Apollo 17 Challenger Redocking
Returns to command module America with Schmitt after rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1972 in United States of America — Page 15
Explore 674 historical events and records for United States of America in 1972.
Historical records for United States of America in 1972
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 674 unique records.
674Unique records
15 of 17Page
32Named events on this page
23Named people on this page
14Places on this page
December
Apollo 17 Trans-Earth Injection
Pilots America during the maneuver that sends Apollo 17 from lunar orbit toward Earth.
Apollo 17 Deep-Space EVA
Performs a transearth EVA to retrieve mapping and lunar sounder film from the service module.
Bombing of Haiphong
Nixon orders a 3 day bombing offensive against Hanoi-Haiphong, Operation Linebacker II
Bombing of Hanoi
Nixon orders a 3 day bombing offensive against Hanoi-Haiphong, Operation Linebacker II
Christmas Bombing
Orders Operation Linebacker II bombing of North Vietnam
Linebacker II
Commands Strategic Air Command during the Linebacker II bombing campaign
Linebacker II
Operations north of the Twentieth Parallel cease, 729 sorties have ben flown & 15 planes lost
Linebacker II
Hanoi agrees to Nixon's conditions for reopening peace negotiations
Linebacker II
Orders B52s to bomb Hanoi & Haiphong
Linebacker II
26-30 December, massive air bombing of military installations in North Vietnam
Linebacker II
Orders a 3 day bombing offensive against the Hanoi-Haiphong, Operation Linebacker II
Apollo 17 Completion
Leads NASA when Apollo 17 returns from the Moon.
Apollo 17 Splashdown
Returns with Cernan and Schmitt as Apollo 17 ends the final crewed lunar landing mission.
Federal Aviation Administration
Appointed Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
Death of Harry S Truman
Death of Harry S Truman
Conference of Paris
Hanoi agrees to Nixon's conditions for reopening peace negotiations
Apollo 17 Lunar Sounder Operations
Operates lunar orbital science equipment, including the lunar sounder, while Cernan and Schmitt explore Taurus-Littrow.
Apollo 17 Panoramic Camera Operations
Conducts mapping and panoramic photography from command module America during lunar orbit.
Legal and Family Support Demands
As prosecution approached, Hunt sought money for legal costs, family support, and expenses while maintaining expectations of assistance from political associates.
Nobel Prize for Superconductivity
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for the BCS theory based on paired electrons.
Nobel Prize for Superconductivity
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for the BCS theory of superconductivity.
Second Nobel Prize for Superconductivity
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for the microscopic BCS theory of superconductivity.
Other events (month unknown)
Air War in Laos
Continues heavy US air operations in Laos as negotiations and fighting continue
Avanti!
Stars in, "Avanti!"
Boxcar Bertha
Directs, Boxcar Bertha
Broadcast
Kissinger TV press conference Oct. 26 - "peace is at hand"
Bruce Springsteen
Becomes Springsteen's early manager and producer before later legal disputes disrupt recording.
Campaign Dirty Tricks
Works with Carl Bernstein under editor Ben Bradlee to uncover political intelligence and dirty-tricks operations associated with Nixon's reelection campaign.
Canada Visit
Pays a State visit to Canada. Becomes the first US President to visit China
Chief of Staff
Appointed Army Chief of Staff
Columbia Records
Signs with Columbia Records after auditioning for John Hammond.
Conference of Paris
Negotiates the Paris Peace Settlement with Le Duc Tho
Conference of TV
Kissinger TV press conference Oct. 26 - "peace is at hand"
Cosmic Microwave Background
Wilkinson develops increasingly sensitive measurements of the microwave background
CREEP (Committee to Re-elect the President)
Appointed General Counsel, Finance Committee of the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP).
CREEP (Committee to Re-elect the President)
Counsel to the Committee to Re-elect the President that supported Richard Nixon in 1972.
Crises of the Republic
Arendt published Crises of the Republic, collecting essays on contemporary politics.
CRP Counsel
Serves as legal counsel to the Committee to Re-Elect the President, a role that later places him among defendants in the Watergate cover-up case.
Deep Throat
Felt provides Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward with critical leads that see the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.