Look Back To 1972: What Happened That Year

Miners' strikes and power cuts, Ziggy Stardust and a very good year for glam.

Here's 1972 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1972

• 'Amazing Grace' by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards was the year's best-selling single.
• David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and performed 'Starman' on Top of the Pops in July.
• Little Jimmy Osmond's 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' was the Christmas number one.

In the news in 1972

• A miners' strike in the winter led to power cuts and a state of emergency.
• Bloody Sunday in Derry on 30 January killed thirteen people, with a fourteenth dying later.
• The school leaving age was raised to sixteen from the following year.

On screen in 1972

• Are You Being Served? and Emmerdale Farm both began.
• The Godfather was the film of the year.
• Mastermind began on BBC One.

In sport in 1972

• Leeds United won the FA Cup.
• The Munich Olympics were overshadowed by the attack on the Israeli team; Mary Peters won pentathlon gold for Britain.
• Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky in the world chess championship, and chess briefly became front-page news.

Everyday life in 1972

• Candles and paraffin heaters sold out during the power cuts.
• Platform shoes and flared trousers were at their peak.
• The first home video games machines appeared abroad; Britain was a few years behind.

If you were born in 1972

• Anyone born in 1972 arrived the year of Ziggy Stardust and the first winter of power cuts.
• They started school around the time of the Silver Jubilee.
• Anyone born in 1972 turns 30 in 2002, 40 in 2012, 50 in 2022, 60 in 2032 and 70 in 2042.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1975
• Look back to 1974
• Look back to 1973
• Look back to 1971
• Look back to 1970
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• 1970s party playlist
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• British Bulldog rules
• Kerby rules
• Sweets that disappeared
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
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• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
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• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
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• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

Why were there power cuts in 1972?

A national miners' strike in January and February cut coal supplies to power stations, leading to rota disconnections and a state of emergency.

What was the Christmas number one in 1972?

'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' by Little Jimmy Osmond, who was nine at the time.

How old is someone born in 1972?

Subtract 1972 from the current year. They turn 40 in 2012, 50 in 2022, 60 in 2032 and 70 in 2042.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.