August 1972
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The following events occurred in August 1972:


August 1, 1972 (Tuesday)

*"Bug Suspect Got Campaign Funds", the first article in the famous
Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, in August of that year. It revol ...
investigative series by reporters
Carl Bernstein Carl Milton Bernstein ( ; born February 14, 1944) is an American investigative journalist and author. While a young reporter for ''The Washington Post'' in 1972, Bernstein was teamed up with Bob Woodward, and the two did much of the original ne ...
and
Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is an American investigative journalist. He started working for ''The Washington Post'' as a reporter in 1971 and now holds the honorific title of associate editor though the Post no longer employs ...
, appeared on the front page of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
''. *
Air Botswana Air Botswana Corporation is Botswana's state-owned national flag carrier, with its headquarters located in Gaborone. It operates scheduled domestic and regional flights from its main base at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. Air Botswana ...
, the national airline of the southern African nation, began passenger service with a single
Fokker F-27 The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It is the most numerous post-war aircraft manufactured in the Netherlands; the F27 was also one of the most successful Europe ...
, flying a route covering
Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Botswana, largest city of Botswana, with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its metropolitan area is home to 534, ...
,
Manzini Manzini (formerly Bremersdorp) is a large city in Eswatini, which is also the city of Eswatini's Manzini Region. The city is the country's second largest urban center behind the capital Mbabane, with a population of 110,000 (2008). It is known ...
,
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, and
Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
(now
Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...
). *Died:
Ray Gunkel Raymond Fred Gunkel (February 16, 1924 - August 1, 1972) was an American amateur and professional wrestler and promoter in the state of Georgia. Gunkel was a two-time AAU national champion and, as a professional, a three-time NWA Texas Heavywei ...
, 47, American collegiate and professional wrestler, died from heart trauma a few hours after defeating wrestler Ox Baker in a match in
Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
. Although initial reports said that Gunkel "died in the ring", a spokesman said that "He went to the dressing room, showered, dressed, and felt great... He was sitting in a chair, talking to the Savannah promoter... Then as the promoter got up to leave, he fell to the floor." Gunkel, who was found afterward to have had
arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis, literally meaning "hardening of the arteries", is an umbrella term for a vascular disorder characterized by abnormal thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries; this process gradually restricts th ...
, had been punched in the chest during the match, and the resulting
hematoma A hematoma, also spelled haematoma, or blood suffusion is a localized bleeding outside of blood vessels, due to either disease or trauma including injury or surgery and may involve blood continuing to seep from broken capillaries. A hematoma is ...
led to a blood clot that caused his death.


August 2, 1972 (Wednesday)

*At
Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
's President
Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar es-Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until Assassination of Anwar Sadat, his assassination by fundame ...
and
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
's leader,
Muammar al-Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by Libyan rebel forces in 2011. He came to power ...
, announced that their two countries would unite into one nation by September 1, 1973. "The Arabs have realized that the challenges of Zionism and imperialism can only be surmounted by a large entity with enormous resources and capabilities", an Egyptian press release stated. The Egypt–Libya union, which never took place, would have had the ninth largest area in the world, at 1,066,407 mi2 (2,761,991 km2).


August 3, 1972 (Thursday)

*The "diploma tax", to deter Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union, was enacted by the Supreme Soviet as Decree No. 572: "Citizens of the USSR leaving for permanent residence abroad in other than socialist countries must compensate the State for their education received from institutions of higher education." The tax, of as much as 25,000 rubles, would be abolished in March 1973, but was paid by 1,435 Soviet Jews until pressure forced Moscow to back down. *By an 88–2 vote, the U.S. Senate ratified the Soviet-American
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM Treaty or ABMT, was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against ball ...
. Voting against the treaty were Senators James Buckley (R-N.Y.) and James B. Allen (D-Ala.) *
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
's President
Park Chung Hee Park Chung Hee (; ; November14, 1917October26, 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 after he seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961 until Assassination of Park Chung ...
issued the "August 3 Decree", officially the Emergency Decree on Economic Stability and Growth, which lowered interest rates and spread out payments on the nation's bank loans.


August 4, 1972 (Friday)

*At 0620 GMT (2:20 a.m. EDT), the
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
released the most powerful blasts of radiation that had been recorded up to that time. The solar radiation was strong enough to cause the explosion of several
naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive weapon placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Similar to anti-personnel mine, anti-personnel and other land mines, and unlike purpose launched naval depth charges, they are ...
s in North Vietnam's Haiphong harbor. * Arthur Bremer, 22, was sentenced to 63 years in prison after being found guilty of having shot and paralyzed Alabama Governor
George C. Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the longest-serving governor from the Democra ...
and wounding three other people in a May 15 shooting. Bremer would be released from the Maryland Correctional Institution - Hagerstown on November 9, 2007, after 35 years. *
Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Chess Champi ...
reached his highest live
ELO Elo or ELO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Electric Light Orchestra, a British rock music group ** ''The Electric Light Orchestra'' (album), the group's debut album * ''Elo'', a member magazine for the Tuglas Society Biology * Very-long-c ...
rating of 2789.7 (if the forfeited Game 2 is not counted toward change of his ELO rating) after a win in Game 10 of
World Chess Championship 1972 The World Chess Championship 1972 was a match for the World Chess Championship between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. The match took place in the Laugardalshöll in Reykja ...
. This highest live ELO rating was not surpassed for almost 22 years.


August 5, 1972 (Saturday)

*With its national convention adjourned, the Democratic National Committee confirmed George McGovern's sixth choice to replace Thomas Eagleton, former Ambassador to France (and Peace Corps founder
Sargent Shriver Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. (November 9, 1915 – January 18, 2011) was an American diplomat, politician, and activist. He was a member of the Shriver family by birth, and a member of the Kennedy family through his marriage to Eunice Kennedy. ...
as the party's nominee for Vice-President. McGovern was turned down by Teddy Kennedy, Abraham Ribicoff, Hubert Humphrey, Reuben Askew and Edmund Muskie.


August 6, 1972 (Sunday)

*A baseball game was "called on account of grasshoppers" when millions of the insects swarmed into Hogan Park at
Midland, Texas Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Midland County with small portions extending into Martin County. The population was 132,524 as of the 2020 census. Located in the Permian Basin in West Texas, Midland is a ...
, during the second game of a doubleheader. In the Texas League game, the Amarillo Giants had beaten the Midland Cubs 5–4 in the first game. As Amarillo began the second game, grasshoppers dimmed the lighting and alighted upon many of the 857 spectators. Midland won 2–1 when the game was made up the next day. *Sixty-five people were killed in
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
when a passenger train from
Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
to
Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...
crashed into the back of a freight train parked at the
Liaquatpur Liaquatpur () is a city and capital of Liaquatpur Tehsil in Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located on the north of Liaquatpur Tehsil, about 90 kilometres to the northeast of Rahim Yar Khan. As of 2017, it has a total population ...
railway station. *Born:
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Halliwell-Horner (''née'' Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, author, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which ...
, British
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
singer ("Ginger Spice"), in
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...


August 7, 1972 (Monday)

*At 1519 hours GMT (11:19 a.m. EDT), the most powerful
solar flare A solar flare is a relatively intense, localized emission of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and ot ...
ever measured was observed on Earth. * Sir Anthony Mason began service on the
High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...
, and would serve as Chief Justice from 1987 to 1995.


August 8, 1972 (Tuesday)

*The U.S.
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
, Admiral
Elmo Zumwalt Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an Admiral (United States), admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Opera ...
, ordered changes in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
's rules to permit women to serve on ships, become aviators, and attend the U.S. Naval Academy. Previously,
WAVES United States Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), better known as the WAVES (for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), was the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. It was established on July 21, 1942, ...
were limited to stateside service. "There will be some who are concerned", said Zumwalt. "But when you look at the level to which our society has developed, there is no reason in theory, in sociology or in equity why women should not have the same opportunities the men have".


August 9, 1972 (Wednesday)

*
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
, the
President of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The President (government title), president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander- ...
, summoned Britain's representative and other diplomats to his residence, and announced a decree that all Asians, who were not Ugandan citizens, would have to leave Uganda within 90 days. Between 40,000 and 80,000 of Uganda's Asian residents had opted to keep British citizenship when the former British colony had attained independence. *Born:
A-Mei Kulilay Amit (; born 9 August 1972), better known by her stage name A-Mei, is a Taiwanese singer and record producer of Puyuma descent. Born as Amit Kulilay in eastern Taiwan, she made her debut in 1996. A leading figure of the Mandopop music ...
(Chang Hui-mei), Taiwanese female pop singer, as Amit Kulilay in Beinan


August 10, 1972 (Thursday)

*A
meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...
came within of the Earth, entering the atmosphere over Utah at 20:28:29 GMT and departing 101 seconds later at 20:30:10 over Canada, before skipping back out. The fireball was visible in daylight, with the occurrence happening at local time.


August 11, 1972 (Friday)

*With the deactivation of the 3rd Battalion of the 21st U.S. Infantry, the last American ground combat units were pulled out of
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
. The 1,043-man unit had been assigned to the U.S. airbase at
Da Nang Da Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons (, ) is the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the Western Pacific Ocean of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one of Vietnam's most important p ...
. Air and sea operations continued and more than 40,000 U.S. servicemen remained in Vietnam. *Andrew B. Topping, 27, was arrested at the boat basin at New York's Central Park after paying $1,000 to Stewart J. Henry, an undercover federal agent posing as a killer for hire, to carry out a hit. Topping's intended victim was the President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon. Henry, a U.S. Secret Service agent, negotiated the terms the night before and then completed the sting. *Died:
Max Theiler Max Theiler (30 January 1899 – 11 August 1972) was a South African-American virologist and physician. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever in 1937, becoming the firs ...
, 73, South African virologist who developed a vaccine against yellow fever and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1951


August 12, 1972 (Saturday)

*
Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). It was built at the same time as neighboring Kauff ...
opened in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, with a preseason game for the Missouri Governor's Cup. *The original
American Hairless Terrier The American Hairless Terrier is a breed of companion dog from the United States that was developed from naturally hairless Rat Terriers. History In 1972, a completely hairless bitch pup was whelped in a litter of purebred Rat Terriers and adopte ...
dog was born. "Josephine" did not produce another carrier of the mutated gene until she was nine years old. *The
Chevrolet Corvair The Chevrolet Corvair is a Rear-engine design, rear-engined, Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine, air-cooled compact car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet over two generations between 1960 and 1969. A response to the Volkswagen Beetle, it was of ...
automobile, subject of the first chapter of
Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American lawyer and political activist involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. He is a Perennial candidate, perennial presidential candidate. His 1965 book '' ...
's book ''
Unsafe at Any Speed ''Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile'' is a non-fiction book by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, first published in 1965. Its central theme is that car manufacturers resisted the introduction of safety features ...
'', was exonerated by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation, focused on automobile safety regulations. NHTSA is charged with writing and enforcing Feder ...
(NHTSA) in a letter to all Corvair owners. Corvairs had been discontinued three years earlier. *
W. Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986) was an American politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was a founder of Harriman & Co. which merged with the older Brown Brothers to form the Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. investment ...
and
Cyrus Vance Cyrus Roberts Vance (March 27, 1917January 12, 2002) was an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 57th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1980. Prior to serving in that position, he was the United ...
, the two original U.S. negotiators at the Paris peace talks, said in a press conference that President Nixon had missed an opportunity in 1969 to end the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, at a time when the North Vietnamese had withdrawn most of their combat troops from South Vietnam's northernmost provinces. *Born:
Del tha Funkee Homosapien Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972), better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien (sometimes stylized as Del tha Funkee Homosapien) or Sir DZL, is an American rapper. Music career 1988–1997: Early life and beginnings Born in O ...
(stage name for Teren Delvon Jones), American rap music artist, in
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
*Died: Sister
Clara Muhammad Clara Muhammad (born Clara Evans; also known as Clara Poole; November 2, 1899 – August 12, 1972) was born in Macon, Georgia, the daughter of Mary Lou (Thomas) and Quartus Evans. She was the wife of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. Th ...
, 72, American educator known as the "First Lady of the Nation of Islam" for her marriage to NOI leader
Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1933 until his death in 197 ...


August 13, 1972 (Sunday)

*Former
U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
Ramsey Clark William Ramsey Clark (December 18, 1927 – April 9, 2021) was an American lawyer, activist, and United States Federal Government, federal government official. A progressive, New Frontier liberal, he occupied senior positions in the United States ...
returned from
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
, where he had traveled as a private individual as part of a factfinding group. Clark said that he had confirmed that the United States was bombing hospitals and dikes, and that he had been told that American prisoners "will be released immediately when we stop this senseless, murderous bombing and end the war and get out, get home, and get to the business of building the peace and giving happiness to little children around the world". Clark's comments were proven to be false a few days later. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' stated that he had used "poor judgement". In 1974 an investigation into the matter showed that Clark had been "exploited" by the Hanoi regime. *Born:
Kevin Plank Kevin Audette Plank (born August 13, 1972) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. Plank is the founder and executive chairman of Under Armour, a manufacturer of sportswear, footwear and accessories, based in Baltimore, Maryla ...
, creator of
Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sportswear company that manufactures footwear and clothing, apparel headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. History 20th century Under Armour was founded on September 25, 1996, by Kevin Plank, a ...
, in
Kensington, Maryland Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,122 at the 2020 United States census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 ZIP Code, ZIP code, with a population of 1 ...


August 14, 1972 (Monday)

*In the worst aviation accident in Germany to date, all 156 people on board an
Ilyushin Il-62 The Ilyushin Il-62 (; NATO reporting name: Classic) is a Soviet Union, Soviet long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jetliner conceived in 1960 by Ilyushin. As a successor to the popular turboprop Ilyushin Il-18, Il-18 and with capacit ...
of East German
Interflug Interflug GmbH (; ) was the national airline of East Germany (officially the “German Democratic Republic”) from 1963 to 1991. Based in East Berlin, it operated scheduled and chartered flights to European and intercontinental destinations out ...
were killed when the aircraft crashed near
Königs Wusterhausen Königs Wusterhausen (; , ) is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the state of Brandenburg in Germany a few kilometers outside Berlin. Geography Geographical location Königs Wusterhausen – locally known as "KW" () or "KWh" ()– lie ...
. *Born:
Yoo Jae-seok Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
, South Korean comedian, in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
*Died:
Oscar Levant Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906August 14, 1972) was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor (music), conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian, and actor. He had roles in the films ''Rhapsody in Bl ...
, 65, American pianist and actor


August 15, 1972 (Tuesday)

*On the 25th anniversary of its independence, India introduced the six digit "
PIN Code A personal identification number (PIN; sometimes redundantly a PIN code or PIN number) is a numeric (sometimes alpha-numeric) passcode used in the process of authenticating a user accessing a system. The PIN has been the key to facilitating the ...
" for mail delivery. As with the American ZIP code, the name is a
backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
. It stands for "Postal Index Number". *
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
, British Rock Band, played live first night in Japan, in
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
. *Born:
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
, American film actor, in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...


August 16, 1972 (Wednesday)

*King
Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...
was returning home from a meeting with President Pompidou of France, when his was fired upon by the rebels within the Moroccan Air Force. Although several people were wounded, the King escaped injury, and the pilot was able to land after falsely stating that Hassan had been killed. While the attempted assassination was taking place, the royal palace was being bombed by others in the plot. As it turned out, Defense Minister Mohammed Oufkir had conspired, with others in the Moroccan armed forces, to stage a coup d'état and to set up a republic. Oufkir died the next day. Officially, it was a suicide, but there were rumors that Hassan himself had executed his former right-hand man. As punishment, Oufkir's family was imprisoned for nearly 20 years. *Born:
Emily Robison Emily Burns Strayer ( Erwin, previously Robison; born August 16, 1972) is an American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and a founding member of the country band the Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks. Strayer plays banjo, dobro ...
, American musician for the
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
, in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...


August 17, 1972 (Thursday)

*On
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
's Independence Day, President
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
decreed changes in the spelling of the Indonesian language in
Djakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and an autonomous region at the provincial leve ...
, starting with the change of the name of the capital to
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. "Dj" was changed to "J", the old "j" to "y", "nj" to "ny", "sj" to "sy", "tj" to "c", and "ch" to "kh".


August 18, 1972 (Friday)

*A "
hotline A hotline is a Point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point information transfer, communications Data link, link in which a telephone call, call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by t ...
" between
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
and
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
was established, as telephone links between
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
and
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
were reopened for the first time since the 1950 outbreak of the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. *Born:
Leo Ku Leo Ku Kui-kei (born ), founder of ChillGOOD TV, is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong Cantopop and Mandopop singer, actor, TV host, model, cartoonist, MV director, and producer and designer. He employs falsetto as a singing technique and was nam ...
, actor and Cantopop singer, in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...


August 19, 1972 (Saturday)

*'' The Midnight Special'' was shown for the first time on television, beginning at 1:00 in the morning on most NBC stations. NBC's experiment, aiming an early morning program at the 18- to 35-year-old audience that might stay up late on Friday nights, proved a success, and the rock concert series ran until 1981. *Bennet Hanna of
Peach Springs, Arizona Peach Springs () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,098 at the 2020 census. Peach Springs serves as the administrative headquarters of the Hualapai people and is located on the Hual ...
, was killed when he backed up his car too far on Hualapai Hilltop after dropping friends off at the
Havasupai The Havasupai people (Havasupai: ''Havsuw' Baaja'') are a Native American people and tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Their name means "people of the blue-green water", referring to Havasu Creek, a t ...
trailhead. The car fell off the edge of the
Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...
. *The first daytime episode of the second incarnation of American game show ''
The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...
'' was taped at
CBS Television City Television City, alternatively CBS Television City, is a television studio complex located in the Fairfax District, Los Angeles, Fairfax District of Los Angeles, California, United States. The facilities are located at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at ...
, to be aired on September 4, 1972. *Born:
Sammi Cheng Sammi Cheng Sau-man (; born 19 August 1972) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She is considered one of the most prominent female singers in Hong Kong, with album sales of over 25 million copies throughout the Asia-pacific. Most notably in the 199 ...
, actress and Cantopop singer, in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...


August 20, 1972 (Sunday)

*A conflict within the polygamist
Church of the First Born of the Fullness of Times The Church of the Firstborn (or the "LeBarón family") is a grouping of competing factions of a Mormon fundamentalist polygamous family community that had settled in Chihuahua, Mexico, by Alma Dayer LeBaron Sr. by 1924. Factions accepting lead ...
turned violent when church leader Joel LeBaron was tricked into coming to the Mexican town of
Ensenada Ensenada ("inlet") is a city in Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Located on Bahía de Todos Santos, the city had a population of 279,765 in 2018, making it the third-largest city in Baja Californ ...
, located in
Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
, then shot to death. The killing had been ordered by Joel's brother,
Ervil LeBaron Ervil Morrell LeBaron (February 22, 1925 – August 15, 1981) was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, both within his own sect and in rival polygamous groups, using the religio ...
, who had founded the
Church of the Lamb of God Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
after being kicked out of the Church of the First Born. Another brother, Verlan LeBaron, took over leadership of the church from Joel. Ervil LeBaron continued to order reprisals against members of his former church, and was eventually captured and convicted of murder, dying in prison in 1981. *
Wattstax ''Wattstax'' was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African-American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Augus ...
, a concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum, attracted 100,000 black citizens, each of whom paid $1 per ticket to watch the
Bar-Kays The Bar-Kays is an American funk band formed in 1964. The band had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including " Soul Finger" (US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number 17, R&B number 3) in 1967, "Son of Shaft" (R&B number 10) in ...
, the
Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (April 11, 1934 – February 2 ...
,
Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...
and other performers. *Died: Admiral
Harold R. Stark Harold Raynsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939, to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...
, 91, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations when Pearl Harbor was attacked.


August 21, 1972 (Monday)

*The
Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a mathematical model, model of Celestial spheres#Renaissance, the universe that placed heliocentrism, the Sun rather than Earth at its cen ...
satellite, originally called "Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3", was launched into orbit. Carrying an 80 cm UV telescope and spectrometers, the Copernicus satellite would transmit data until 1979 and provided detailed information about the stars upon which it was aimed. Astronomer Lyman Spitzer discovered, the day before the launch, that an error had been made in the calculations of the optimum focus for one of the mirrors, and was able to have the problem corrected before Copernicus went into orbit.


August 22, 1972 (Tuesday)

*On a hot August afternoon in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, three men robbed a branch of the
Chase Manhattan Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and financial services holding ...
, and their string of bad luck later became the subject of a 1975 film.
John Wojtowicz John Stanley Joseph Wojtowicz (, ; March 9, 1945January 2, 2006) was an American bank robber whose story inspired the film ''Dog Day Afternoon''. Early life Wojtowicz was the son of a Polish father and an Italian-American mother, Terry Basso. ...
and
Salvatore Naturile Salvatore Antonio "Sal" Naturile, also known as Donald Matterson (June 26, 1953 – August 23, 1972) was an American bank robber whose attempted robbery of a Chase Manhattan bank branch in Brooklyn, along with John Wojtowicz, in August 1972, insp ...
robbed the bank and found that they had arrived after most of the cash had gone out on an armored car that morning, then were surprised by the police just as they were planning to get away. The crisis, which ended the next morning with Naturile being killed by an FBI agent and Wojtowicz's arrest, was later dramatized in the film ''
Dog Day Afternoon ''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick and Charles Durning. The screenplay ...
'', with
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
as Sonny Wojtowicz.


August 23, 1972 (Wednesday)

*
Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who ...
, the
Prime Minister of Japan The is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its ministers of state. The prime minister also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Force ...
, was approached by Hiro Hiyama, whose firm was representing aircraft manufacturer Lockheed. Along with
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
and
McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas Corporation was a major American Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own ...
, Lockheed was competing for a contract to supply jet aircraft to
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...
. Hiyama made an offer. If Tanaka could use his influence to urge All Nippon to buy Lockheed Tri-Star jets, instead of or McDonnell's DC-10s, Tanaka would receive 500,000,000 yen (roughly $6,000,000). In October, All Nippon awarded its contract to Lockheed to buy 21 TriStars, and the following August, the first yen was paid to Tanaka. The kickbacks came to light in 1976, and Tanaka, no longer the Prime Minister, was indicted.


August 24, 1972 (Thursday)

*''
Hot August Night ''Hot August Night'' is a 1972 live double album by Neil Diamond. The album is a recording of a Diamond concert on August 24, 1972, one of ten sold-out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. This also m ...
'',
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...
's double platinum album, was recorded live at the
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) Greek Theatre is an amphitheatre and performance venue located in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, which has been hosting various live performances and music concerts since its opening in the early 1930s. Today, the theatre is owned by ...
.


August 25, 1972 (Friday)

*
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
first began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. On its opening day, the price closed at $33 per share. Although the value of the stock dropped 77% in the first two years, an investment of $1,000 would have grown to $870,000 from 1972 to 2008 *Born: **
Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played his entire 13 year career for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for ...
, NFL receiver (Indianapolis Colts), in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
**
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed Fazul Abdullah Mohammed () (1972 or 1974 – 8 June 2011, also known as Fadil Harun) was a Comorian-Kenyan member of al-Qaeda, and the leader of its presence in East Africa. Mohammed was born in Moroni, Comoros Islands and had Kenyan as well a ...
, Comoros-born al-Qaeda plotter, in Moroni (d. June 8, 2011)


August 26, 1972 (Saturday)

*The
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...
opened in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
,
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
, with the parade starting at 3:00 local time, and were declared open at 4:25 in the afternoon. The games featured 8,005 athletes from 122 nations. Gunter Zahn lit the torch. *In Alaska, Japanese mountaineer
Naomi Uemura was a Japanese adventurer who was known particularly for his solo exploits. For example, he was the first person to reach the North Pole solo, the first person to raft the Amazon River solo, and the first person to climb Denali solo. Before h ...
made the first solo ascent of Mount McKinley (which had first been climbed by Sourdough Expedition on April 3, 1910) *Died: Sir
Francis Chichester Sir Francis Charles Chichester KBE (17 September 1901 – 26 August 1972) was a British businessman, pioneering aviator and solo sailor. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the worl ...
, British yachtsman who had become, in 1967 at the age of 65, the first person to sail around the world by himself.


August 27, 1972 (Sunday)

*A dust storm in
Kern County, California Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...
, led to two separate instances of
multiple-vehicle collision A multiple-vehicle collision (colloquially known as a pileup or multi-car collision), is a road traffic collision involving many vehicles. Generally occurring on high-capacity and high-speed routes such as freeways, they are one of the deadliest ...
s, killing seven people and injuring 96 others. Shortly after , reduced visibility caused a pileup on U.S. Highway 99, killing three and injuring 16. Another chain reaction collision, on Interstate 5, injured 84 people, four of them fatally. *At the "Western White House" in
San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement" ) is a coastal city in southern Orange County, California, United States. It was named in 1925 after the Spanish colonial island (which was named after a Pope from the first century). Located in the O ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, the President and Mrs. Nixon hosted 400 Hollywood celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Susan Hayward. Vice-President Agnew and Henry Kissinger, with his date Jill St. John, attended as well.


August 28, 1972 (Monday)

*Captain
R. Stephen Ritchie Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie (born June 25, 1942) served as an officer in the United States Air Force and the Colorado Air National Guard, and a general officer in the Air Force Reserve. Ritchie joined Navy Commander Randy Cunningha ...
became the first American ace fighter in the Vietnam War after downing his fifth enemy airplane in combat.
Charles B. DeBellevue Colonel (United States), Colonel Charles Barbin DeBellevue (born August 15, 1945) is a retired officer in the United States Air Force (USAF). In 1972, DeBellevue became one of only List of Vietnam War flying aces, five Americans to achieve flying ...
would down his fifth and sixth planes the following month. All five of Steve Ritchie's victories were of MiG-21 fighters. He would retire in 1994 as a brigadier general. *Died: **Prince William of Gloucester, 30, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and fourth in line for the British throne until 1948, was killed when his airplane crashed during a race. **Harry Gold, 61, the American spy and chemist who was imprisoned from 1950 to 1965 after being convicted of espionage against the American nuclear program, died during a heart operation.


August 29, 1972 (Tuesday)

*Pitcher Jim Barr of the San Francisco Giants retired his 39th, 40th and 41st consecutive batters in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking a record held since 1959 by Harvey Haddix. The last 21 batters in his last game (against Pittsburgh), and the first 20 of the Cardinals, were all kept from reaching first base. The record would stand for almost 37 years. Bobby Jenks tied the record in 2007, and on July 28, 2009, Mark Buehrle set a new mark of 45 straight. *President Nixon announced that 12,000 more American soldiers would be withdrawn from Vietnam over a three-month period, with only 27,000 remaining by December 1. The withdrawal would represent a 95% drop since the peak of 543,400 in April 1969. *Born: Amanda Marshall, Canadian singer-songwriter, in Toronto


August 30, 1972 (Wednesday)

*The Brown Berets, a group to promote the rights of Hispanic-Americans, staged its most visible protest ever, as 26 men staged a peaceful occupation of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
's Santa Catalina Island, California, Santa Catalina Island, which they claimed as being sovereign territory of Mexico. After arriving on the ferry in separate groups, the "Caravana de la Reconquista" changed into their military-style uniforms, and, shortly after , unfurled the Mexican flag over Avalon Bay. The group's leader, David Sanchez, said that the Channel Islands of California had never been ceded by Mexico to the United States, because the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo referred only to "the division line between Upper and Lower California to the Pacific Ocean", and would not apply to the islands 27 miles offshore. The Berets eventually wore out their welcome, and were forced to leave by an American court order on September 22. The "Campo Tecolote" occupation was the last of the Brown Berets' publicity stunts, and the group disbanded the following year. *Born: **Cameron Diaz, American film actress, in San Diego **Hani Hanjour, Saudi Arabian Al-Qaeda terrorist who piloted American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon during the September 11 attacks, killing all 64 people on board and 125 in the building; in Ta'if (killed 2001) **Pavel Nedvěd, Czech footballer and 2003 Ballon d'Or winner for best European soccer player of the year; in Cheb, Czechoslovakia


August 31, 1972 (Thursday)

*At the Olympics, American sprinters Eddie Hart (athlete), Eddie Hart, Rey Robinson and Robert Taylor (sprinter, born 1948), Robert Taylor were scheduled to run in the quarterfinals of the 100 meter dash, which their coach, Stan Wright, said would take place at . Shortly before 4:15, the three men were watching a television feed to ABC Sports, and realized that the quarterfinal heats were taking place at that moment. Hart and Robinson arrived too late, and Taylor arrived in time to run his heat without preparation. Coach Wright took the blame for the mixup, which happened when he relied on a 1971 schedule. *The ''Newark Evening News'' printed its final issue after 89 years. The paper had a circulation of 250,000 before a strike that lasted from May 1971 to April 1972. *The last game of the chess "match of the century" between
Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Chess Champi ...
and Boris Spassky started. After the 40th move, the game would be adjourned. Fischer would win the next day, as Spassky did not even resume play."Bobby Fischer Wins World Chess Crown", ''Oakland Tribune'', September 1, 1972, p1


References

{{Events by month links August 1972, August by year, 1972 Months in the 1970s, *1972-08