1972 Hong Kong landslides, Shiu Fai Terrace
Multiple landslides also occurred at Shiu Fai Terrace in Wan Chai. In total, three large landslips occurred over a continuous area on June 16. They were not as large as the Po Shan Road disaster but altogether affected a greater area. Several were killed by the landslips.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Shiu Fai Terrace
Throughout June 1972, multiple incidents of landslides occurred throughout Hong Kong, especially in Wan Chai. In total, combined with the Po Shan and Shiu Fai landslides, the landslips killed around 148 people. While they severely crippled infrastructure and emergency services through Hong Kong, the landslides of 1972 have led to improved guidelines for hillside excavation and safety and rescue procedures, and no such disaster has caused such a large loss of life in Hong Kong since.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Sau Mau Ping landslide
At midday on 18 June, a landslide buried a squatter village at the Sau Mau Ping licensed area, killing 71. The mud spilled over Tsui Ping Road into the Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate. Resettlement Department staff and fathers of the adjacent Kwun Tong Maryknoll College launched the rescue operation. They were joined by 600 personnel from the army, police, fire services, Civil Aid Service, and Auxiliary Medical Service. Many of those killed were children. Survivors were billeted at the Kun Tong Police Station and the Sau Mau Ping Resettlement Estate.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Sau Mau Ping landslide
The collapsed hill slope was reconstructed with a gentler grade. The disaster site is now home to the Sau Mau Ping Memorial Park, opened 1976.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Po Shan Road landslide
On June 16, 1972, several minor slips of mud were noticed along Po Shan Road. The road was blocked off by falling mud at a construction site and several cracks started to appear in a retaining wall. Inspections were performed on many structures but as it was raining, ultimately no major evacuation or alert measures were undertaken. On June 17,  a slip had occurred over the whole width of the cut slope at the southern face of Inland Lot 2260 on Po Shan Road, carrying away nearly all the bamboo framing and metal sheet covering. In addition, authorities noticed severe subsidence of several buildings around IL 2260. Residents were then urged to leave their houses and apartments as a precaution.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Po Shan Road landslide
On June 18, it was still raining, and the situation had gotten worse. Cracks continued to appear in retaining walls, and mud had started to fall on nearby Conduit Road. Po Shan Road was cordoned off to the public and nearby apartments were evacuated as it quickly became apparent that a large landslide would soon occur.


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Po Shan Road landslide
A little after 5 p.m. that day, a huge mass of rocks, mud and vegetation suddenly broke free and slid down the side of IL 2260, breaking through a retaining wall on Kotewall Road and completely blocking Conduit Road. There were no deaths directly resulting from this slip, however. Then, some time after 8 p.m., an even larger landslip occurred starting at IL 2260 and, in less than ten seconds, cleared a path from Po Shan Road to Kotewall Road, destroying several houses and retaining walls in the process. Upon hitting Kotewall Road, the slip knocked Kotewall Court (the only well-lit building in the area at the time) completely off of its foundation and collapsed several flats at Robinson Road and Babington Path. 67 people were killed and 20 were injured in less than a minute


1972 Hong Kong landslides, Po Shan Road landslide
Because of the lack of lighting and the rain, as well as the fact that much of the transportation network had been destroyed, rescue efforts were initially sporadic and hampered. Some landslips continued to occur, causing withdrawals of emergency personnel. More than an hour had passed when the first survivors were pulled from the rubble, at 9:24. Eventually, however, most known survivors had been rescued in the next several days.


1972 Houston Astros season
The 1972 Houston Astros season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League West with a record of 84–69, 10½ games behind the Cincinnati Reds and just a percentage point ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 1972 season was the first winning season in Astros history.


1972 Houston Astros season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1972 Houston Astros season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1972 Houston Astros season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1972 Houston Astros season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1972 Houston Astros season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1972 Houston Cougars football team
The 1972 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season.


1972 Houston Oilers season
The 1972 Houston Oilers season was their 13th season overall and third with the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 4–9–1, winning only one game. They missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.


1972 Houston Oilers season
The low point of the season came in week four, a 34–0 loss on Monday Night Football to the Oakland Raiders. With the game out of hand, ABC cameras panned the stands at the Astrodome and found a man who appeared to be sleeping. When he realized the camera was on him, he shot the finger at the camera. When the camera discovered the sleeping fan, Howard Cosell intoned, “Right there, is a vivid pictureization of the excitement...”. Don Meredith shot back when the fan flipped the bird, “They’re number one in the nation!”.


1972 Houston Oilers season
Perhaps another low point for the Oilers was the final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Oilers lost that game by a score of 61–17, the worst loss for the team in its history up to that point; exactly 17 years later, the Oilers lost 61–7 to the Bengals in Cincinnati to shatter that dubious mark. The 61 points were the second most points any NFL team had ever allowed since the merger, one fewer than the Philadelphia Eagles allowed to the New York Giants three weeks earlier.


1972 Houston Oilers season
Coincidentally, the Eagles defeated the Oilers 18–17 in the Astrodome two weeks before losing 62–10 to the Giants despite not scoring a touchdown, with Tom Dempsey connecting on six field goals.


1972 Houston Oilers season
After their win over the New York Jets 26–20 in week 3 (one week after Joe Namath threw for 496 yards and six touchdowns to defeat the Baltimore Colts), the Oilers did not win another game until week 8 of next season, when they shocked the Baltimore Colts 31–27 on the road. Sandwiched between these two games was an 18-game losing streak, which was an NFL record at the time; it was eclipsed by the 0–26 start experienced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976 and 1977.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
Despite the Oilers finishing with an astounding -1 yard in net passing, this week four game on Monday Night Football had a more competitive beginning than the results showed, as Houston played strong defense early in the game. With Oakland leading just 3–0 in the first half, the Oilers had two takeaways deep in Raiders territory, but failed to score points each time. In the first quarter, Oakland's George Atkinson bobbled a punt catch right into the hands of Houston's Willie Rodgers.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
Rodgers took it to the end zone, but the play was brought back to the spot of the turnover, as a muffed punt recovery cannot be advanced in NFL rules. The Oilers advanced into field goal range after taking over, but were stopped there when the Raiders got away with blatantly holding TE Alvin Reed on third down. Houston tried a fake field goal, but still were left scoreless when it failed. On their ensuing drive, Oakland was forced to punt, but the Oilers blocked it on the first play of the second quarter and recovered near the goal line.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
Again they were held scoreless when Dan Pastorini was lifted very high into the air on a remarkable defensive play on first down, and sacked back at the 17-yard line by Gus Otto on second down. The Raiders blocked the following field goal attempt even though the placehold was only at the 29-yard line.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
The trading of turnovers continued through the second quarter, as promising Raiders rookie Cliff Branch fumbled the ball away across midfield. The Oilers got into field goal range again, only to be intercepted just outside the red zone on a tipped pass over the defensive line. After trading punts a few times, Pastorini threw another interception just before halftime. The Raiders took over at the Oilers' 16-yard line with nine seconds left in the half, but scored on first down as Daryle Lamonica found Fred Biletnikoff in the right corner of the end zone for a 10–0 lead.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
The first half ended on a suitably bizarre kickoff by the Raiders that hit an Oilers player at mid-field and ricocheted back to Raiders territory. Oakland gained possession, but no time remained.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
The miscues kept coming in the second half. First the Oilers nearly botched receiving the second half kickoff, then the Raiders forced them to punt, only for the Raiders to muff the punt and give possession back to the Oilers. Their drive ended with the third blocked field goal of the game, which was downed all the way back at the Oilers 23-yard line. The Raiders added a field goal with this possession.


1972 Houston Oilers season, Regular season, Game Summaries, Week 4: Oakland Raiders
Finally, the Raiders turned the game into a blowout in the fourth quarter with touchdown passes by both Daryle Lamonica and Ken Stabler and a rushing TD by Clarence Davis. However, to the very end, neither team played a clean game. By the time it was 27–0 and Houston backup Kent Nix was put in, Houston had thrown four interceptions, Oakland had committed four fumbles, and the teams had three blocked field goals and a blocked punt combined. Nix promptly added a fifth interception upon entering the game, when his receiver stumbled. By the time of Houston's final possession, a fan was caught shooting the middle finger at the camera on the MNF broadcast.


1972 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team
The 1972 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team represented Humboldt State University during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. Humboldt State competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC).


1972 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team
The 1972 Lumberjacks were led by seventh-year head coach Bud Van Deren. They played home games at the Redwood Bowl in Arcata, California. Humboldt State finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3, 4–1 FWC). The Lumberjacks outscored their opponents 262–215 for the season.


1972 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team, Team players in the NFL
No Humboldt State players were selected in the 1973 NFL Draft.


1972 IHF Olympic African qualification tournament
The 1972 IHF Olympic African qualification tournament was held in the Tunisia. The winner of the tournament qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics.


1972 IHF Olympic African qualification tournament, Matches
Some results were published in a Swiss newspapers. The winner of the other games were derived from the two standings table. And the results of the Algerian team.


1972 IHF Olympic African qualification tournament, Roaster of Algeria
Hachemi, Zoheir Negli, Amara, Farouk Bouzrar, Boukhobza, Lamdjadani, Bouras, Larbaoui


1972 IHF Olympic American qualification tournament
The 1972 IHF Olympic American qualification tournament was held in the United States. The winner of the tournament qualified for the 1972 Summer Olympics.


1972 IIHF European U19 Championship
The 1972 IIHF European U19 Championship was the fifth playing of the IIHF European Junior Championships.


1972 IIHF European U19 Championship, Group A
Played in Boden, Luleå, and Skellefteå, Sweden, from March 26 to April 2, 1972


1972 IMSA GT Championship
The 1972 Camel GT Challenge season was the 2nd season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes, as well as former Trans Am Series cars in the TO and TU classes. It began December 4, 1971, and ended November 19, 1972, after ten rounds.


1972 IMSA GT Championship, Constructors' Championship
Points are awarded to the top six in each class in the order of 9-6-4-3-2-1.


1972 ISF Men's World Championship
The 1972 ISF Men's World Championship was an international softball tournament. The tournament was held at the Rodriguez Sports Center in Marikina, Rizal, Philippines. It was the 3rd time the World Championship took place and the first time the Philippines to host the tournament. Ten nations competed, including defending champions United States.


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships
The 1972 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 39th edition of the Ice Hockey World Championships. The tournament was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 7 to 22 April 1972, and the Czechoslovakia national team won the tournament, the third time they had done so and first since 1949, ending the Soviet Union's streak of nine consecutive titles. In addition it was the Czechoslovaks' 12th European title.


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships
For the first time, a separate tournament is held for both the World Championships and the Winter Olympics. Previously, the Winter Olympics tournament was held in lieu of a world championships, with the winner being declared world champion for that year. It also marked the first time in international ice hockey that all goaltenders were required to wear face masks.


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships
The American team, who had won the Silver medal earlier in the year at the Olympics, could not even win the 'B' pool, losing to Poland in their final game.


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship Group B (Romania)
Poland was promoted to Group A, both Norway and France were relegated to Group C. The French team boycotted the tournament in a protest over their federation's failure to finance the team's participation in the Sapporo Olympics


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships, World Championship Group C (Romania)
Played in Miercurea-Ciuc from 3 March to the 12th. The Chinese won their first game ever played in a World Championship.


1972 Ice Hockey World Championships, Ranking and statistics, European championships final standings
The final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:


1972 Icelandic Cup
The 1972 Icelandic Cup was the 13th edition of the National Football Cup.


1972 Icelandic Cup
It took place between 19 June 1972 and 12 November 1972, with the final played at Melavöllur in Reykjavik.


1972 Icelandic Cup
The Cup was important, as the winner qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. (If a club won both the league and the cup, the losing finalists would take their place in the Cup Winners' Cup).


1972 Icelandic Cup
Clubs from the 1. Deild did not enter until the last 16, while clubs from lower divisions had already played 3 preliminary rounds. In case of a draw, the match was replayed at the ground of the other team.


1972 Icelandic Cup
ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar won their second Icelandic Cup, after winning the 1968 Icelandic Cup and beating 2. Deild club FH Hafnarfjörður in the final.


1972 Icelandic presidential election
Presidential elections were scheduled to be held in Iceland in 1972. However, incumbent President Kristján Eldjárn was the only candidate, and the election was uncontested.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1972 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. The Vandals were led by third-year head coach Don Robbins and were members of the Big Sky Conference. They played their home games at new Idaho Stadium, an unlit outdoor facility on campus in Moscow, Idaho.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, Season
With quarterbacks Rick Seefried, Dave Comstock, and Ross Goddard running the offense, the Vandals were defending Big Sky champions. They were 4–7 overall and 2–3 in the Big Sky in 1972.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, Season
In the Battle of the Palouse, Idaho suffered a fifth straight loss to neighbor Washington State of the Pac-8, falling 35–14 at the new Martin Stadium in Pullman on October 7.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, Season
In their second game with new rival Boise State, the Vandals won 22–21 in the rain at Bronco Stadium on November 25 to even up the series; Idaho did not schedule Northern Arizona until 1975 and played only five games in conference.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, University division
Through 1977, the Big Sky was a college division (renamed Division II in 1973) conference for football, except for university division (Division I) member Idaho, which moved down to the new Division I-AA in 1978. Idaho maintained its upper division status in the NCAA by playing university division non-conference opponents (and was ineligible for the college division postseason).


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, University division
After the season in November, the Big Sky denied Idaho's request for additional football scholarships (75 vs. 62) for 1973.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, All-conference
The Vandal co-captains, center Ken Muhlbeier and linebacker Rand Marquess, were selected to the Big Sky all-conference team. Three Idaho players were named to the second team: running back Bernie Rembert, tight end Darrell Burchfeld, and defensive end  Alofa Tauvage.


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, NFL Draft
One Vandal senior was selected in the 1973 NFL Draft, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).


1972 Idaho Vandals football team, NFL Draft
Two juniors were selected in the following year's draft in 1974, which lasted seventeen rounds (442 selections).


1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Bob Blackman, the Illini compiled a 3–8 record and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference.


1972 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Mike Wells with 837 passing yards, running back George Uremovich with 611 rushing yards, and wide receiver Garvin Roberson with 569 receiving yards. Center Larry McCarren and defensive end Larry Allen were selected as the team's most valuable players.


1972 Illinois elections
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 7, 1972.


1972 Illinois elections, Election information, Turnout
Turnout in the primary election was 39.90%, with a total of 2,228,605 ballots cast. 1,563,193 Democratic and 665,412 Republican primary ballots were cast.


1972 Illinois elections, Election information, Turnout
Turnout during the general election was 78.52%, with 4,880,213 ballots cast.


1972 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States President
Illinois voted for the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew.


1972 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States House
All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1972. Seats had seen redistricting due to the results of the 1970 United States Census. Illinois did not lose any congressional seats during reapportionment. As of 2020, this is the last time that Illinois has not lost any congressional districts during a post-census reapportionment.


1972 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States House
Before the election, both the Democratic and Republican parties held 12 seats from Illinois. In 1972, Republicans won 14 seats, while Democrats won 10 seats.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Incumbent Republican Richard B. Ogilvie lost to Democrat Dan Walker.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Paul Simon did not seek reelection to a second term, instead opting to (ultimately unsuccessfully) seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Democrat Neil Hartigan was elected to succeed him.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Governor and Lieutenant Governor
This was the first gubernatorial elections in which gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates were elected on a ticket in the general election, per the 1970 Constitution of Illinois.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General William J. Scott, a Republican, was elected to a second term.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Attorney General, Democratic primary
Illinois State Senator Thomas G. Lyons won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Attorney General, Republican primary
Incumbent William J. Scott won the Republican primary, running unopposed.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Secretary of State
Incumbent Secretary of State John W. Lewis Jr., a Republican, had been appointed in 1970. He did not seek reelection. Democrat Michael Howlett was elected to succeed him in office.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Secretary of State, Democratic primary
Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts Michael J. Howlett won the Democratic primary, running unopposed.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Comptroller
Comptroller was a newly-formed office, created by the 1970 Constitution of Illinois to replace the office of Auditor of Public Accounts, of which the outgoing incumbent was Democrat Michael Howlett, who instead opted to run for Secretary of State. Republican George W. Lindberg was elected the inaugural Illinois Comptroller.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, State Senate
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1972. Republicans flipped control of the chamber.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, State House of Representatives
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1972. Republicans retained control of the chamber.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Trustees of University of Illinois
An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Trustees of University of Illinois
The election saw the reelection of three-term former member Republican Park Livingston and first-term Republican incumbent Ralph Crane Hahn, as well as the election of new Republican member Jane S. Hayes Rader.


1972 Illinois elections, State elections, Trustees of University of Illinois
Democratic incumbent Robert B. Pogue (elected in a special election two years earlier) lost reelection.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1972 Illinois gubernatorial election was held in Illinois on November 7, 1972. The Republican nominee, incumbent Governor Richard B. Ogilvie lost reelection to the Democratic candidate, Dan Walker, who became the state's last Democratic governor of the 20th century.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election
This was the first election in which the lieutenant governor of Illinois ran on a ticket with the gubernatorial candidate for the general election.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information
This was the first gubernatorial elections in which gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates were elected on a ticket in the general election, per the 1970 Constitution of Illinois.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information
The election coincided with those for federal offices (United States President, Senate, and House) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1972 Illinois elections. Walker was the last Democrat to be elected governor of Illinois until Rod Blagojevich in 2002.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information, Turnout
Turnout in the primaries saw 36.09% in the gubernatorial primaries, with a total of 2,015,694 votes cast, and 30.46% in the lieutenant gubernatorial primary, with 1,701,418 votes cast.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information, Turnout
Turnout during the general election was 75.28%, with 4,679,043 votes cast.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Democratic primaries, Governor
In an upset, Dan Walker won a close primary against then-Lt. Governor Paul Simon. Paul Simon had been the candidate slated by the state party.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Democratic primaries, Lieutenant Governor
Neil Hartigan, the candidate slated by the state party, defeated Carbondale mayor Neal Eckert, Walker's declared preferred running-mate.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Republican primary, Governor
Ogilvie won renomination easily. His main rival, John M. Mathis was a favorite son of the Peoria area, and fared poorly elsewhere.


1972 Illinois gubernatorial election, Republican primary, Lieutenant Governor
James D. Nowlan won the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor, running unopposed.


1972 Independent Press-Telegram Championships
The 1972 Independent Press-Telegram Championships was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Long Beach City College Gym in Long Beach, California in the United States that was part of the 1972 WT Pro Tour. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from January 19 through January 13, 1972. A capacity crowd of 2,200 spectators watched second-seeded Rosemary Casals win the singles title and earn $3,400 first-prize money.


1972 Independent Press-Telegram Championships, Finals, Doubles
Rosemary Casals /  Virginia Wade defeated  Helen Gourlay /  Karen Krantzcke 6–4, 5–7, 7–5


1972 Indian Rajya Sabha elections
Rajya Sabha elections were held in 1972, to elect members of the Rajya Sabha, Indian Parliament's upper chamber.


1972 Indian Rajya Sabha elections, Elections
Elections were held in 1972 to elect members from various states. The list is incomplete.


1972 Indian Rajya Sabha elections, Elections, Members elected
The following members are elected in the elections held in 1972. They are members for the term 1972-78 and retire in year 1978, except in case of the resignation or death before the term.


1972 Indian Rajya Sabha elections, Bye-elections
The following bye elections were held in the year 1972.


1972 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1972 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. The Hoosiers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The team was coached by John Pont, in his eighth and final year as head coach of the Hoosiers, before being fired at the end of the season.


1972 Indiana State Sycamores football team
The 1972 Indiana State Sycamores football team represented Indiana State University in the 1972 NCAA College Division  football season. It was the seventh and final season for head coach Jerry Huntsman. He won his fifth homecoming contest in front of a record crowd (17,230). The Sycamores finished the season on a five-game winning streak, narrowly missing a bid to the Boardwalk Bowl; they outscored the opposition 236–141. Huntsman referred to it as his best team at Indiana State. Three Sycamores were named All-Americans after the season; Bob Poss, (offensive guard) was selected for the Associated Press’ 2nd Team; Seniors Willie Lee (fullback) and John Karazsia (linebacker) were Honorable Mentions on the Associated Press team.


1972 Indiana State Sycamores football team
Lee staged a memorable senior campaign, establishing school records in yard rushing (957), touchdowns (13) and points (78). He had four 100+ yard rushing games, while the rest of the team combined for three. He led all Indiana collegiate players in scoring, while leading the Sycamores' rushing attack to a school record in rushing offense (2,647 yards). Lee was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers but would sign instead with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.


1972 Indiana State Sycamores football team
Junior Rick Murphy, a defensive back, led the nation in return yardage; he went on to a career in the World Football League (WFL).


1972 Indiana gubernatorial election
The 1972 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972.


1972 Indiana gubernatorial election
Although during the same election cycle Indiana voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing the governor to serve in office for eight out of 12 years, incumbent Republican Governor Edgar Whitcomb was term-limited due to having been elected under the prior version of the constitution.


1972 Indiana gubernatorial election
Republican nominee, Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives Otis Bowen defeated Democratic nominee Matthew E. Welsh with 56.77% of the vote.


1972 Indiana gubernatorial election, Nominations
Until 1976, all nominations for statewide office in Indiana were made by state conventions.


1972 Indiana gubernatorial election, Nominations, Democratic nomination, Results
Matthew E. Welsh, former Governor def. Larry A. Conrad, Secretary of State


1972 Indianapolis 500
The 56th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Saturday, May 27, 1972. The race is notable in that for the first time, the cars were permitted bolt-on wings, and speeds climbed dramatically. Bobby Unser won the pole position at a then-remarkable speed of 195.940 mph (315.3 km/h) for four laps, breaking Peter Revson's track record of 178.696 mph (287.6 km/h) from 1971 by 17.244 mph (27.8 km/h) – the largest one-year track record increase in Indy history. The race average speed of 162.962 mph (262.3 km/h) was also a new record, which stood until 1984.


1972 Indianapolis 500
Gary Bettenhausen led 138 laps until his car suffered ignition trouble on lap 176, and he coasted to the pits. Jerry Grant took over the lead, but pitted for a new tire and fuel on lap 188 in teammate Bobby Unser's pit - for which he was later disqualified. Bettenhausen's Penske teammate Mark Donohue won the race, after leading only the final 13 laps. It was owner Roger Penske's first of eighteen Indy 500 victories (as of 2019) and the first victory for a McLaren chassis at Indy. Al Unser Sr., who won the race in 1970 and 1971, was looking to become the first driver in history to "three-peat" at the Indianapolis 500. He fell short, but his runner-up finish ties for the best three-year span (1st-1st-2nd) in Indy history.


1972 Indianapolis 500
For the first time, Jim Nabors was invited to sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" during the pre-race ceremonies. Nabors accepted and performed with little rehearsal and was warmly received. It was the beginning of a 36-year tradition, where Nabors performed nearly every year from 1972 through 2014.


1972 Indianapolis 500
The 1972 race was the first to utilize the Electro-PACER Light system to facilitate the yellow light periods. Speedway officials still did not utilize the pace car during cautions, and this enforcement tool would be used at Indy for seven years, albeit not without controversy in subsequent races. This system was similar in concept to systems such as the Virtual Safety Car and the "Slow zone" that became popular in the 2010s. Although the technology for the Electro-PACER system was primitive compared to the later systems used over forty years later.


1972 Indianapolis 500
After the decade of the 1960s saw numerous drivers from Europe and other nationalities, the 1972 race was the first since 1962 and the last to have an all-American lineup. Mario Andretti who was born in Istria (part of Italy at the time) was a naturalized U.S. citizen at the time of this race.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race schedule
Following the pattern set in 1970 and 1971, the race was scheduled for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. This would be the final Indy 500 scheduled for a Saturday (the 1986 race was held on a Saturday due to a week-long rain delay). Falling on May 27, it was also the earliest calendar date that race had been held up to that point. In 1973, the race would be scheduled for Monday, and starting in 1974, the race would permanently move to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race schedule
On Sunday May 28, the annual 500 Victory Banquet was held at the newly completed Indiana Convention Center for the first time.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race schedule
* Includes days where trackactivity was significantlylimited due to rain


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials
In 1972, for the first time, USAC allowed bolt-on wings to be affixed the cars. Previously, "wings" were required to be integral parts of the car's bodywork. Downforce levels increased by significant margins, and speeds climbed substantially during practice. During a tire test in March, Bobby Unser reportedly drove a lap of 190.8 mph, the first driver ever to lap the Speedway unofficially at over 190 mph.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials
The existing official track record going into the month had been set by Peter Revson in 1971 at 179.354 mph. During the first week of practice, the stage was set for record speeds early on. During the first day the track was available, Sunday April 30, Jim Malloy became the first driver to break the 180 mph barrier in practice, at 181.415 mph. Later in the week, Malloy ran a practice lap of 188.048 mph, by far an unofficial track record. By the end of the first week of practice, 11 drivers had practiced over 180 mph.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials
During the second week of practice, Gary Bettenhausen turned a lap of 190.315 mph on Sunday May 7. He became the first driver ever of the month to break 190 mph. Two days later, Bettenhausen was over 191 mph. Not to be upstaged, on Wednesday May 10, Bobby Unser blistered the track at 194.721 mph.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials
By the eve of pole day, three drivers had cracked the 190 mph barrier in practice, and more than a dozen had practiced faster than the existing qualifying record.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, First day time trials – Saturday May 13
Pole day time trials were scheduled for Saturday May 13, however, rain kept the track closed most of the day. The track opened briefly for practice, and at 5:50 p.m. time trials began. Three cars made it on the track, but none of them completed runs. A. J. Foyt was the last car out, but he blew his engine in turn two right after taking the green flag.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Second day time trials – Sunday May 14
Pole qualifying was moved into Sunday, and the qualifying line picked up where it had left off the day before. The track opened for practice promptly at 9 a.m. At 10:21 a.m., Jim Malloy slid high exiting turn 3, and hit the outside wall in the north short chute. He suffered fractured arms and legs, burns, and was in critical condition. Four days later, Malloy would die from his injuries.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Second day time trials – Sunday May 14
After the Malloy crash, rain closed the track until 2:30 p.m. Bill Vukovich II was the first driver to make a qualifying attempt. His first lap of 185.797 mph was a new one-lap track record, and the first official lap at Indy over 180 mph. However, he did a 360° spin in turn one, and came to rest against the outside wall on the second lap, and the run was for naught. Mike Mosley went out next, but the car quit on the final lap. More rain fell, and the track closed for another hour to wait out the shower.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Second day time trials – Sunday May 14
At 4:15 p.m., Joe Leonard (185.223 mph) became the first driver to complete a qualifying run. He set one and four-lap records, but they would not last long. Mario Andretti (187.617 mph) was the next car out, and he took over the top spot temporarily, also breaking the track record in the process.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Second day time trials – Sunday May 14
Shortly before 5 p.m., Bobby Unser took to the track. He set new all-time one and four-lap qualifying records, becoming the first driver to officially break the 190 mph barrier at Indianapolis.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Second day time trials – Sunday May 14
Unser established himself as the man to beat for the pole position. He shattered the previous year's track record by over 17 mph. Twelve cars completed runs and the 6 o'clock gun closed the track with six cars still left in line. The pole position round would be stretched into the following weekend. Among those not yet on the track were Mark Donohue and Peter Revson. After blowing his engine Saturday, A. J. Foyt was ineligible for the pole, and was not yet in the field either.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Third Day – Saturday May 20
Six cars entered the day still eligible for the pole round, and five of those made attempts. Mark Donohue put himself on the front row with a run of 191.408 mph. Moments later, Peter Revson put himself second with a run of 192.885 mph. Bobby Unser held on to the pole position, and the front of the field was set. For the first time since 1940–1941, the same three drivers qualified on the front row in consecutive years. Unser, Revson, and Donohue started on the front row (albeit in different order) in 1971 as well.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Third Day – Saturday May 20
At 11:30 a.m., "third day" qualifying commenced. A. J. Foyt put his car solidly in the field with 188.996 mph. Two-time defending race winner Al Unser, Sr. also qualified. The fastest of the "third day" qualifiers would be Jerry Grant, with a run of 189.294 mph.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Third Day – Saturday May 20
At the end of the day, the field was filled to 27 cars.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
After blowing five engines during the month, Gordon Johncock finally put a car in the field, with a comfortable 188.511 mph.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
At 5 p.m., Salt Walther filled the field to 33 cars. Wally Dallenbach (178.423 mph) was now on the bubble. Dallenbach survived three attempts, but was bumped by Cale Yarborough with a half-hour remaining. Yarborough (178.864 mph) now found himself on the bubble. An agonizing final 25 minutes saw six drivers try to bump him out. One by one, they each fell short. Seconds before the 6 o'clock gun, Wally Dallenbach got in a back-up car for one last chance.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
His first two laps were just shy of bumping in, and on his third lap, the car began smoking, and he was forced to pull into the pits. The field was set with Yarborough making the field. All 33 cars in the field qualified faster than the pole car from the previous year.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
As the attention on the track was focusing on Cale Yarborough, Jim Hurtubise wheeled his Gohr Distributing-sponsored Mallard roadster in the qualifying line shortly before the closing deadline of 6 p.m. Gohr Distributing was a Buffalo-area beer distributor for various brands of beer, and they promoted the Miller High Life on the car. with Miller High Life chosen as the brand to promote. Since Hurtubise had already qualified himself, when asked why he was putting the car in line, he claimed he 'might put someone else in it,' a practice that was commonplace at the time.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
Hurtubise had become known for last-minute (unsuccessful) qualifying efforts in his obsolete front-engined roadster, usually to the delight of fans, but sometimes drawing the ire of others. The time expired before he got anywhere near the front of the line. In fact, he purposely timed his queuing so he would not make it to the front. The engine cover was then removed to reveal that Offenhauser engine that should have been in the car had no engine at all.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
Instead it had a plastic-lined trough filled with ice and a number of chilled bottles of his sponsor's product, which he shared with the other pit crews and race officials. Most in attendance found the gesture to be humorous, however, some officials were not amused. Some were even becoming skeptical before he opened the cover, as already melting ice was leaving a trail of water visible on the pit lane beneath the car. It would be the first of several run-ins Hurtubise would have with USAC officials.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")
This type of stall tactic infuriated officials, which made further rule changes to prevent this ruse. (In modern times, alcohol is now prohibited in the pit area owing to WADA Code that prohibits alcohol among participants in motorsport events.) As a result, cars are now subject to cursory inspection, even before arriving at the official technical inspection area, and must obtain a sticker from officials to notify officials the car has been approved before entering the qualifying line.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day
During practice on May 16, Art Pollard wrecked his qualified car. The team was forced to replace it with a back-up car. Pollard, however, suffered a fractured leg, and was out for the month. The team hired Wally Dallenbach (who had been bumped) to drive as a substitute. For race day, the car was moved to the 33rd starting position due to the car/driver change.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day
The final practice session was scheduled for Wednesday May 24 from 1-4 p.m.  Gordon Johncock (186.4 mph) was the fastest car of the day. No accidents were reported, and two drivers (John Mahler and Carl Williams) skipped the session altogether.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day, Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes
The Carburetion Day practice session was expanded to allow the drivers more opportunity to practice under the new Electro-PACER Light system. The new devices were installed around the track to facilitate enforcement of the caution periods. At the time, the pace car was not utilized during caution periods, nor did the field pack up under yellow.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day, Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes
The PACER system featured a series of eight message panels situated around the track at equal intervals. They were programmed to enforce an 80 mph speed limit during caution periods. Drivers were instructed to hold their position under yellow, and each message board around the track would display a number from 1 to 9, illustrating the gap between themselves and the car in front of him. The goal and the requirement was to keep the numbers consistent at all of the boards around the entire circuit.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day, Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes
For instance, if a driver saw a "7" on the first board he encountered, he was to drive at such a speed that would display a "7" at all of the boards around the circuit for the remainder of the caution period. If he saw a "6" on the next board, it indicated that he was going too fast, and he would have to slow down a bit. If it displayed an "8" on the next board, that meant he was driving too slow, and needed to speed up slightly. Officials were stationed around the track to observe and issue penalties for violating the PACER system, which could mean a one-lap penalty for repeated abuse.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day, Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes
The Electro-PACER Light system would be used at Indianapolis from 1972 through 1978. Despite its seemingly simple format and instructions, it would be the source of ire and controversy during the years that it was used. Some drivers discovered and exploited loopholes in the system, and officials would find it more difficult to police than they expected. The PACER system would be a primitive precursor to later systems such as the Virtual Safety Car and "Slow Zones" introduced in the 2010s in Formula One and at Le Mans, respectively. In the end, the drivers themselves lobbied for the pack-up rule during caution periods, and it was finally adopted in 1979.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Practice and time trials, Carburetion Day, Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes
One additional rule change for 1972 involved the mandatory pit stops. A minimum of four pit stops (fuel hookup required) was required for 1972. The change was up from two pit stops in 1965–1967, and up from three in 1968–1971. Individual tire changes were still optional, but the rapidly increasing speeds from 1972 on would generate greater tire wear. As a result, tire changes became increasingly necessary and more common. Several drivers won the race in the 1960s without changing any tires, but no longer would that be practical nor feasible.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Pre-race ceremonies — Jim Nabors
On race morning, track president Tony Hulman was reportedly chatting with William F. Harrah, owner of Harrah's casino. Jim Nabors was accompanying Harrah as a guest at the race. Hulman recognized Nabors, and asked him if he wanted to 'sing the song' during the pre-race ceremonies. Believing that Hulman was talking about "The Star-Spangled Banner", Nabors agreed, and walked over to arrange with the Purdue Band. Nabors asked the band leader what key they were going to play, and it was not until that moment that he was informed he was going to be singing "Back Home Again in Indiana".


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Pre-race ceremonies — Jim Nabors
A surprised Nabors quickly jotted the lyrics down on a sheet of paper, climbed up on a ladder, and performed the song unrehearsed. Although some contemporary accounts vary, it was nevertheless the beginning of a 36-year tradition that would see Nabors perform the song at Indianapolis nearly every year through 2014.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Start
Tony Hulman gave the command to start engines, and the field began to pull away for two pace laps. After the pace car crash a year earlier, the veteran driver Jim Rathmann was assigned the pace car driving duties. The passengers in the Hurst/Olds pace car included Tony Hulman, astronaut Pete Conrad, Chris Schenkel of ABC Sports, Bob Draper (Hurst), and Dolly Cole (wife of GM executive Ed Cole), believed to be the first woman ever to ride in the pace car.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Start
As the field pushed off from the starting grid, A. J. Foyt's car stalled and failed to pull away. His crew hurriedly wheeled the car to the south end of the pit, and tried to figure out what was wrong with the machine. With the rest of the field gone, Foyt was possibly out of the race before the green flag. As the field was coming out of turn four, the starter held up one finger, indicating that the pace car should take the field on a second pace lap.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Start
However, at that moment the crew got Foyt's car running, and quickly pushed him away. The starter waved the pace car off the track and abruptly dropped the green flag, catching many drivers in the wrong gear to go racing and making for a ragged start. With Foyt slowly coming up to speed on the apron, the field blasted by him into turn one. Just as the race went green, rookie Salt Walther dropped out from a parts failure.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, First half
Bobby Unser grabbed the lead in the first turn, and led the first 30 laps. Unser set a blistering pace with Mark Donohue and Jerry Grant running close behind. On lap 31, Bobby Unser slowed and headed to the pits with a broken ignition rotor. Unser was out of the race, and Gary Bettenhausen took the lead.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, First half
A. J. Foyt was forced to play catch-up from the onset, but was running fast laps in the 180 mph range. His day was short, however, as he blew the turbocharger. After several lengthy pit stops, Foyt dropped out of the race. Among the early outs were Peter Revson (started 2nd) and Johnny Rutherford (started 8th). During a pit stop around lap 42, Jerry Grant and Mark Donohue battled side-by-side as they exited their stalls, and Donohue nearly crashed into the scoring pylon. Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the pit area of Wally Dallenbach, but he was able to continue.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, First half
Mike Mosley took the lead on lap 54. Two laps later, he lost a wheel and crashed into the outside wall in turn four. The impact ruptured the fuel tank, and the car caught fire as it slid down the mainstretch. Mosley unbuckled before the car came to a rest and jumped from the car trying to put out the flames. Mosley suffered burns but was not seriously injured. It was the second year in a row Mosley wrecked out in the fourth turn.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, First half
On lap 81, for the second time, Wally Dallenbach had a fire in the pits.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, First half
At the halfway point, 13 cars were out of the race. Gary Bettenhausen continued to dominate the race, and led at the halfway point. After completing 94 laps, Jim Hurtubise ran out of fuel in turn two. When the safety truck went to tow him back to the pits, they proceeded to tow him through the infield and the garage area gate rather than directly around the track back to his pit stall. He refueled and rejoined the race, but was subsequently disqualified for leaving the race track. Some feel it was a "payback" gesture by USAC for Hurtubise's antics on bump day regarding his 'beer engine.'


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Second half
Gary Bettenhausen continued to lead, pushing record speeds. Attrition began to take its toll on the field. By the 400-mile mark, eighteen cars were out of the race.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Second half
Lee Kunzman lost a wheel in turn two, bringing out a yellow light.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Second half
Wally Dallenbach had his third fire in the pits on lap 151. The final round of scheduled pit stops occurred for the leaders around laps 160-165. Bettenhausen pitted first on lap 162, briefly giving the lead over to Jerry Grant. When Grant pitted four laps later, his long pit stop relinquished the lead back to Bettenhausen. Grant himself later theorized that, because he was running a high line to improve his Eagle-Offy's handling, he might have picked up debris that caused a puncture of his right-front tire.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Second half
The yellow light came on with about 27 laps to go for debris on the backstretch. When the green light came back on, Gary Bettenhausen's car seemed to hesitate. With 25 laps to go, Bettenhausen suddenly started slowing in the north end of the track. After leading 138 laps, his car quit with ignition trouble. He limped around very slowly for handful of laps, then parked the car in the pits. Jerry Grant blasted by to take the lead, and Mark Donohue was now in second place.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Finish
With 13 laps to go, Jerry Grant led Mark Donohue and Al Unser, Sr. Grant was forced to the pits for a bad tire on lap 188. Grant entered the pit area, but he overshot his own pit stall and pulled into the pit box of his teammate Bobby Unser. Grant's crew carried their equipment to Unser's pit and changed Grant's right front tire, and in the confusion Unser's crew refuelled Grant's car with fuel from Unser's pit tank. By the time Grant went back out on the race track he had lost the lead.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Finish
With Grant's unscheduled pit stop, Mark Donohue took the lead on lap 188, and Grant dropped to second place on the track. Donohue had about a 1-lap lead over Grant, and third place Al Unser was two laps down. Mike Hiss spun in the southchute between turns 1 and 2 on lap 194, but did not hit the wall. Hiss continued, and the yellow light was on for less than one lap. The green flag came back out with five laps to go.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Finish
Donohue led the final 13 laps, and scored his first Indy 500 victory, and the first victory for car owner Roger Penske. Per the rules of the time, the remainder of the field was permitted to continue racing for about five minutes after Donohue took the checkered flag. During that time, Sam Posey and Mario Andretti made pit stops, with Posey taking on fuel and returning to the track to place 5th. Andretti was out of fuel, and dropped from 5th to 8th in the final standings.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race summary, Finish
In the immediate aftermath of the finish, USAC official Frank Delroy announced there would be no penalty for Grant pitting in the wrong stall. The initial ruling was that no fuel flowed into the tank. However, the decision would be further investigated during the evening, and a final ruling would be made when official results posted at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Post race, Jerry Grant penalty
After the race, USAC officials penalized Jerry Grant for taking fuel from Bobby Unser's pit tank. They disqualified him from that point on, and erased the final 12 laps from his tally. He was officially scored as out of the race with 188 laps completed. The penalty elevated Al Unser, Sr. to second place, and dropped Grant to 12th finishing position. According to the rules, each car was allotted a strict limit of only 250 gallons of methanol in their pit-side tank (not including the fuel in the car at the start of the race) to complete the full 500 miles.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Post race, Jerry Grant penalty
The details of the pit snafu were never fully explained, and remains a topic of discussion amongst historians and fans. The team maintained that fueling the car was an unintentional mistake, however, others felt otherwise. It has also been reported by some witnesses that Grant was directed into Unser's pit stall by the crew, while others believe Grant simply overshot his own stall. Several possible theories emerged, with one prevailing opinion suggesting that Grant's car was out of fuel, and his pit-side tank was also empty, due to running high turbocharger boost during the race.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Post race, Jerry Grant penalty
Grant supposedly needed fuel to make it to the finish, and since Bobby Unser dropped out early, his pit-side tank was still full. It was thought that Grant deliberately stopped in Unser's pit, aware of the predicament, and knowing Unser's tank would fill his car sufficiently and quicker. Another claim was made to Grant's defense that while the fuel hose was admittedly hooked up, no fuel actually flowed into the car. This claim was quickly dismissed. Grant maintained later in life the infraction was unintentional, maintained his innocence, and felt the penalty was unjust.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Post race, Post-race notes
Mark Donohue won the race leading only the final 13 laps, the third-lowest total in Indy history to that point (Joe Dawson led two laps in 1912, and Graham Hill led ten laps in 1966). The race was slowed five times for caution for only 20 minutes. Donohue's average speed of 162.962 mph set a new race record that would last until 1984.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Post race, Post-race notes
Vanguard Racing (of which Leonard W. Miller was involved), became the first African American-owned team to enter a car in the Indy 500. John Mahler (who was white) served as the driver. He dropped out after 99 laps with a broken piston.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Race results
Donohue finished the race distance with a time of 3:04:05.54. The top four racers were given additional time after his finish to complete the 500 mile race distance; 5th place and below was flagged off the track without having done so.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Pace car
The Pace Car was a 1972 Hurst/Olds convertible with a Hurst Performance modified 455 cubic inch W-30 engine built to pre-smog high compression 1970 specs. It was equipped with a TH-400 transmission and a "His and Hers"  Hurst Dual Gate shifter, plus a 3.42 rear axle ratio. An all aluminum W-27 differential cover was used for weight and cooling purposes. Mark Donohue was given the car for winning the race that day. About 629 of these cars were built for public consumption of which 130 were convertibles, 220 with sunroofs and the remaining 279 being hardtops.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Pace car
Almost all of these  Pace Car  replicas had the less powerful L-75 455 engine and 3.23 axle. A W-30 (L-77) could be ordered but only with 1972 specs netting 300HP with only 8.5 compression. All were painted Cameo white and carried unique 3M Firefrost Gold reflective fade out(pin dotted) laser stripes. In addition to this package, special Indy Pace Car decals with festival stickers could be ordered with  large H/O stickers adorning the quarter panels.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. It was carried on over 1,200 affiliates, including shortwave transmission to Japan, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic. The broadcast reached an estimated 100 million listeners worldwide. Sid Collins served as chief announcer and Len Sutton served as "driver expert"  for the seventh and final time. At the conclusion of the race, Lou Palmer reported from victory lane.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
Sid Collins celebrated his milestone 25th year as chief announcer. During the pre-race coverage, Governor Edgar Whitcomb presented Collins with the Distinguished Hoosier Award, a recognition from American Forces Network, and a personalized letter of recognition from President Richard Nixon. Indianapolis mayor Dick Lugar likewise presented Collins with a silver microphone and declared May 27, 1972, as "Sid Collins Day."


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
The entire on-air crew remained mostly consistent from 1966–71. Bob Forbes was assigned as "wireless" microphone, covering the garages and roving reports. For 1972, the pre-race coverage expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes and came on-air at 10:15 a.m. local time. Howdy Bell's vantage point in turn two (an observation spot against the outside of the retaining wall), would be the final time reporting from that location. Starting in 1973, the vantage point would move to the new VIP Suites.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
Jim Shelton (born May 27, 1919), who was reporting his 23rd race on the crew, was also celebrating his 53rd birthday.


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
Chief Announcer: Sid CollinsDriver expert: Len SuttonStatistician: John DeCampHistorian: Donald Davidson


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
Turn 1: Mike AhernTurn 2: Howdy BellBackstretch: Doug ZinkTurn 3: Ron CarrellTurn 4: Jim Shelton


1972 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Television
The race was carried in the United States on ABC Sports on a same-day tape delay basis. The race was held in the afternoon, and the broadcast aired in prime time later in the day. The two and a half hour broadcast was hosted by Chris Schenkel. Jim McKay and Jackie Stewart served as booth announcers. Chris Economaki was one of the pit reporters. Keith Jackson and Stu Nahan hosted a separate 30-minute trackside report before the ABC telecast that was available to some viewers on the west coast.


1972 Individual Ice Speedway World Championship
The 1972 Individual Ice Speedway World Championship was the seventh edition of the World Championship.


1972 Individual Ice Speedway World Championship
The winner was Gabdrakhman Kadyrov of the Soviet Union for the fifth time.


1972 Individual Long Track World Championship
The 1972 Individual Long Track World Championship was the second edition of the FIM speedway Individual Long Track World Championship. The event was held on 9 July 1972 in Mühldorf, West Germany.


1972 Individual Long Track World Championship
The world title was won by Ivan Mauger of New Zealand for a second successive year.


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1972 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 27th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider.


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship
The 1972 final attendance at Wembley Stadium was 75,000. New Zealander Ivan Mauger joined Barry Briggs on four title wins (2nd only behind Ove Fundin) by defeating Bernt Persson in a run-off after both riders finished on 13 points.


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship
In heat five, Briggs was involved in an accident which all but ended his speedway career. Going into the first turn his front wheel was hit by Bernt Persson's bike which caused him to fall. He was then hit by the Russian riders Grigory Khlinovsky and Valery Gordeev. Briggs suffered a severe hand injury and lost the index finger on his left hand which caused him to temporarily retire from racing. Briggs had been considered one of the pre-meeting favourites and his favouritism had been firmed when he had beaten fellow New Zealander Ivan Mauger in heat 2.


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship
To the boos of the 75,000 strong Wembley crowd, FIM referee Georg Traunspurger did not exclude Persson. Defending champion Ole Olsen was unlucky not to retain his title because in his first ride (heat 4) while challenging Swede Christer Löfqvist he fell and would score no points. He won his next four rides to finish in a clear third place.


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship, Fourth Round, British/Commonwealth Final
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance •  t - exclusion for touching the tapes •  x - other exclusion •  e - retired or mechanical failure •  f - fell •  ns - non-starter •  nc - non-classify


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship, Fourth Round, European Final
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance •  t - exclusion for touching the tapes •  x - other exclusion •  e - retired or mechanical failure •  f - fell •  ns - non-starter •  nc - non-classify


1972 Individual Speedway World Championship, World Final
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance •  t - exclusion for touching the tapes •  x - other exclusion •  e - retired or mechanical failure •  f - fell •  ns - non-starter •  nc - non-classify


1972 Intercontinental Cup
The 1972 Intercontinental Cup was an association football tie held over two legs in September 1972 between the winners of the 1971–72 European Cup, Ajax, and the winners of the 1972 Copa Libertadores, Independiente.


1972 Intercontinental Cup
The first leg was held on 6 September 1972 at Independiente Stadium (La Doble Visera), home of Independiente, and ended in a 1–1 draw, with goals from Johan Cruyff and Francisco Sá. The return leg was held on 28 September 1972 at the Olympic Stadium, which was won by Ajax 3–0. Therefore the Dutch side won their first Intercontinental Cup trophy.


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
The match was notable for being the first and only time Johan Cruyff played in Argentina, as he would not join the trip with the Netherlands national team to the 1978 FIFA World Cup where the Dutch team reached the final. Ajax arrived in Argentina bringing their own cook and food. Some Dutch supporters had previously arrived not only to watch the match but on a tourist trip to known Buenos Aires sites.


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
The early goal by Cruyff (who might have fouled Independiente defender Miguel Angel López and or might have been fouled by Miguel Angel López before scoring) dictated the direction of the match. Since that, Independiente's style of play turned towards toughness to stop Ajax players. As a result, Cruyff had to leave the field after a hard tackle by defender Dante Mírcoli. At the end of the first half, the Ajax players were so angry at Independiente players' violence that they refused to take to the field for the second half. Their coach Ștefan Kovács had to implore them to play on.


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
After the match, the Ajax players complained about the violence shown by their rivals. Forward Sjaak Swart defined rival defender Ricardo Pavoni as "a gangster", also stating "he believes he is Carlos Monzón" to describe the Uruguayan's stiffness. In the same line, Ajax manager Kovacs added his testimony saying: "This was not football but war.... In Amsterdam, Independiente will have serious troubles. One of them, our magnificent pitch so they are not used to play on those surfaces. This pitch (Independiente Stadium) is not suitable to play football"


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
Some football personalities attended the match in Avellaneda, being president of Real Madrid CF Santiago Bernabéu one of the most notable visitors. Once the match ended, Bernabéu said:


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
Independiente was in control of the game in the second half, and I don't understand how they did not realise the short height of their players affected them to compete against the Dutch players. They are prepared for those emergencies and closed files to resist Independiente's attack. The local team lacked the time and luck to win.


1972 Intercontinental Cup, Overview
In the second leg held in Amsterdam, Ajax made a great performance, showing all their virtues to easily defeat Independiente 3–0, threfore winning their first Intercontinental trophy 2–1 on points (4–1 on aggregate).


1972 International Cross Country Championships
The 1972 International Cross Country Championships was held in Cambridge, England, at the Coldhams Common on 18 March 1972. A report on the men's event was given in the Glasgow Herald. This was the last competition organized by the International Cross Country Union (ICCU). The organization of the event was transferred to the IAAF as recommended as a result of the meeting of the IAAF cross-country committee that year in London. It was continued as IAAF World Cross Country Championships. From then on, the event was open for all IAAF members whereas before, non-ICCU members were only allowed to compete after special invitation.


1972 International Cross Country Championships
Complete results for men, junior men,  women, medallists,  and the results of British athletes were published.


1972 International Cross Country Championships, Participation
An unofficial count yields the participation of 200 athletes from 15 countries.


1972 International Gold Cup
The 19th International Gold Cup was a non-championship Formula One race, which was held on the Oulton Park circuit, located near Tarporley, Cheshire, England on 29 May 1972.


1972 International Gold Cup, Report, Entry
The race had been brought forward to the Bank Holiday weekend in the hope of attracting more entries. However, a competing Formula Two race at Crystal Palace took away some potential entrants. As a result, ten of the cars that had competed in the European Formula 5000 round earlier in the day joined the eight Formula One cars on the grid.


1972 International Gold Cup, Report, Entry
Although the race regularly attracted the top teams from across Britain and Europe, the increasing costs of F1 and more countries wishing to have their own Grand Prix, the Gold Cup fell by wayside with this being the last true F1 race.


1972 International Gold Cup, Report, Qualifying
Peter Gethin took pole position for the Marlboro BRM, in their BRM P160B, averaging a speed of 117.433 mph. Denny Hulme in a McLaren M19A was second fastest, just 0.2 of a second behind. The fastest of the F5000 cars was Alan Rollinson in fifth, in his Alan McKechnie Racing Lola-Chevrolet T300.


1972 International Gold Cup, Report, Race
The race was held over 40 laps of the Oulton Park circuit. Denny Hulme took the winner spoils for Yardley Team McLaren, driving their McLaren-Cosworth M19A. Hulme won in a time of 1hr 24.400mins., averaging a speed of 115.408 mph. The second car home was that of Emerson Fittipaldi, for the John Player Team Lotus in their Cosworth powered Lotus 72D. The podium was completed by Tim Schenken, in a Surtees-Cosworth TS9B for Team Surtees outfit albeit one lap adrift. The first F5000 car home was that of Brian Redman in a Sid Taylor Racing entered, Chevron-Chevrolet B24 in fourth.


1972 Intertoto Cup
In the 1972 Intertoto Cup no knock-out rounds were contested, and therefore no winner was declared.


1972 Intertoto Cup, Group stage
The teams were divided into eight groups of four teams each.


1972 Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team
The 1972 Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team represented the University of Iowa in the 1972 NCAA University Division baseball season. The head coach was Duane Banks, serving his 3rd year. The Hawkeyes finished the season in 7th place in the 1972 College World Series.


1972 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1972 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1972 Big Ten Conference football season. This was the first season the Hawkeyes played home games in Nile Kinnick Stadium (named for Iowa's only Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick). The stadium was called "Iowa Stadium" from the 1929-1971 seasons.


1972 Iowa Senate election
The 1972 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1972 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in all of the state senate's 50 districts—the 25 even-numbered seats were up for regularly-scheduled four-year terms and, due to the oddities of redistricting following the 1970 Census, the 25 odd-numbered seats were up for shortened two-year terms. State senators typically serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate, with half of the seats traditionally up for election each cycle. The decennial census and redistricting process causes one cycle each decade to be disrupted.


1972 Iowa Senate election
The Iowa General Assembly provides statewide maps of each district. To compare the effect of the 1971 redistricting process on the location of each district, contrast the  with the .


1972 Iowa Senate election
The primary election on June 6, 1972 determined which candidates appeared on the November 7, 1972 general election ballot. The Iowa Secretary of State only provides the names of candidates who ran in the 1972 primaries and does not report vote tallies. The primary candidates' names can be obtained here. General election results can be obtained here.


1972 Iowa Senate election
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 38 seats to Democrats' 12 seats. In March 1971, a special election in district 11 resulted in G. William "Bill" Gross flipping a seat in favor of the Democrats. Therefore, on election day in November 1972, Republicans controlled 37 seats and Democrats had 13.


1972 Iowa Senate election
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 13 Senate seats.


1972 Iowa Senate election
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1972 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 28 seats and Democrats having 22 seats (a net gain of 9 seats for the Democrats).


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the Big Eight Conference during the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth and final year under head coach Johnny Majors, the Cyclones compiled a 5–6–1 record (2–4–1 against conference opponents), finished in seventh place in the conference, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 319 to 238. They played their home games at Clyde Williams Field in Ames, Iowa.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Colorado State
To open the 1972 season, Iowa State went on the road to shutout the Colorado State Rams 41–0, the first of three games against Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opponents. The first quarter of the game was a stalemate, but the rushing ability of tailback Jerry Moses powered an 86-yard drive that concluded in a four-yard touchdown run on a sneak play by George Amundson in the first minutes of the second quarter. George Amundson completed 12 of 126 passes for 171 yards, throwing three touchdowns and running for another.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Colorado State
Don Greenwood, who started at tight end after Keith Krepfle cracked a neck vertebrae during practice the previous week, caught six passes for 80 yards, including a seven-yard touchdown reception. Moses, who gained 66 yards in twelve carries, suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter and was replaced by Mike Strachan, who had 143 yards in seven carries, including a 24-yard run to set up the third Iowa State touchdown. In the final minutes of the blowout, backup quarterback Wayne Stanley came in and ran for 53 yards, including the final touchdown.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Utah
At its home opener, Iowa State came back from a 14–16 halftime deficit against Utah to score 28 unanswered points, defeating the WAC team 44–22. Amundson ran for two touchdowns and threw to Greenwood for two others.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, New Mexico
In its second home game against a WAC opponent, Iowa State shutout New Mexico 31–0. After its third victory, Iowa State was ranked in the AP Top 20 Poll for the first time in the season.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Colorado
Coming off of a bye week, 18th-ranked Iowa State went on the road as a 13-point underdog for its first Big Eight conference game, suffering its first loss against 13th-ranked Colorado, 22–34. The ranked vs. ranked matchup was attended by a sellout crowd of over 51,000, the largest sporting event in the state of Colorado to that date. The Buffaloes gained a 14–0 lead on the first two drives and never let the Cyclones get closer than seven points for the rest of the game. The Cyclones were stymied by penalties on both sides of the ball, with nine for 121 yards, including a defensive offsides on a Buffaloes field goal attempt that kept the Colorado drive alive.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Kansas State
Iowa State recovered from their loss to Colorado to blow out Kansas State at home 55–22.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Kansas
Iowa State went on the road to blow out Kansas 34–8 in the latter's homecoming game. The Cyclones were heavy favorites against the Jayhawks, who were 2–4 but winless in conference play. Kansas quarterback David Jaynes returned from injury for the game.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Oklahoma
In front of an overflow crowd of over 36,000, Iowa State suffered its first home loss in its homecoming game, falling to two-touchdown favorite No. 7 Oklahoma 6–20. Both offenses were hampered by the muddy turf, soaked from a week of rain due to Iowa State's lack of a tarp. Leon Crosswhite and Greg Pruitt combined for over 200 rush yards to establish the dominant Sooners ball control offense, while the Oklahoma defense held Strachan to 50.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Oklahoma
The Sooners scored first at the beginning of the second quarter when Crosswhite carried for a touchdown on a drive kept alive by a pair of completions from Dave Robertson to John Carroll. Later in the second quarter, a pair of long runs by Amundson and Strachan brought the Cyclones to the Sooner 20. The Sooners defense stiffened there and Amundson slipped while fading on third down. Goedjen kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Cyclones on the board with nearly five minutes left.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Oklahoma
The Sooners then marched down the field but stalled near the goal line in the final seconds of the half. Larry Hunt and Steve Burns tacked Robertson for a loss, forcing the Sooners to settle for a Rick Fulcher field goal to bring their lead to 10–3 at the half. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Robertson ran for 55 yards on a third and long to the Cyclone 3-yard line before a Pruitt touchdown run put the game out of reach.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, Nebraska
Iowa State came close to upsetting No. 3 Nebraska at home but tied at 23 instead due to a missed game-ending extra point by kicker Tom Goedjen.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Missouri
Iowa State was upset on the road by No. 19 Missouri 5–6. Their only points came on a Goedjen field goal towards the end of the first quarter and a safety on a blocked punt towards the end of the third. After Goedjen missed three field goal attempts, Majors elected to go for it with his team on 4th and goal from the Missouri two-yard line with six minutes left in the 4th quarter.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Missouri
Amundson attempted to run the ball in for the touchdown but was taken down for a loss, and Missouri went on to cap their drive with the game-winning field goal by Greg Hill. Despite their loss, they were invited to the 1972 Liberty Bowl to face Georgia Tech after the other teams being considered for the bowl bid also suffered defeats.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
Heading to Lewis Field to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Cyclones' conference finale, Majors sought to avoid another embarrassing defeat before the Liberty Bowl. Although the seventeenth-ranked Cyclones were favored by a touchdown, the 5–4 Cowboys were eager to obtain their first winning season since 1959, secure third place in the Big Eight standings, and avenge their 55–0 loss to the Cyclones in the previous season. Despite early-season upsets of bowl-bound Colorado and Missouri teams, the Cowboys, led by first-year head coach Dave Smith, had not received a bowl invitation and desired to prove their fitness for one. Running a wishbone offense, the Cowboys ranked 4th nationally in rushing yards, powered by quarterback Brent Blackman and running backs George Palmer and Fountain Smith.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
The Cyclones started hot with a 28-yard completion from Amundson to Moses on the first play of the game, and got a first down at the Cowboys 26 on a 15-yard Strachan run. The game soon went downhill when the Cowboys' Bob Shepard recovered a Larry Marquardt fumble at the Cowboys 22. On second down, the Cowboys ran a prearranged sleeper pass trick play in which they lined up after a quick huddle before Blackman surprised the Cyclones defense with a pass to Tom Stremme, who had not huddled and was uncovered in the flat.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
Stremme ran for 64 yards before John Schweizer tackled him at the Cyclones 11, saving the touchdown. A Smith run punched the ball in for the touchdown, but Eddie Garrett missed the extra point. Majors challenged the trick play but the referees upheld their decision.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
Three plays after the kickoff, Amundson lost the ball when he was hit by Doug Tarrant and it was recovered by Jay Cruse who returned it to the Cyclones 4. Alton Gerard punched the ball in for a touchdown and Blackman converted on a run to put the Cowboys up 14–0 in the first five minutes of the game.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
Iowa State rallied after Steve Burns recovered a Palmer fumble on the Cyclones 39 and marched 61 yards in 13 plays down the field to score on an Amundson screen pass to Krepfle towards the end of the first quarter. Another Cowboys fumble, this time by Smith, was recovered by Ted Jornov near midfield, allowing the Cyclones drive 51 yards in seven plays to tie the game with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Amundson to Willie Jones in the first minute of the second quarter.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at Oklahoma State
However, Amundson was picked off by Lee Stover halfway through the quarter, giving the Cowboys offense starting field position at the Cyclone 39. Overcoming two illegal procedure penalties, the Cowboys drove in on a Palmer run for a 21–14 halftime lead after Blackman lateraled to Smith for a large gain. The third quarter was scoreless, but in the fourth the Cowboys exploded for 24 points on a Palmer touchdown run, a Garrett field goal, an Alfred Nelms touchdown run, and a Blackman touchdown run to seal their 45–14 victory. With the blowout loss, the Cyclones fell to sixth in the conference and were dropped from both polls.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at San Diego State
In the final regular season game, Iowa State was upset on the road 14–27 by Pacific Coast Athletic Association champions San Diego State, who were 22-point underdogs. The momentum of the game shifted on the first play of the fourth quarter when a 45-yard Goedjen field goal attempt was blocked by Joe Lavender and returned for a touchdown by Bill Ferguson, tying the game at 14. Phil Danowsky returned the kickoff but fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Ken Jackson to give San Diego State excellent field position at the Iowa State 39-yard line.


1972 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Game summaries, at San Diego State
In three plays, San Diego State quarterback Jesse Freitas passed to Isaac Curtis for the touchdown, giving the Aztecs a 21–14 lead. The Aztecs clinched their victory with 4:56 left in the game after Rick Ash intercepted Amundson on the Iowa State 30, and Frank Miller ran for a 1-yard touchdown in four plays to finish the San Diego State scoring drive. The Cyclones thus finished the regular season with a 5–5–1 record.


1972 Iowa gubernatorial election
The 1972 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican Robert D. Ray defeated Democratic nominee Paul Franzenburg with 58.43% of the vote.


1972 Iowa gubernatorial election
This was the last gubernatorial election in Iowa in which either party won every county.


1972 Iran blizzard
The Iran blizzard of February 1972 was the deadliest blizzard in history. A week-long period of low temperatures and severe winter storms, lasting 3–9 February 1972, resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 people. Storms dumped more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) of snow across rural areas in northwestern, central and southern Iran.


1972 Iran blizzard
Southern Iran received as much as 8 metres (26 ft) of snow, burying at least 4,000 individuals. According to contemporary reports by the newspaper Ettela'at, the city of Ardakan and outlying villages were hardest hit, with no survivors in Kakkan or Kumar. In the northwest, near the border with Turkey, the village of Sheklab and its 100 inhabitants were buried.


1972 Iran blizzard, Meteorological progression
A series of snowstorms at the end of January had already accumulated over western Iran. Passing from Azerbaijan to Iran between February 3 and 8, the blizzard left 7.988 meters of snow, which is equivalent to a 2 and-a-half story building. The wind and snow resulted in the breakage of trees and power lines. The snow buried rails, roads, and many villages, in addition to crushing vehicles beneath its weight.


1972 Iran blizzard, Meteorological progression
At the height of the storm, authorities estimated that a region including all of western Iran was beneath the snow for a week. The supply of food and medicine was exhausted and the temperature plummeted to -25°C, which rendered the survival of the snowstorm's victims uncertain. Furthermore, a flu epidemic had begun to hit rural areas at the start of winter, already claiming several lives.


1972 Iran blizzard, Meteorological progression
On February 9, during a 24-hour lull, rescue helicopters were able to reach part of the region. Where there were villages, first-aid workers found large snowdrifts; when dug up, frozen corpses were often uncovered. In the village of Sheklab, they recovered 18 bodies before another blizzard struck on February 11. The rescue workers were forced to evacuate.


1972 Iran blizzard, Meteorological progression
Army helicopters left behind two tons of provisions, in the form of bread and dates, scattered on snowdrifts around villages. This was done in the hope that the inhabitants could resupply themselves if they were able to dig a tunnel out of their locations. However, few people were able to benefit from this. Out of Sheklab's 100 inhabitants, no one survived.


1972 Iranian local elections
The third local elections in Iran were held on 3 October 1972 to elect the members of city and town municipal councils. As expected, the New Iran Party overtook the People's Party to win 80% of the vote. Out of 3,786 seats nationwide, they won 3,246.


1972 Iranian local elections
People's Party won only 1.5% of total votes in Tehran, while in the provinces New Iran Party had more than 90% of the popular vote.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1972 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during June and July with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 19 July 1972.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby
The winner Catsrock Daisy won £5,000 and was trained by Gay McKenna, owned by Matt Bruton & Cyril Scotland and bred by Mrs Ann Relis. The competition was sponsored by Carrolls.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Gay McKenna of Dublin had already secured three Irish Derby titles when he sent a team to the 1972 event, in an attempt to emulate his brother in law Tom Lynch, and secure a fourth crown. Two bitches called Congress Daisy and Catsrock Daisy were considered serious contenders for McKenna and would provide the opposition for English raider Suburban Gent, double St Leger champion Time Up Please, Itsachampion and the previous year's finalists Gahans Wood and Butlers Glen.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
In the first round Congress Daisy recorded the fastest time of 29.15 closely followed by other winners Moordyk Sandy (29.18), Bedhust (29.20) and Eighthouses (29.20). In round two Catsrock Daisy (the recent Easter Cup winner when trained by Sammy Easton) set the best time of 29.04. Congress Daisy recorded 29.11 and Ballykilty won in 29.18.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
In the first semi-final Ballykilty beat Agamemnon in 29.14 but the old campaigner Kerryman (who was unbeaten going into the semis) failed to make the final again. Bedehust beat Catsrock Daisy in the second semi to remain unbeaten whilst a third race that was marred by trouble, ended with victory for Butlers Glen from Waggy Champion. In the third semi both Time Up Please and Congress Daisy were surprise eliminations.


1972 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The undefeated Bedhust was found to be lame and was withdrawn from the final which left Catsrock Daisy as the even money favourite and duly wrapped up that fourth title for McKenna. She broke well from the traps and maintained a lead all the way. Waggy Champion finished strongly to finish second and only lose by a neck. Catsrock Daisy was found to have broken a toe following the victory.


1972 Isle of Man TT
The 1972 Isle of Man TT motorcycle races were held between 5–9 June 1972. It was the fifth round of the FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship (now MotoGP).


1972 Isle of Man TT
A fatal accident this year led, some years later, to the end of the Isle of Man TT as a FIM championship race. The Ultra-Lightweight race was held on the last day of the event in heavy rain, and Gilberto Parlotti crashed fatally at the Verandah section of the circuit 29 miles into his second lap; the Italian rider was 31 years old.


1972 Isle of Man TT
After the death of Parlotti, his friend, Giacomo Agostini, an Italian MV Agusta rider, 9-time TT winner and a ten time 350cc and 500cc world champion, announced that he would never return to the Isle of Man to race. He considered the course too dangerous for international competition. As the years went on more top riders joined Agostini's boycott and in 1976 it was announced that the TT would be removed from the championship calendar. The British round of the FIM championship was held at Silverstone Circuit on the mainland from 1977 onwards.


1972 Isle of Man TT
In the last race of the 1972 event, Agostini won his 10th TT - the most for a non-British rider.


1972 Isle of Man TT, 1972 Isle of Man Junior TT 350cc final standings
Monday 5 June 1972 – 5 Laps (188.65 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, 1972 Isle of Man Sidecar 500cc TT final standings
Monday 5 June 1972 – 3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, 1972 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings
Wednesday 7 June 1972 – 4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, 1972 Isle of Man Ultra-Lightweight TT 125cc final standings
Friday 9 June 1972 – 3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, 1972 Isle of Man Senior TT 500cc final standings
Friday 9 June 1972 – 6 Laps (236.38 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, Non-championship races, 1972 Isle of Man Production 750 cc TT final standings
Saturday 3 June 1972 – 4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, Non-championship races, 1972 Isle of Man Production 500 cc TT final standings
Saturday 3 June 1972 – 4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, Non-championship races, 1972 Isle of Man Production 250 cc TT final standings
Saturday 3 June 1972 – 4 Laps (150.92 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, Non-championship races, 1972 Isle of Man Sidecar 750cc TT final standings
Saturday 3 June 1972 – 3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Isle of Man TT, Non-championship races, 1972 Isle of Man Formula 750 cc TT final standings
Monday 5 June 1972 – 5 Laps (188.65 Miles) Mountain Course.


1972 Israeli air raid in Syria and Lebanon
On 8 September 1972, Israeli planes bombed ten Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) bases in Syria and Lebanon as a response to the Munich massacre that took place on 6 September, perpetrated by Black September, a Palestinian terrorist organization active since 1970. Estimates of the number and identity of casualties vary widely, with several sources giving a figure as high as 200 militants and 11 Lebanese civilians. Seven bases were attacked in Syria and three in Lebanon. A short dogfight between Israeli and Syrian fighters resulted in three Syrian jets being downed. The main rail link between Syria and Beirut was cut and targets in Latakia were also attacked.


1972 Israeli air raid in Syria and Lebanon
On 11 September, a UN Security Council resolution demanding a halt to Israeli raids was vetoed by the United States, after the Soviet Union and China had vetoed amendments that would have also applied the resolution to terrorist activities.


1972 Israeli air raid in Syria and Lebanon
On 16 September, three Israeli armored columns crossed into southern Lebanon, with air support, to search for PLO bases. It destroyed at least 130 houses suspected of housing PLO militants. 45 militants were killed in this operation and 16 were captured.


1972 Italian Athletics Championships
The 1972 Italian Athletics Championships was the 62nd edition of the Italian Athletics Championships and were held in Rome (track & field events).


1972 Italian Athletics Indoor Championships
1972 Italian Athletics Indoor Championships was the 3rd edition of the Italian Athletics Indoor Championships and were held in Genoa.


1972 Italian Grand Prix
The 1972 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on 10 September 1972. It was race 10 of 12 in both the 1972 World Championship of Drivers and the 1972 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.


1972 Italian Grand Prix
Before the race, the Monza circuit was modified with the addition of two chicanes, one before the Curva Grande and one at the site of the old Curva Vialone, in order to reduce speeds in the interests of safety. Team Lotus was forced to run only one car because Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus 72D was seriously damaged in an accident while being transported to Monza. Fittipaldi raced another 72D, but with specifications very close to the 1970 model


1972 Italian Grand Prix
The 55-lap race was won by Brazilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi, driving a Lotus-Ford, after he started from sixth position. With the win, Fittipaldi sealed the Drivers' Championship, becoming the youngest ever champion at 25 years and 273 days until superseded by Fernando Alonso at 24 years and 59 days in 2005; Lotus also secured the Manufacturers' Cup. Englishman Mike Hailwood finished second in a Surtees-Ford, with New Zealander Denny Hulme third in a McLaren-Ford.


1972 Italian Grand Prix
The race marked the last win for American tyre manufacturer Firestone in Formula One. It was also the last race in which 1964 World Champion John Surtees competed.


1972 Italian Open (tennis)
The 1972 Italian Open was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament that was played by men on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. The men's and women's tournament were part of the 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix. It was the 29th edition of the tournament and was held from 24 April through 2 May 1972. The singles titles were won by Manuel Orantes and Linda Tuero.


1972 Italian Open (tennis), Finals, Men's doubles
Ilie Năstase /  Ion Ţiriac defeated  Lew Hoad /  Frew McMillan 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3, ret.


1972 Italian Open (tennis), Finals, Women's doubles
Lesley Hunt /  Olga Morozova defeated  Gail Chanfreau /  Rosalba Vido 6–3, 6–4


1972 Italian Republic Grand Prix
The 1972 Italian Republic Grand Prix was a non-championship Formula One race held at Vallelunga Circuit on June 18, 1972.


1972 Italian Senate election in Lombardy
Lombardy elected its sixth delegation to the Italian Senate on May 19, 1972. This election was a part of national Italian general election of 1972 even if, according to the Italian Constitution, every senatorial challenge in each Region is a single and independent race.


1972 Italian Senate election in Lombardy
The election was won by the centrist Christian Democracy, as it happened at national level. Seven Lombard provinces gave a majority or at least a plurality to the winning party, while the agricultural Province of Pavia and Province of Mantua preferred the Italian Communist Party.


1972 Italian Senate election in Lombardy, Background
This election was quite a copy of the previous one. The Italian Liberal Party was the sole loser, to its left to the Italian Republican Party and to its right to the Italian Social Movement.


1972 Italian Senate election in Lombardy, Electoral system
The electoral system for the Senate was a strange hybrid which established a form of proportional representation into FPTP-like constituencies. A candidate needed a landslide victory of more than 65% of votes to obtain a direct mandate. All constituencies where this result was not reached entered into an at-large calculation based upon the D'Hondt method to distribute the seats between the parties, and candidates with the best percentages of suffrages inside their party list were elected.


1972 Italian general election
General elections were held in Italy on 7 May 1972, to select the sixth Republican Parliament. The Christian Democracy (DC) remained stable with around 38% of the votes, as did the Communist Party (PCI) which obtained the same 27% it had in 1968. The Socialist Party (PSI) continued in its decline, reducing to less than 10%.


1972 Italian general election
The most important growth was that of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement, which nearly doubled its votes from 4.5% to about 9%, after its leader Giorgio Almirante launched the formula of the National Right, proposing his party as the sole group of the Italian right wing. After a dismaying result of less than 2%, against the 4.5% of 1968, the Italian Socialist Party of Proletarian Unity was disbanded; a majority of its members joined the PCI.


1972 Italian general election, Electoral system
The electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies was pure party-list proportional representation. Italian provinces were grouped into 32 constituencies, each electing a group of candidates. At constituency level, seats were divided between open lists using the largest remainder method with Imperiali quota. Remaining votes and seats were transferred at national level, where they were divided using the Hare quota, and automatically distributed to best losers into the local lists.


1972 Italian general election, Electoral system
For the Senate, 237 single-seat constituencies were established, even if the assembly had risen to 315 members. The candidates needed a landslide victory of two-thirds of votes to be automatically elected, a goal which could be reached only by the German minorities in South Tirol. All remaining votes and seats were grouped in party lists and regional constituencies, where a D'Hondt method was used: inside the lists, candidates with the best percentages were elected.


1972 Italian general election, Historical background
The period of the late 1960s–1970s came to be known as the Opposti Estremismi, (from left-wing and right-wing extremists riots), later renamed anni di piombo ("years of lead") because of a wave of bombings and shootings — the first victim of this period was Antonio Annarumma, a policeman, killed on 12 November 1969 in Milan during a left-wing demonstration.