Famous birthdays, deaths and events of 1972
Birthdays
- January 1 - Neve McIntosh, Scottish actress
- January 1 - Lilian Thuram, French footballer
- January 1 - DJ Shadow, American DJ and songwriter
- January 2 - Adam Elliot, Australian animator
- January 2 - Christopher Lennertz, American composer
- January 2 - Hristos Meletoglou, Greek triple jumper
- January 3 - Yoon Chan, South Korean actor
- January 3 - Nichole Nordeman, American singer
- January 4 - James Longley, American documentary filmmaker
- January 5 - Sakis Rouvas, Greek singer
- January 6 - Nek, Italian singer
- January 7 - Donald Brashear, American ice hockey player
- January 9 - Sarah Beeny, British TV personality
- January 9 - Angie Martinez, American radio and television personality
- January 9 - Jay Powell, baseball player
- January 10 - Thomas Alsgaard, Norwegian cross-country skier
- January 10 - Brian Lawler, American professional wrestler
- January 11 - Marc Blucas, American actor
- January 11 - Amanda Peet, American actress
- January 11 - Christian Jacobs, Lead singer of The Aquabats
- January 12 - Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Rajiv Gandhi
- January 12 - Espen Knutsen, Norwegian ice hockey player
- January 12 - Jason Sklar, American comedian
- January 12 - Randy Sklar, American comedian
- January 13 - Mark Bosnich, Australian footballer
- January 13 - Nicole Eggert, American actress
- January 13 - Atoosa Rubenstein, Iranian-born American magazine editor
- January 13 - Vitaly Scherbo, Belarusian gymnast
- January 14 - Kyle Brady, American football player
- January 14 - Predrag Gosta, Yugoslav-born conductor
- January 14 - Raimondas Rumšas, Lithuanian cyclist
- January 15 - Kobe Tai, American porn star
- January 15 - Claudia Winkleman, English television presenter
- January 16 - Ruben Bagger, Danish soccer player
- January 16 - Ang Christou, Australian football player
- January 16 - Dameon Clarke, Canadian actor
- January 16 - Yuri Drozdov, Russian soccer player
- January 16 - Ezra Hendrickson, Vincentian soccer player
- January 16 - Salah Hissou, Moroccan long-distance runner
- January 16 - Joe Horn, American football player
- January 16 - Richard T. Jones, American actor
- January 16 - Greg Page, Australian musician and actor
- January 16 - Alen Peternac, Croatian soccer player
- January 17 - Ken Hirai, Japanese singer and songwriter
- January 17 - Benno Fürmann, German actor
- January 18 - Mike Lieberthal, American baseball player
- January 19 - Joana Benedek, Mexican actress
- January 19 - Elena Kaliská, Slovak slalom canoer
- January 19 - Ron Killings, American professional wrestler
- January 19 - Princess Kalina of Bulgaria, titular Bulgarian royal family
- January 19 - Troy Wilson, Australian racing driver and AFL player
- January 19 - Angham, Egyptian singer
- January 21 - Alan Benes, American baseball player
- January 21 - Rick Falkvinge, Swedish politician
- January 21 - Yasunori Mitsuda, Japanese composer
- January 21 - Cat Power (Chan Marshall), American musician
- January 22 - Gabriel Macht, American actor
- January 22 - Romi Paku, Japanese seiyu (voice actress)
- January 22 - Gonzalo Rodríguez, Uruguayan racing driver (d. 1999)
- January 23 - Ewen Bremner, Scottish actor
- January 23 - Mark Curry, American rapper
- January 23 - Marcel Wouda, Dutch swimmer
- January 24 - Naoshi Mizuta, Japanese composer
- January 24 - Ulla Werbrouck, Belgian judoka and politician
- January 27 - Guillermo, Mexican-born American TV personality
- January 27 - Keith Wood, Irish rugby player
- January 27 - Mark Owen, English pop singer
- January 27 - Janine Ilitch, Australian netballer
- January 28 - Nicky Southall, English footballer
- January 30 - Lupillo Rivera, Mexican singer
- January 30 - Chris Simon, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 1 - Yoshi DeHerrera, American TV personality
- February 1 - Kami (musician), drummer of Japanese visual kei band Malice Mizer (d.1999)
- February 2 - Tego Calderón Puerto Rican reggaeton,
- February 2 - Dana International, Israeli singer
- February 2 - Melvin Mora, Venezuelan baseball player
- February 3 - Mart Poom, Estonian football player
- February 4 - Giovanni Silva De Oliveira, Brazilian footballer
- February 5 - Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
- February 5 - Koriki Chōshū, Japanese comedian
- February 6 - David Binn, American football player
- February 7 - Essence Atkins, American actress
- February 7 - Alex Bassi, American race car driver
- February 7 - Robyn Lively, American actress
- February 7 - Amon Tobin, Canadian/Brazilian musician
- February 8 - Paul Wight, American professional wrestler
- February 9 - Crispin Freeman, American voice actor
- February 9 - Darren Ferguson, Scottish footballer
- February 9 - Jason Winston George, American actor
- February 11 - Brian Daubach, American baseball player
- February 11 - Craig Jones, American musician
- February 11 - Steve Mcmanaman, English footballer
- February 11 - Kelly Slater, American surfer
- February 12 - Ajay Naidu, Indian-American actor
- February 12 - Owen Nolan, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 13 - Charlie Garner, American football player
- February 14 - Drew Bledsoe, American football player
- February 14 - Big Daddy V, American professional wrestler
- February 14 - Hiroshi, Japanese comedian
- February 14 - Najwa Nimri, Spanish actress
- February 14 - Rob Thomas, American musician (Matchbox Twenty)
- February 15 - Jaromír Jágr, Czech hockey player
- February 16 - Jerome Bettis, American football player.
- February 16 - Sarah Clarke, American actress
- February 17 - Billie Joe Armstrong, American musician (Green Day)
- February 17 - Philippe Candeloro, French figure skater
- February 17 - Taylor Hawkins, American musician (Foo Fighters)
- February 17 - Valeria Mazza, Argentinian model
- February 17 - Yuki Isoya, Japanese singer (formerly Judy and Mary)
- February 19 - Francine, American professional wrestler
- February 20 - Brent Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player
- February 20 - K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper
- February 21 - Seo Taiji, Korean musician
- February 22 - Michael Chang, American tennis player
- February 22 - Claudia Pechstein, German speed skater
- February 23 - Steve Holy, American country singer
- February 23 - Rondell White, American baseball player
- February 24 - Manon Rhéaume, Canadian female ice hockey player
- February 28 - Rory Cochrane, American actor
- February 29 - Antonio Sabŕto, Jr.
- February 29 - Dave Williams, American singer (Drowning Pool) (d. 2002)
- February 29 - Saul Williams, American rapper
- February 29 - Pedro Zamora, Cuban-born American Real World housemate and AIDS activist (d. 1994)
- March 2 - Richard Ruccolo, American actor
- March 2 - Amber Smith, American actress and model
- March 3 - Darren Anderton, English footballer
- March 4 - Pae Gil-Su, North Korean gymnast
- March 4 - Ivy Queen, American composer and singer
- March 4 - Robert Smith, American footballer
- March 4 - Jos Verstappen, Dutch racing driver
- March 4 - Alison Wheeler, British singer (The Beautiful South)
- March 5 - Luca Turilli, Italian musician (Rhapsody)
- March 6 - Shaquille O'Neal, American basketball player
- March 7 - Jang Dong-gun, South Korean actor and musician
- March 7 - Maxim Roy, Quebec actress
- March 8 - Angie Hart, Australian pop singer
- March 8 - Fergal O'Brien, Irish snooker player
- March 8 - Georgios Georgiadis, Greek footballer
- March 9 - Spencer Howson, Australian radio broadcaster
- March 9 - Kerr Smith, American actor
- March 10 - Takashi Fujii, Japanese television performer
- March 10 - Matt Kenseth, American race car driver
- March 10 - Paraskevi Tsiamita, Greek triple jumper
- March 12 - Hector Luis Bustamante, Colombian actor
- March 12 - James Maritato, American professional wrestler
- March 13 - Common, American rapper
- March 15 - Mark Hoppus, American musician (+44 and blink-182)
- March 17 - Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian musician
- March 17 - Marc Gunn, poet
- March 17 - Mia Hamm, American soccer player
- March 18 - Dane Cook, American comedian and actor
- March 18 - Anja Möllenbeck, German discus thrower
- March 18 - Nathan Quarry, American mixed martial arts fighter
- March 20 - Alexander Kapranos, Greek-British musician (Franz Ferdinand)
- March 21 - Large Professor, hip hop artist
- March 21 - Chris Candido, professional wrestler (d. 2005)
- March 22 - Shawn Bradley, American basketball player
- March 22 - Cory Lidle, American baseball player (d. 2006)
- March 22 - Elvis Stojko, Canadian figure skater
- March 23 - Joe Calzaghe, Welsh boxer
- March 23 - Judith Godrčche, French actress and author
- March 24 - Steve Karsay, American baseball player
- March 26 - Jon Reep, American comedian and actor
- March 26 - Jason Maxwell, Retired American Baseball Player
- March 27 - Charlie Haas, professional wrestler
- March 27 - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dutch footballer
- March 28 - Nick Frost, English comedian and actor
- March 28 - Keith Tkachuk, American ice hockey player
- March 29 - Michel Ancel, French game designer
- March 29 - Rui Costa, Portugal footballer
- March 29 - Junichi Suwabe, Japanese voice actor
- March 30 - Mili Avital, Israeli-American actress
- March 31 - Alejandro Amenábar, Spanish film director
- March 31 - Andrew Bowen, American actor
- March 31 - Hristos Polihroniou, Greek hammer thrower
- April 1 - Allen and Albert Hughes, American film directors
- April 1 - Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player
- April 1 - Jesse Tobias, American musician
- April 2 - Chico Slimani, Moroccoan-British singer
- April 3 - Jennie Garth, American actress
- April 3 - Sandrine Testud, French Top-10 tennis player
- April 4 - Jill Scott, American soul singer
- April 4 - Magnus Sveningsson, Swedish musician (The Cardigans)
- April 5 - Krista Allen, American actress
- April 5 - Tom Coronel, Dutch racing driver
- April 5 - Pat Green, American singer and songwriter
- April 5 - Paul Okon, Australian former footballer
- April 6 - Jason Hervey, American actor
- April 6 - Jo Van Daele, Belgian discus thrower
- April 8 - Paul Gray, American bassist (Slipknot)
- April 11 - Jason Varitek, American baseball player
- April 11 - Balls Mahoney, American professional wrestler
- April 12 - Sebnem Ferah, Turkish singer
- April 12 - Paul Lo Duca, American baseball player
- April 12 - Dimitrios Kokotis, Greek high jumper
- April 13 - Mariusz Czerkawski, Polish ice hockey player
- April 13 - Aaron Lewis, American singer (Staind)
- April 14 - Paul Devlin, England-born Scottish footballer
- April 14 - Roberto Mejia, Dominican baseball player
- April 15 - Lou Romano, American voice actor
- April 15 - Arturo Gatti, Canadian boxer
- April 16 - Conchita Martinez, Spanish tennis player
- April 17 - Gary Bennett, American baseball player
- April 17 - Tony Boselli, American football player
- April 17 - Jennifer Garner, American actress
- April 17 - Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lankan cricketer
- April 17 - Jarkko Wiss, Finnish Footballer
- April 17 - Terran Sandwith, Canadian ice hockey player
- April 17 - Claire Sweeney, English actress
- April 18 - Eli Roth, American film director
- April 19 - Rivaldo, Brazilian footballer
- April 19 - Jeff Wilkins, American Football Player
- April 20 - Carmen Electra, American actress
- April 20 - Le Huynh Đuc, Vietnamese footballer
- April 20 - Stephen Marley, Jamaican musician
- April 21 - Gwendal Peizerat, French ice dancer
- April 21 - Severina Vučković, Croatian singer
- April 22 - Sabine Appelmans, Belgian tennis player
- April 22 - Owen Finegan, Australian rugby union footballer
- April 23 - Pierre Labrie, Canadian poet
- April 23 - Patricia Manterola, Mexican singer
- April 23 - Sonya Smith, American actress
- April 24 - Rab Douglas, Scottish footballer
- April 24 - Nicolas Gill, Canadian judoka
- April 24 - Chipper Jones, American baseball player
- April 24 - Jure Košir, Slovenian skier
- April 25 - Sara Baras, Spanish ballerina
- April 26 - Jason Bargwanna, Australian racing driver
- April 26 - Kiko Narváez, Spanish footballer
- April 26 - Avi Nimni, Israeli Footballer
- April 27 - David Lascher, American actor
- April 28 - Joseph Bruce, American musician
- April 29 - Dustin McDaniel, American politician
- May 1 - Julie Benz, American actress
- May 2 - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, American professional wrestler and actor
- May 2 - Paul Adcock, English footballer
- May 3 - Shonie Carter, American MMA fighter
- May 3 - Suzi Suzuki, former Japanese adult actress
- May 4 - Manny Aybar, Dominican baseball player
- May 4 - Mike Dirnt, American musician (Green Day)
- May 4 - Chris Tomlin, American musician
- May 5 - James Cracknell, British rowing champion
- May 5 - Devin Townsend, Canadian musician (Strapping Young Lad)
- May 5 - Brad Bombardir, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 6 - Martin Brodeur, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 6 - Naoko Takahashi, Japanese long-distance runner
- May 7 - Felix Da Housecat, American House music DJ and record producer
- May 7 - Frank Trigg, American Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
- May 8 - Darren Hayes, Australian singer
- May 8 - Ray Whitney, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 9 - Megumi Odaka, Japanese actress and artist
- May 9 - Daniela Silivaş, Romanian gymnast
- May 10 - Radosław Majdan, Polish footballer
- May 11 - Anita Hegh, Australian actress
- May 13 - Stefaan Maene, Belgian swimmer
- May 14 - Gabriel Mann, American actor
- May 14 - Mark Ruskell, England-born Scottish politician
- May 15 - David Charvet, French actor
- May 16 - Khary Payton, American actor
- May 18 - Turner Stevenson, Canadian ice hockey player
- May 19 - Jenny Berggren, Swedish singer (Ace of Base)
- May 20 - Tina Hobley, British television actress
- May 20 - Busta Rhymes, American singer and rapper
- May 21 - Adriano Cintra, Brazilian musician (CSS)
- May 21 - The Notorious B.I.G., American rapper (d. 1997)
- May 21 - Alesha Oreskovich, American model
- May 22 - Anna Belknap, American actress
- May 22 - Annabel Chong, Singapore actress
- May 22 - Alison Eastwood, American actress and model
- May 23 - Rubens Barrichello, Brazilian formula one driver
- May 24 - Greg Berlanti, American television writer and producer
- May 25 - Octavia Spencer, American actress
- May 26 - Patsy Palmer, British actress
- May 27 - Ivete Sangalo, Brazilian singer
- May 27 - Todd Demsey, American golfer
- May 28 - Michael Boogerd, Dutch cyclist
- May 28 - Guidoni Junior Doriva, Brazilian footballer
- May 29 - Közi, Japanese visual kei artist
- May 29 - Stanislas Renoult, French singer
- May 30 - Manny Ramírez, Dominican Republic baseball player
- May 30 - Soichiro Hoshi, Japanese seiyuu
- May 31 - Frode Estil, Norwegian cross-country skier
- May 31 - Sarah Murdoch, English model
- May 31 - Karl Geary, Irish actor
- May 31 - Dave Roberts, American baseball player
- June 1 - Daniel Casey, English actor
- June 2 - Wayne Brady, American actor and comedian
- June 2 - Wentworth Miller, American actor
- June 2 - Simon Staho, Danish film director
- June 4 - Nikka Costa, American singer
- June 4 - Derian Hatcher, American ice hockey player
- June 4 - Rob Huebel, American comedian
- June 5 - Mike Bucci, American professional wrestler
- June 5 - Chuck Klosterman, American journalist
- June 5 - Pavel Kotla, Polish conductor
- June 6 - Cristina Scabbia, Italian singer (Lacuna Coil)
- June 7 - Karl Urban, New Zealand actor
- June 8 - Christian Mayrleb, Austrian footballer
- June 9 - Tomoe Hanba, Japanese voice actress
- June 10 - Steven Fischer, American film producer and director
- June 10 - Radmila Šekerinska, Macedonian politician
- June 12 - Bounty Killer, Jamaican deejay
- June 13 - Natalie MacMaster, Canadian musician
- June 14 - Matthias Ettrich, German computer scientist (KDE)
- June 14 - Michael Cade, American actor
- June 14 - Shaun Keaveny, British radio DJ
- June 15 - Justin Leonard, American golfer
- June 15 - Andy Pettitte, American baseball player
- June 15 - Marcus Hahnemann, American soccer player
- June 15 - Hank Von Helvete, Turbonegro Frontman
- June 16 - John Cho, Korean-American actor
- June 16 - Simon Khan, English golfer
- June 16 - Ann Shoket, American magazine editor
- June 17 - Sebastian White, musician and artist
- June 18 - Michal Yannai, Israeli actress and model.
- June 19 - Brian McBride, American soccer player
- June 19 - Poppy Montgomery, Australian actress
- June 19 - Dennis Lyxzén, Swedish musician
- June 19 - Robin Tunney, American actress
- June 20 - Paul Bako, American baseball player
- June 21 - Alon Hilu, Israeli writer
- June 21 - Neil Doak, former Irish cricketer
- June 23 - Selma Blair, American actress
- June 23 - Ron Corning, American television anchor
- June 23 - Zinedine Zidane, French footballer
- June 24 - Robbie McEwen, Australian cyclist
- June 24 - Denis Zvegelj, Slovenian rower
- June 25 - Carlos Delgado, Puerto Rican baseball player
- June 25 - Mike Kroeger, Canadian musician (Nickelback)
- June 26 - Garou, Canadian singer
- June 26 - Jai Taurima, Australian long jumper
- June 27 - Dawud Wharnsby Ali, Canadian poet and singer/songwriter
- June 28 - Jon Heidenreich, American professional wrestler
- June 28 - Alessandro Nivola, American actor
- June 29 - Samantha Smith, American activist (d. 1985)
- June 29 - Nawal Al Zoghbi, Lebanese singer
- June 30 - Sandra Cam, Belgian swimmer
- June 30 - James Martin, English celebrity chef
- July 1 - Claire Forlani, English actress
- July 1 - Alex Machacek, Austrian musician
- July 2 - Darren Shan, Irish children's author
- July 5 - Letha Weapons, porn actress
- July 6 - Isabelle Boulay, French-Canadian singer
- July 6 - D-Styles, American scratch DJ
- July 6 - Greg Norton, American baseball player
- July 6 - Mark Gasser, British pianist
- July 7 - Lisa Leslie, American basketball player
- July 7 - Manfred Stohl, Austrian rally driver
- July 8 - Sourav Ganguly, Indian cricketer
- July 8 - Karl Dykhuis, Canadian ice hockey player
- July 8 - Shôsuke Tanihara, Japanese actor
- July 10 - Peter Serafinowicz, British comedian and actor
- July 10 - Sofia Vergara, Colombian actress
- July 10 - Tilo Wolff, German musician (Lacrimosa)
- July 11 - Jussi 69, Finnish musician (The 69 Eyes)
- July 11 - Steven Richards, Australian racing driver
- July 11 - Michael Rosenbaum, American actor
- July 12 - Travis Best, American basketball player
- July 12 - Brett Reed, American musician (Rancid)
- July 12 - Jake Wood, English actor
- July 13 - Sean Waltman, American wrestler
- July 14 - Deborah Mailman, Australian actress
- July 15 - Scott Foley, American actor
- July 15 - Beth Ostrosky, American model
- July 17 - Jason Rullo, American drummer (Symphony X
- July 17 - Jaap Stam, Dutch footballer
- July 19 - Naohito Fujiki, Japanese actor and singer
- July 19 - Ebbe Sand, Danish footballer
- July 20 - Erik Ullenhag, Swedish jurist and politician
- July 20 - Jozef Stümpel, Slovak ice hockey player
- July 21 - Shinjiro Otani, Japanese professional wrestler
- July 22 - Colin Ferguson, Canadian actor
- July 22 - Seth Fisher, American comic book artist and penciller (d.2006)
- July 22 - Keyshawn Johnson, American football player
- July 23 - Marlon Wayans, American actor
- July 23 - Floyd Reifer, West Indian cricketer
- July 24 - Rev. Jen Miller, American performance artist
- July 27 - Jill Arrington, American sports reporter
- July 27 - Takako Fuji, Japanese actress
- July 27 - Maya Rudolph, American actress and comedian
- July 27 - Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, first Malaysian in space
- July 28 - Elizabeth Berkley, American actress
- July 28 - Ed Templeton, American skateboarder
- July 28 - Yeom Jeong-ah, South Korean actress
- July 29 - Wil Wheaton, American actor
- August 1 - Devon Hughes, American professional wrestler
- August 1 - Nicke Royale, Swedish musician (The Hellacopters)
- August 1 - Tanya Reid, Canadian actress
- August 1 - Maqsood Rana, Former Pakistani cricketer
- August 2 - Mohamed Al-Deayea, Saudi Arabian footballer
- August 2 - Jacinda Barrett, Australian model and actress
- August 2 - Daniele Nardello, Italian professional road racing cyclist
- August 2 - Jimmy Pop, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang)
- August 2 - Justyna Steczkowska, Polish singer
- August 3 - Sandis Ozoliņš, Latvian ice hockey player
- August 4 - Stefan Brogren, Canadian actor
- August 5 - Christian Olde Wolbers, Belgian musician (Fear Factory)
- August 5 - Aaqib Javed, Pakistani cricketer
- August 5 - Ikuto Hidaka, Japanese professional wrestler
- August 6 - Geri Halliwell, British singer (Spice Girls)
- August 7 - Greg Serano, American actor
- August 8 - Axel Merckx, Belgian bicycle racer
- August 8 - Lüpüs Thünder, American musician (The Bloodhound Gang)
- August 9 - Juanes, Colombian singer
- August 9 - A-Mei, Taiwanese singer
- August 10 - Lawrence Dallaglio, English rugby union footballer
- August 10 - Angie Harmon, American model and actress
- August 10 - Christofer Johnsson, Swedish musician
- August 11 - Jonathon Prandi, American model
- August 12 - Mark Kinsella, Irish footballer
- August 12 - Takanohana, Sumo yokozuna
- August 12 - Gyanendra Pandey, Indian cricketer
- August 13 - Kevin Plank, American entrepreneur (Under Armour)
- August 13 - John Safran, Australian television presenter.
- August 14 - Jay Manuel, Canadian make-up artist
- August 15 - Ben Affleck, American actor
- August 15 - Chris Morrissey, American film director/actor
- August 15 - Matthew Wood, American actor and sound editor
- August 16 - Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer
- August 16 - Emily Robison, American country singer
- August 16 - Frankie Boyle, Scottish comedian
- August 17 - Habibul Bashar, Bangladeshi cricketer
- August 17 - Ken Ryker, American pornographic actor
- August 18 - Keiko Yamada, Japanese singer
- August 18 - Leo Ku, Hong Kong singer
- August 18 - Shaun Wilson, Australian artist
- August 19 - Roberto Abbondanzieri, Argentine footballer
- August 19 - Sammi Cheng Sau Man, Hong Kong singer and actress
- August 19 - Chihiro Yonekura, Japanese singer
- August 20 - Chaney Kley, American actor
- August 22 - Steve Kline, American baseball player
- August 22 - Okkert Brits, South African pole vaulter
- August 22 - Max Wilson, Brazilian racing driver
- August 23 - Martin Grainger, English footballer
- August 23 - Raul Casanova, Puerto Rican baseball player
- August 23 - Mark Butcher, England cricketer
- August 24 - Jean-Luc Brassard, Canadian freestyle skier
- August 25 - Marvin Harrison, American football player
- August 27 - Denise Lewis, English heptathlete
- August 27 - Dalip Singh, Indian professional wrestler
- August 27 - Mike Smith, Canadian actor
- August 28 - Jay Witasick, American baseball player
- August 28 - Ravindu Shah, Kenyan cricketer
- August 29 - Bae Yong Joon, South Korean actor
- August 30 - Cameron Diaz, American actress
- August 30 - Pavel Nedvěd, Czech footballer
- August 31 - Chris Tucker, American actor
- September 1 - Doug Williams, British professional wrestler
- September 2 - Matthew Dunn, Australian swimmer
- September 3 - Natalia Estrada, Spanish model and actress
- September 3 - Martin Straka, Czech ice hockey player
- September 3 - Shim Eun-ha, South Korean actress
- September 4 - Françoise Yip, Canadian actress
- September 5 - Shane Sewell, Canadian professional wrestler
- September 5 - Guy Whittall, Zimbabwean cricketer
- September 6 - China Mi¨¦ville, English writer
- September 6 - Justina Machado, Puerto Rican actress
- September 6 - Anika Noni Rose, American actress and singer
- September 6 - Idris Elba, English/American actor
- September 6 - Dylan Bruno, American actor (Numb3rs)
- September 7 - Jason Isringhausen, American baseball player
- September 7 - Slug, American rapper (Atmosphere)
- September 8 - Markus Babbel, German footballer
- September 8 - Os du Randt, South African rugby player
- September 8 - Giovanni Frezza, Italian actor
- September 8 - Lisa Kennedy, American television personality
- September 8 - Tomokazu Seki, Japanese voice actor
- September 8 - Phil Laak, Irish-born American professional poker player
- September 9 - James Farmer, American educator and artist
- September 9 - Mike Hampton, American baseball player
- September 9 - Natasha Kaplinsky, British newsreader
- September 9 - Félix Rodríguez, Dominican baseball player
- September 9 - Goran Višnjić, Croatian actor
- September 10 - Ghada Shouaa, Syrian athlete
- September 10 - James Duval, American actor
- September 10 - Bente Skari, Norwegian cross-country skier
- September 10 - Katarína Hasprová, Slovak singer
- September 11 - Matthew Gilmore, Belgian cyclist
- September 12 - Jason Statham, English actor
- September 14 - David Bell, American baseball player
- September 15 - Jimmy Carr, English comedian
- September 15 - Kit Chan, Singaporean singer
- September 15 - Princess Letizia of Spain,
- September 16 - Mark Bruener, American football player
- September 17 - Bobby Lee, American comedian
- September 18 - Brigitte Becue, Belgian swimmer
- September 18 - David Jefferies, British motorcycle racer (d. 2003)
- September 21 - Liam Gallagher, English singer (Oasis)
- September 21 - Scott Spiezio, American baseball player
- September 21 - Jon Kitna, American football player
- September 21 - David Silveria, American drummer (KoЯn)
- September 22 - Dana Vespoli, American porn actress
- September 23 - Jermaine Dupri, American music producer and rapper
- September 23 - Karl Pilkington, British radio personality
- September 26 - Ras Kass, American rapper
- September 26 - Melanie Paxson, American actress
- September 26 - Shawn Stockman, American singer (Boyz II Men)
- September 27 - Sylvia Crawley, American basketball player
- September 27 - Clara Hughes, Canadian cyclist
- September 27 - Gwyneth Paltrow, American actress
- September 27 - Craig L. Rice, American Politician
- September 28 - Dita Von Teese, American burlesque artist
- September 29 - Oliver Gavin, British racing car driver
- September 29 - Togi Makabe, Japanese professional wrestler
- September 29 - Robert Webb, British actor
- September 30 - Ari Behn, Norwegian author
- September 30 - Jamal Anderson, American football player
- October 2 - Tara Dawn Holland, Miss America 1997
- October 2 - Aaron Mckie, a professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.
- October 3 - Garrett Dutton, American musician (G. Love and Special Sauce)
- October 3 - Black Thought, American rapper (The Roots)
- October 3 - Lajon Witherspoon, American singer (Sevendust)
- October 4 - Kurt Thomas, American basketball player
- October 5 - Grant Hill, American basketball player
- October 5 - Thomas Roberts, American news anchor
- October 6 - Mark Schwarzer, Australian footballer
- October 6 - Ryu Shi-won, Korean actor and singer
- October 7 - Ben Younger, American screenwriter and film director
- October 8 - Stanislav Varga, Slovakian footballer
- October 9 - Sarah Vandenbergh, Australian actor
- October 10 - Jun Lana, Filipino playwright and screenwriter
- October 10 - Dean Roland, American guitarist (Collective Soul)
- October 10 - Alexei Zhitnik, Russian ice hockey player
- October 11 - Claudia Black, Australian actress
- October 12 - Irina Pantaeva, Russian supermodel and actress
- October 12 - Juan Manuel Silva, Argentine racing driver
- October 12 - Tom Van Mol, Belgian football player
- October 13 - Summer Sanders, American swimmer
- October 15 - Matt Keeslar, American actor
- October 15 - Sandra Kim, Belgian singer
- October 16 - Tomas Lindberg, Swedish musician (At the Gates)
- October 16 - Darius Kasparaitis, Russian Super League player
- October 16 - Kordell Stewart, American football player
- October 17 - Eminem, American rapper
- October 17 - Tarkan, Turkish singer
- October 17 - Wyclef Jean, Haitian-born singer
- October 17 - Joe McEwing, American baseball player
- October 18 - Alex Tagliani, Quebec racing driver
- October 18 - Jake Farrow, actor
- October 19 - Keith Foulke, American baseball pitcher
- October 19 - Pras, American musician
- October 20 - Will Greenwood, England rugby union player
- October 21 - Felicity Andersen, Australian actress
- October 21 - Saffron Burrows, English actress
- October 21 - Masakazu Morita, seiyu and actor
- October 21 - Matthew Friedberger, American musician (The Fiery Furnaces)
- October 21 - Evhen Tsybulenko, Ukrainian professor of international law
- October 22 - D'Lo Brown, American professional wrestler
- October 24 - Kim Ji-soo, South Korean actress
- October 24 - Scott Peterson, American murderer
- October 24 - Pat Williams, American football player
- October 25 - Jonathan Torrens, Canadian actor
- October 27 - Lee Clark, English footballer
- October 27 - Elissa (singer), Lebanese singer
- October 27 - Evan Coyne Maloney, American filmmaker
- October 27 - Brad Radke, American baseball player
- October 27 - Marika Krook, Finnish singer (Edea)
- October 27 - Maria de Lurdes Mutola, Mozambican athlete
- October 28 - Terrell Davis, American football player
- October 28 - Brad Paisley, American musician
- October 29 - Takafumi Horie, Japanese entrepreneur
- October 29 - Gabrielle Union, American actress
- October 29 - Tracee Ellis Ross, American actress
- October 31 - Shaun Bartlett, South African footballer
- October 31 - Matt Dawson, English rugby union footballer
- November 1 - Jenny McCarthy, American "Playmate of the Year" and TV actress
- November 1 - Toni Collette, Australian actress
- November 1 - Paul Dickov, Scottish footballer
- November 2 - Samantha Janus, British entertainer
- November 2 - Darío Silva, Uruguayan footballer
- November 2 - Vladimir Vorobiev, Russian ice hockey player
- November 4 - Luís Figo, Portuguese footballer
- November 4 - Tabassum Hashmi, Indian actress
- November 6 - Garry Flitcroft, English footballer
- November 6 - Thandie Newton, English actress
- November 6 - Rebecca Romijn, American actress
- November 6 - Deivi Cruz, American baseball player
- November 7 - Jason London & Jeremy London, American actors
- November 7 - Danny Grewcock, English rugby union player
- November 7 - Christopher Daniel Barnes, American actor
- November 7 - Mike Goldman, Australian media personality
- November 7 - Marcus Stewart, English football player
- November 8 - Gretchen Mol, American actress
- November 9 - Eric Dane, American actor
- November 9 - Doug Russell, American radio personality
- November 9 - Corin Tucker, American musician (Sleater-Kinney)
- November 10 - Shawn Green, American baseball player
- November 11 - Adam Beach, Canadian actor
- November 11 - Tyler Christopher, American actor
- November 11 - Leslie Mann, American actress
- November 12 - Vassilis Tsiartas, Greek footballer
- November 13 - Takuya Kimura, Japanese singer and actor
- November 14 - Aaron Taylor, American football player
- November 14 - Edyta Górniak, Polish singer
- November 14 - Josh Duhamel, American actor
- November 14 - Martin Pike, Australian rules footballer
- November 14 - Matthew Bloom, American professional wrestler
- November 15 - Jonny Lee Miller, English actor
- November 16 - Missi Pyle, American actress
- November 17 - Leonard Roberts, American actor
- November 17 - Kimya Dawson, American singer
- November 18 - Jessi Alexander, American country music singer/songwriter
- November 18 - Robert Shapiro, American politician/humorist
- November 19 - Sandrine Holt, Canadian actress
- November 20 - Sheema Kalbasi, Iranian born poet
- November 21 - Rain Phoenix, American singer/actress
- November 21 - David Tua, Samoan boxer
- November 22 - Jay Payton, American baseball player
- November 23 - Chris Adler, American musician (Lamb of God)
- November 26 - Arjun Rampal, Indian actor
- November 26 - Chris Osgood, Canadian hockey player (Detroit Red Wings)
- November 27 - Shane Salerno, American screenwriter
- November 28 - Paulo Figueiredo, Angolan footballer
- November 28 - Anastasia Kelesidou, Greek discus thrower
- November 29 - Brian Baumgartner, American actor
- November 29 - Larry Joe Campbell, American actor
- November 29 - Jamal Mashburn, American basketball player
- November 29 - Minoru Tanaka, Japanese pro-wrestler
- November 30 - Christopher Fitzgerald, American stage actor
- November 30 - Abel Xavier, Portuguese footballer
- December 1 - Norbert Wójtowicz, Polish historian and theologian
- December 2 - Sergei Zholtok, Latvian ice hockey player (d. 2004)
- December 3 - Bucky Lasek, American skateboarder
- December 4 - Jassen Cullimore, Canadian ice hockey player
- December 4 - Nikki Tyler, American actress
- December 5 - Cliff Floyd, American baseball player
- December 5 - Mike Mahoney, American baseball player
- December 5 - Angela Shelton, American actress & writer
- December 6 - Rick Short, American baseball player
- December 7 - Hermann Maier, Austrian skier
- December 7 - Tammy Lynn Sytch, American professional wrestler
- December 8 - Marco Abreu, Angolan footballer
- December 8 - Frank Shamrock, American mixed martial artist
- December 9 - Reiko Aylesworth, American actress
- December 9 - Tre Cool, German-born American drummer (Green Day)
- December 9 - Fabrice Santoro, Tahitian-born French tennis player
- December 10 - Marcos di Palma, Argentine racing driver
- December 10 - Brian Molko, Belgian-born singer and songwriter (Placebo)
- December 10 - Dimitri Tikovoi, French-born record producer
- December 11 - Daniel Alfredsson, Swedish ice hockey player
- December 11 - Sami Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabian footballer
- December 11 - Dana Macsim, Romanian television news reporter
- December 12 - Nicky Eaden, English footballer
- December 12 - Wilson Kipketer, Danish middle-distance runner
- December 12 - Kevin Parent, French Canadian singer and songwriter
- December 12 - Brandon Teena, American hate crime victim (d. 1993)
- December 12 - Yeoryios Theodoridis, Greek sprinter
- December 12 - Hank Williams III, American musician
- December 14 - Eric Anderson, American musical theatre actor
- December 14 - Marcus Jensen, American baseball player
- December 15 - Rodney Harrison, American football player
- December 15 - Stuart Townsend, Irish actor
- December 16 - Angela Bloomfield, New Zealand actress
- December 16 - Charles Gipson, American baseball player
- December 16 - Željko Kalac, Australian soccer player
- December 17 - John Abraham, Indian actor
- December 17 - Laurie Holden, American actress
- December 18 - Trevor Chowning, American painter
- December 18 - DJ Lethal, Latvian-born American DJ (House of Pain
- December 18 - Raymond Herrera, American drummer (Fear Factory) and businessman
- December 19 - Alyssa Milano, American actress
- December 19 - Rosa Blasi, American actress
- December 19 - Warren Sapp, American football player
- December 20 - Anders Odden, Norwegian musician
- December 21 - Latroy Hawkins, American baseball player
- December 21 - Dustin Hermanson, American baseball player
- December 21 - Erwin Schrott, Uruguayan opera singer
- December 22 - Big Tigger, television host
- December 22 - Vanessa Paradis, French singer
- December 24 - Alvaro Mesen, Costa Rican footballer
- December 25 - Josh Freese, American drummer
- December 25 - Mac Powell, American musician
- December 26 - Esteban Fuertes, Argentine footballer
- December 26 - Robert Muchamore, English children's author
- December 27 - Thomas Wilson Brown, American actor
- December 27 - Colin Charvis, Welsh rugby union player
- December 27 - Matt Slocum, American musician (Sixpence None the Richer)
- December 28 - Patrick Rafter, Australian tennis player
- December 28 - Roberto Palacios, Peruvian footballer
- December 28 - Adam Vinatieri, American football player
- December 29 - Asheru, American rapper
- December 29 - Jason Kreis, American soccer player
- December 29 - Jude Law, British actor
- December 29 - Evan Seinfeld, American musician (Biohazard) and actor
- December 30 - Kerry Collins, American football player
- December 30 - Paul Keegan, Irish footballer
- December 30 - Steven Wiig, American actor and musician
- December 31 - Joe McIntyre, American singer (New Kids on the Block)
Deaths
- January 1 - Maurice Chevalier, French actor and singer (b. 1888)
- January 6 - Chen Yi, Chinese military commander and politician (b. 1901)
- January 7 - John Berryman, American poet (b. 1914)
- January 7 - Eftichia Papagianopoulos, Greek lyricist
- January 8 - Kenneth Patchen, American poet (b. 1911)
- January 9 - Ted Shawn, American dancer (b. 1891)
- January 10 - Aksel Larsen, Danish politician (b. 1897)
- January 11 - Padraic Colum, Irish poet
- January 14 - King Frederick IX of Denmark, (b. 1899)
- January 15 - Daisy Ashford, English child writer (The Young Visiters) (b. 1881)
- January 16 - Teller Ammons, American politician (b. 1895)
- January 16 - Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.
- January 17 - Betty Smith, American writer and singer (b. 1896)
- January 19 - Michael Rabin, American violinist (b. 1936)
- January 25 - Erhard Milch, German field marshal (b. 1892)
- January 27 - Mahalia Jackson, American singer (b. 1911)
- January 27 - Richard Courant, German-American mathematician (b. 1888)
- February 2 - Natalie Clifford Barney, American writer (b. 1876)
- February 5 - Marianne Moore, American poet (b. 1887)
- February 8 - Markos Vamvakaris, Greek musician and songwriter (b. 1905)
- February 11 - Jan Wils, Dutch architect (b. 1891)
- February 19 - John Grierson, Scottish documentary filmmaker (b. 1898)
- February 19 - Tedd Pierce, American animator (b. 1906)
- February 20 - Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German physicist
- February 20 - Walter Winchell, American journalist (b. 1897)
- February 21 - Bronislava Nijinska, Polish-Russian ballet dancer (b. 1891)
- February 21 - Eugčne Tisserant, French Catholic candinal (b. 1884)
- February 27 - Pat Brady, American actor and singer (b. 1914)
- March 8 - Erich von dem Bach, Nazi official (b. 1899)
- March 13 - Tony Ray-Jones, British photographer (b. 1941)
- March 15 - Aleksandr Ivanovich Laktionov, Russian painter (b. 1910)
- March 20 - Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921)
- March 23 - Cristóbal Balenciaga, Spanish fashion designer (b. 1895)
- March 27 - Sharkey Bonano, American musician (b. 1904)
- March 27 - M. C. Escher, Dutch artist (b. 1898)
- March 29 - Lord J. Arthur Rank, British movie theater owner (b. 1888)
- March 30 - Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (b. 1890)
- March 31 - Meena Kumari, Indian actress (b. 1932)
- April 2 - Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884)
- April 2 - Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Japanese Martial Arts Grandmaster (b. 1887)
- April 2 - Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
- April 3 - Ferde Grofé, American composer (b. 1882)
- April 4 - Adam Clayton Powell Jr., American politician (b. 1908)
- April 4 - Stefan Wolpe, German composer (b. 1902)
- April 5 - Brian Donlevy, American actor (b. 1901)
- April 5 - Isabel Jewell, American actress (b. 1907)
- April 16 - Kawabata Yasunari, Japanese writer
- April 25 - George Sanders, British actor (b. 1906)
- April 26 - Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter (b. 1892)
- April 27 - Kwame Nkrumah, leader of Ghana (b. 1909)
- May 2 - J. Edgar Hoover, American director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (b. 1895)
- May 3 - Bruce Cabot, American film actor (b. 1904)
- May 4 - Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist
- May 6 - Deniz Gezmiş, Turkish Left-wing Political Activist (b. 1947)
- May 13 - Dan Blocker, American actor (b. 1928)
- May 22 - Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet and writer (b. 1904)
- May 22 - Margaret Rutherford, English actress (b. 1892)
- May 24 - Ismail Yasin, Egyptian comedian and actor (b. 1915)
- May 28 - King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, (b. 1894
- May 29 - Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy (b. 1902)
- May 29 - Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (b. 1878)
- May 31 - Walter Freeman, American physician (b. 1895)
- June 8 - Jimmy Rushing, American blues singer (b. 1903?)
- June 13 - Clyde McPhatter, American musician (b. 1932)
- June 13 - Georg von Békésy, Hungarian biophysicist
- June 13 - Stephanie von Hohenlohe, Austrian-born German World War II spy (b. 1891)
- June 13 - Dündar Taşer, Turkish nationalist (b. 1925)
- June 20 - Howard Johnson, American businessman
- July 2 - Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1876)
- July 6 - Brandon De Wilde, American actor (b. 1942)
- July 7 - Athenagoras, Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 1886)
- July 7 - King Talal of Jordan, (b. 1909)
- July 9 - Robert Weede, American baritone (b. 1903)
- July 10 - Lovie Austin, American jazz pianist (b. 1887)
- July 19 - Hezekiah M. Washburn, missionary (b. 1884)
- July 21 - Ralph Craig, American athlete (b. 1889)
- July 28 - Helen Traubel, American soprano (b. 1903)
- July 28 - Charu Majumdar, Indian revolutionary leader (b. 1918)
- July 31 - Paul-Henri Spaak, Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1899)
- August 2 - Helen Hoyt, American poet (b. 1887)
- August 2 - Brian Cole, American bass player (The Association) (b. 1942)
- August 5 - Harry Hylton-Foster, Speaker of the British House of Commons (b. 1905)
- August 7 - Joi Lansing, American model and actress (b. 1929)
- August 8 - Andrea Feldman, American actor (b. 1948)
- August 11 - Max Theiler, South African virologist
- August 14 - Pierre Brasseur, French actor (b. 1905)
- August 14 - Oscar Levant, American actor (b. 1906)
- August 14 - Jules Romains, French author (b. 1885)
- August 16 - Pierre Brasseur, French actor (b. 1905)
- August 29 - Lale Andersen, German singer (b. 1905)
- September 11 - Max Fleischer, American animator (b. 1883)
- September 12 - William Boyd, American actor (b. 1895)
- September 15 - Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1887)
- September 17 - Akim Tamiroff, Georgian actor (b. 1899)
- September 19 - Robert Casadesus, French pianist (b. 1899)
- September 21 - Henry de Montherlant, French writer (b. 1896)
- September 26 - Charles Correll, American radio actor (b. 1890)
- September 27 - S. R. Ranganathan, Indian mathematician (b. 1892)
- October 9 - Miriam Hopkins, American actress (b. 1902)
- October 16 - Hale Boggs, U.S. Congressman from Louisiana (b. 1914)
- October 16 - Leo G. Carroll, English actor (b. 1892)
- October 17 - Turk Broda, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1914)
- October 17 - Prince George of Yugoslavia, (b. 1887)
- October 17 - Billy Williams, American singer (b. 1910)
- October 20 - Harlow Shapley, American astronomer (b. 1885)
- October 24 - Jackie Robinson, American baseball player
- October 24 - Claire Windsor, American actress (b. 1897)
- October 26 - Igor Sikorsky, Kiev
- October 31 - Bill Durnan, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1916)
- November 1 - Ezra Pound, American poet (b. 1885)
- November 11 - Berry Oakley, Bass Player and founder
- November 12 - Rudolf Friml, Czech composer of operettas (b. 1879)
- November 14 - Martin Dies, Jr.
- November 16 - Vera Karalli, Russian ballerina and actress (b. 1889)
- November 18 - Danny Whitten, American musician and songwriter (b. 1943)
- November 23 - Marie Wilson, American actress (b. 1916)
- November 25 - Henri Coandă, Romanian aerodynamics pioneer (b. 1886)
- November 28 - Havergal Brian, British composer (b. 1875)
- November 29 - Carl Stalling, American composer (b. 1888)
- December 3 - Bill Johnson, American musician (b. 1872)
- December 6 - Janet Munro, British actress (b. 1934)
- December 9 - Louella Parsons, American gossip columnist (b. 1881)
- December 23 - Andrei Tupolev, Soviet aircraft designer (b. 1888)
- December 24 - Gisela Richter, British art historian (b. 1882)
- December 24 - Melville Ruick, American actor (b. 1898)
- December 26 - Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States (b. 1884)
- December 27 - Lester B. Pearson, fourteenth Prime Minister of Canada
- December 31 - Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player (b. 1934)
Events
- January 4 - Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London.
- January 5 - U.S. President Richard Nixon orders the development of a space shuttle program.
- January 7 - Iberia Airlines Caravelle 6-R crashes into Mont San Jose on approach to Ibiza Airport killing all 104 on board.
- January 9 - The RMS Queen Elizabeth is destroyed by fire in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.
- January 11 - East Pakistan renames itself Bangladesh.
- January 13 - Prime Minister Kofi Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong.
- January 14 - Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascends the throne, the first Queen of Denmark since 1412 and the first Danish monarch not named Frederick or Christian since 1513.
- January 21 - Tripura becomes a full-fledged state in India.
- January 24 - Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
- January 30 - Bloody Sunday: British Paratroopers kill fourteen civil rights/anti internment marchers in Northern Ireland.
- January 30 - Pakistan withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations.
- February 1 - Kuala Lumpur becomes a city by a royal charter granted by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- February 2 - The British embassy in Dublin is destroyed in protest over Bloody Sunday.
- February 5 - Bob Douglas becomes the first African American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
- February 15 - Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
- February 17 - Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle model exceed those of Ford Model-T.
- February 18 - The California Supreme Court in the case of People v. Anderson, 6 Cal.3d 628 invalidates the state's death penalty and commutes the sentences of all death row inmates to life in prison.
- February 19 - The Asama-Sanso hostage standoff begins in Japan.
- February 21 - President Richard Nixon visits the People's Republic of China to normalize Sino-American relations.
- February 21 - The Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon.
- February 26 - The Buffalo Creek Flood caused by a burst dam kills 125 in West Virginia.
- February 28 - The Asama-Sanso incident ends in Japan.
- February 28 - Sino-American relations: The United States and People's Republic of China sign the Shanghai Communiqué.
- February 29 - Vietnam War: Vietnamization
- February 29 - Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract.
- March 1 - The Thai province of Yasothon is created after being split off from the Ubon Ratchathani province.
- March 2 - The Pioneer 10 space probe is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida with a mission to explore the outer planets.
- March 3 - Mohawk Airlines Flight 405 crashes in unexplained circumstances.
- March 4 - Libya and the Soviet Union sign a cooperation treaty.
- March 19 - India and Bangladesh sign a friendship treaty.
- March 24 - The United Kingdom imposes "Direct Rule" over Northern Ireland.
- March 30 - Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins after North Vietnamese forces cross into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of South Vietnam.
- April 2 - Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s .
- April 2 - Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins
- April 6 - Vietnam War: Easter Offensive
- April 10 - 20 days after he was kidnapped in Buenos Aires, Oberdan Sallustro is executed by communist guerrillas.
- April 10 - Vietnam War: For the first time since November 1967, American B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam.
- April 13 - The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.
- April 16 - Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- April 16 - Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive – prompted by the North Vietnamese offensive, the United States resumes the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong.
- April 20 - Apollo 16 lands on the Moon.
- April 22 - Vietnam War: Increased American bombing in Vietnam prompts antiwar protests in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
- April 25 - Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive – The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum.
- April 27 - Constructive Vote of No Confidence against German Chancellor Willy Brandt fails under obscure circumstances.
- May 4 - The Don't Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to "Greenpeace Foundation".
- May 6 - Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan are executed in Ankara for attempting to overthrow the Constitutional order.
- May 8 - Vietnam War – U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announces his order to place mines in major North Vietnamese ports in order to stem the flow of weapons and other goods to that nation.
- May 13 - Faulty electrical wiring ignites a fire underneath the Playtown Cabaret in Osaka, Japan. Blocked exits and non-functional elevators cause 118 fatalities, with many victims leaping to their deaths.
- May 15 - The island of Okinawa, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control.
- May 15 - In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to be become President.
- May 21 - Michelangelo's Pietŕ in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is damaged by a vandal.
- May 22 - Ceylon adopts a new constitution, thus becoming a Republic, changes its name to Sri Lanka, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.
- May 26 - Willandra National Park is established in Australia.
- May 26 - The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
- May 26 - The British state-owned travel firm Thomas Cook & Son is sold to a consortium of private businesses headed by the Midland Bank.
- May 29 - 26 people are killed and dozens more injured when three Japanese gunmen open fire on crowds at Lod International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- May 30 - The Angry Brigade goes on trial over a series of 25 bombings throughout Britain.
- May 30 - In Tel Aviv members of the Japanese Red Army carry out the Lod Airport Massacre, killing 24 people and injuring 78 others.
- June 11 - Eltham Well Hall rail crash, caused by an intoxicated train driver, kills six people and injures 126.
- June 16 - Red Army Faction member Ulrike Meinhof is captured by police in Langenhagen.
- June 16 - The largest single-site hydro-electric power project in Canada starts at Churchill Falls, Labrador.
- June 17 - Watergate scandal: five White House operatives are arrested for burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee, in an attempt by some members of the Republican party to illegally wiretap the opposition.
- June 18 - Staines air disaster
- June 23 - Watergate Scandal: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and White House chief of staff H. R. Haldeman are taped talking about using the Central Intelligence Agency to obstruct the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into the Watergate break-ins.
- June 23 - 45 countries leave the Sterling Area, allowing their currencies to fluctuate independently of the British Pound.
- June 29 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment".
- June 30 - One leap second is added to the UTC time system.
- July 1 - Andreas Baader, Jan-Carl Raspe and Holger Meins of the Red Army Faction are captured in Frankfurt after a shootout with the police.
- July 1 - The first Gay Pride march in England takes place.
- July 21 - Bloody Friday bombing by the Provisional Irish Republican Army around Belfast, Northern Ireland
- July 23 - The United States launches Landsat 1, the first Earth-resources satellite.
- July 24 - Bugojno group is caught by Yugoslav security forces.
- July 27 - The F-15 Eagle flies for the first time.
- August 3 - U.S. Senate ratifies the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
- August 11 - Vietnam War: the last United States ground combat unit departs South Vietnam.
- August 14 - An East German Ilyushin Il-62 crashes during takeoff from East Berlin, killing 156.
- August 16 - The Royal Moroccan Air Force fires upon, in an unsuccessful coup d'état attempt, Hassan II of Morocco's plane while he is traveling back to Rabat.
- August 22 - Rhodesia is expelled by the IOC for its racist policies.
- September 1 - In Reykjavík, Iceland, American Bobby Fischer beats Russian Boris Spassky and becomes the world chess champion.
- September 4 - Thieves steal 18 paintings from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in what was at the time the largest art theft in North America.
- September 4 - Mark Spitz wins his seventh swimming gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, becoming the first Olympian to do so. Spitz set world records in all seven events in which he competed.
- September 5 - Munich Massacre: A Palestinian terrorist group called "Black September" attack Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games.
- September 10 - The United States loses its first international basketball game in a disputed match against the Soviet Union at Munich, Germany.
- September 11 - Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco, California begins regular service.
- September 15 - A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shakes Northern Illinois.
- September 15 - An SAS domestic flight from Gothenburg to Stockholm was hijacked and flown to Malmö-Bulltofta Airport.
- September 18 - First Ugandans expelled by Idi Amin arrive in the United Kingdom.
- September 19 - A parcel bomb sent to Israeli Embassy in London kills one diplomat.
- September 21 - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signs Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire country under martial law.
- September 23 - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announces over television and radio the implementation of martial law and signs General Order No. 1 ordering the arrest of opposition leaders, media censorship, banning travel to other countries except for diplomatic missions, abolishing the Philippine Congress, establishing dictatorial government, take-over or sequestering of public and private corporations and suspension of classes for one week.
- September 25 - In the Norwegian EC referendum, 1972, the people of Norway reject membership.
- September 28 - Canada defeats the USSR in the eighth and final game of the ice hockey Summit Series.
- September 29 - Sino-Japanese relations: Japan establishes diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China after breaking official ties with the Republic of China.
- October 12 - En route to the Gulf of Tonkin, a racial brawl involving more than 100 sailors breaks out aboard the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk
- October 13 - An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-62 crashed outside Moscow killing 176.
- October 13 - Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashes in the Andes mountains, in between the borders of Argentina and Chile. By December 23, 1972 only 16 out of 45 people lived long enough to be rescued.
- October 22 - Vietnam War: In Saigon, Henry Kissinger and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu meet to discuss a proposed cease-fire that had been worked out between Americans and North Vietnamese in Paris. Thieu rejects the proposal and accused the United States of conspiring to undermine his regime.
- October 25 - The Washington Post reports that White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman was the fifth person to control a secret cash fund designed to finance illegal political sabotage and espionage during the 1972 presidential election campaign (see also Watergate scandal).
- October 30 - A collision between two commuter trains in Chicago, Illinois kills 45 and injures 332.
- November 10 - Southern Airways Flight 49 from Birmingham, Alabama is hijacked and, at one point, is threatened with crashing into the nuclear installation at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After two days, the plane lands in Havana, Cuba, where the hijackers are jailed by Fidel Castro.
- November 11 - Vietnam War: Vietnamization
- November 14 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 1,000 (1,003.16) for the first time.
- November 22 - Vietnam War: The United States loses its first B-52 Stratofortress of the war.
- November 29 - Nolan Bushnell (co-founder of Atari) releases Pong (the first commercially successful video game) in Andy Capp’s Tavern in Sunnyvale, California.
- November 30 - Vietnam War: White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler tells the press that there will be no more public announcements concerning American troop withdrawals from Vietnam due to the fact that troop levels are now down to 27,000.
- December 2 - Gough Whitlam becomes the first Australian Labor Party Prime Minister of Australia for 23 years.
- December 7 - Apollo 17, the last Apollo moon mission, is launched. The crew takes the photograph known as "The Blue Marble" as they leave the Earth.
- December 8 - United Airlines Flight 553 crashes near Chicago Midway Airport, killing 45 people.
- December 11 - Apollo 17 becomes the sixth mission to land on the Moon.
- December 13 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
- December 14 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan is the last person to walk on the moon, after he and Harrison Schmitt complete the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
- December 16 - Vietnam War: Henry Kissinger announces that North Vietnam has left private peace negotiations, in Paris.
- December 18 - Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th.
- December 19 - Apollo program: The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth.
- December 23 - The Nicaraguan capital of Managua is struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 10,000.
- December 23 - The 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days, having survived by cannibalism.
- December 29 - An Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed "Tristar") crashes on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101.
- December 30 - Vietnam War: The United States halts heavy bombing of North Vietnam.
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