietnamese forces enter South Vietnam's Demilitarized Zone.

• Real World: April 10. The U.S., the U.S.S.R. and 70 other nations sign an agreement that prohibits biological warfare.

• Planet of the Apes (Films): May. At near FTL velocities, the ICARUS drops out of communications after entering/creating a Hasslein curve in space-time. ANSA hurriedly readies a rescue team to be dispatched along Taylor's last known trajectory. (Beneath the Planet of the Apes)

• Real World: May 26. SALT I treaty signed between U.S. and U.S.S.R.

• Real World: June 17. Five operatives of the White House are arrested after breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee. Okinawa rejoins Japan.

• Real World: June 25. Juan Peron elected President of Argentina.

• Real World: August 12. The last U.S. ground troops leave Vietnam.

• Real World: September 5. Eleven Olympic athletes from Israel are taken hostage by the Arab terrorist group Black September.

• Real World: September 6. Poor handling by West German authorities of Black September and their hostages leads to the terrorists killing the Israeli athletes. This becomes known as the Munich Massacre.

• Real World: September 21. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declares martial law.

• Planet of the Apes (Films): November. ASNA astronauts "Skipper" and Brent are launched along the same flight path as ICARUS to probe its unexplained disappearance from detection. It too has somehow disappeared and loses contact with home. (Beneath the Planet of the Apes)

• Real World: November 5. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is occupied by a group of Native Americans.

• Real World: November 7. Richard Nixon re-elected President of the United States.

• Real World: December 2. Gough Whitlam elected Prime Minister of Australia, and immediately pulls all Australian troops out of Vietnam.

Undated Events

• Gargoyles, Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles: Jon Canmore is born. (Ask Greg)

• Real World: Kim Il Sung becomes president of North Korea.

• Real World: The first Cray supercomputers are completed.

• Real World: Stephen Hawking becomes wheelchair-bound.

New Fictional Works

Notable Books

Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov, The Lost Worlds of 2001 by Arthur C. Clarke, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl.

Notable Films

• Asphyx, Ben, Blacula, Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, A Clockwork Orange, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, The Creeping Flesh, The Cremators, Crypt of the Living Dead, Daughters of Satan, Deathdream, Dirty Harry, Doomwatch, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, Dracula A.D. 1972, Dracula's Great Love, Eyes Behind the Stars
• Frogs, Gargoyles (TV movie), Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, Grave of the Vampire, The Groundstar Conspiracy, Horror Express, Horror Rises from the Tomb, The Legend of Boggy Creek, Madhouse, Moon of the Wolf, Night of the Devils, The Night Strangler (TV movie), Now You See Him, Now You Don't, The Other, Please Don't Eat My Mother!
• Probe (TV movie), The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here!, Slaughterhouse Five, Solaris, Son of Blob, Tales from the Crypt, The Torture Chamber of Baron Blood, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Twilight People, Twins of Evil, The Witching, Z.P.G. - Zero Population Growth.

Notable Comic Books

The Tomb of Dracula #1 (Marvel Comics).

Notable Television Series

• Beginning: Around the World in 80 Days, Gatchaman (Japan), Sealab 2020.

• Continuing: Doctor Who (Season 10), U.F.O. (Season 3).

• Ending: Night Gallery.

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