What happened in November 1972?
The top front-page story of each day in November 1972, as it was reported at the time. Click a date to see that day’s full front page and the matching birthday books.
- Nov 1🌌 Milky Way Explosions – Observatories report unprecedented explosions within the Milky Way, marking a significant astronomical event.
- Nov 2🎭 Farber Dances Showcase – Viola Farber presented two choreography styles at the ANTA Theater, sharing the program with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
- Nov 3💵 Strong U.S. Economy Seen – The U.S. economy is strong, with growth in output and trade, according to United Nations experts, amid a global economic upturn.
- Nov 4🚀 Joint Space Training – Soviet and American astronauts will begin joint training for a space mission planned for 1975, announced NASA.
- Nov 5🏡 House Vanishes Overnight – M. A. Harrison, 92, returned from breakfast to find his rented home bulldozed by city workers after being condemned months earlier.
- Nov 6🚆 Train Fire Kills 28 – A fire in a crowded express train tunnel in Fukui, Japan, resulted in at least 28 deaths and many missing passengers.
- Nov 7🌌 Mars Landing Sites Chosen – Five potential landing sites on Mars have been identified for the Viking spacecraft missions planned for summer 1976.
- Nov 8🗳️ Nixon Wins Re-election – Richard Nixon was overwhelmingly re-elected as President of the United States, defeating George McGovern by a significant margin.
- Nov 9🗳️ Nixon Wins Re-election – President Nixon decisively won re-election, securing 49 states and 521 electoral votes, reflecting a strong mandate from American voters.
- Nov 10🦴 Ancient Skull Discovery – Ancient bones found in Africa form a skull that may push back human ancestry over one million years earlier than previously believed.
- Nov 11🚀 Apollo 17 Spaceships Named – Apollo 17 astronauts named their spaceships America and Challenger for the final Apollo moon landing flight.
- Nov 12🌍 Nixon's Re-election Victory – President Nixon celebrates his landslide re-election, marking a significant moment in U.S. political history.
- Nov 13🌍 Children Reunited in Berlin – Emotional reunions occurred today between children and parents who had been separated when fleeing East Germany.
- Nov 14🌊 Global Ocean Dumping Ban – 91 nations agreed on a global convention to end the dumping of poisonous waste matter at sea.
- Nov 15🌪️ Storm Evacuations – Thousands were evacuated in two states as heavy rain and wind-whipped waves hit the shorelines of Lakes Erie and Huron.
- Nov 16🏛️ Trudeau Gains Seat – A judicial recount in Ontario gives Premier Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Liberal party an extra seat in the House of Commons, boosting their majority.
- Nov 17🇦🇷 Perón Returns to Argentina – Former President Juan D. Perón left Rome to return to Argentina for the first time since his regime was overthrown in 1955.
- Nov 18🔬 Artificial Sight Progress – A pioneer in artificial kidney development reports major advancements in creating artificial sight for the blind.
- Nov 19🏛️ Houses Dug Up in France – Archeologists discovered eight well-preserved wooden houses in France, potentially dating back 5,000 years.
- Nov 20🗼 Cables Will Truss Pisa – The Leaning Tower of Pisa will be reinforced with steel cables to prevent its collapse, preserving an iconic symbol of Italy.
- Nov 21🚀 Apollo 17 Countdown Test – The Apollo 17 rocket successfully passed its final countdown test, preparing for the last planned moon mission on December 6.
- Nov 22🥊 Ali Knocks Out Foster – Muhammad Ali, despite a cut, achieved an eighth-round knockout against Bob Foster, asserting his status as the 'uncrowned champion.'
- Nov 23🌊 Tidal Salt Marsh Grown – Marine scientists successfully planted a tidal salt marsh in Chesapeake Bay in just seven months, showcasing rapid ecological restoration.
- Nov 24🎨 Art Exhibit Opens – A retrospective exhibition of paintings by Sally Hazelet Drummond opens at the Corcoran Gallery, showcasing changes in abstract art since the 1950s.
- Nov 25🌍 Ohio Disaster Declared – President Nixon declared Ohio a major disaster area due to severe storms and flooding, enabling federal aid for recovery efforts.
- Nov 26🌍 Labor Party Wins Election – In an unexpected victory, the Labor party swept into office in New Zealand's general election, ousting the National party government.
- Nov 27🪐 Mars Detailed Map – The first detailed map of Mars has been completed by cartographers using photographs from the Mariner 9 spacecraft.
- Nov 28🌊 U.N. Law of Sea Debate – The United Nations opened debate on the law of the sea, a crucial area of international negotiation concerning ocean floor control.
- Nov 29🌍 Yemen Unification Accord – Yemen and Southern Yemen officially signed an agreement to unify into a single state, marking a significant political development.
- Nov 30📜 Draft Charter Approved – A draft constitution for a parliamentary government in the Philippines was approved by the constitutional convention with 271 votes for and 14 against.
Happy Birthday! 1972 – The Year in Headlines
The whole of 1972 in real headlines. See the 1972 book →
Born in November? Pick the day
Every birthday in November has its own On This Day in Headlines book: