Nixon went across the way to China, hoping that together we could build a new "generation of peace." Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, while happy about the state of the talks, refused to remark about the nature of the fifteen hour discussions that went on between him and Nixon (along with U.S. Secretary of State William Rogers). Allegedly, the purpose of the talks was to come to a concensus towards removing U.S. troops from Taiwan. It has been promised, however, that the U.S. and China would begin to keep more informal contacts. The meeting ended with a Chinese band playing "Home on the Range" and "America the Beautiful."

March 2, 1972

Pioneer 10 was launched, proving to be one of the longest and far-reaching interplanetary voyage in human history. Pioneer 10 is scheduled to be the first satellite to take pictures of Jupiter. Its trajectory will put Pioneer 100,000 miles from the planet. After it reaches Jupiter, Pioneer will launch itself to the far reaches of outer space. It carries a record of information about our planet in case of extraterrestrial interception.

Thousands of Viet Cong and other North Vietnamese citizens tightened the grip around the besieged capital of Quangtri. If it falls, Hue and Danang could fall next. The Communist forces have been nearly immune to U.S. and South Vietnamese fire, losing very little as they advance from city to city. To try to prevent an onslaught, the U.S. has begun stockpiling supplies in Haiphong, 60 miles east of Hanoi. So far, 11 American planes have been shot down while delivering supplies.

Five men were arrested and charged with breaking into the executive quarters of the Democratic National Comittee in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. The men were discovered on the sixth floor of the building, all well-dressed and wearing gloves. They had walkie-talkies, cameras, and other electronic surveillance equipment. One member, James W. McCord, was identified as a former member of the CIA, and two others also claimed to be of CIA origin.

September 8, 1972
In Munich, the Olympics went on without Israeli athletes. Early Tuesday morning, Black September guerillas, a terrorist group, killed eleven competitors from Israel. By 9:00 that morning, the Olympic village was surrounded by 12,000 police officers and 24 sharpshooters. In an attempt to subdue the assassins, only four were killed. The other three were believed to have made it back to their home country.

The infamous Martial Law in the Philippines proclaimed by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos .

December 19, 1972

When Apollo 17 splashed down, it marked the end of the series of spaceships that sent us to themoon. The mission was created to plant seismometers on the moon and check for volcanic

activity.

Led Zeppelin scored three major hits in 1972: "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll," and their almost eight-minute classic, "Stairway to Heaven." The latter piece, although never released commerciallly as a single, became their most popular number ever, and one of the most requested tunes of all time on radio stations from coast to coast. 1972 also introduced us to Carly Simon, the daughter of an obscure New York book publisher. She began her career with the ballad "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," which was followed later by "Anticipation." She won a Grammy for Best New Artist in this year.

Other musical events of 1972:

• The 1950s musical Grease opens on Broadway, setting the tone for a nostalgia craze that will sweep the nation.
• When John Lennon's immigration visa expires, he begins a long battle to obtain permission to stay permanently in the United States.
• A 22 year-old by the name of Bruce Springsteen signs with Columbia Records.

Top Albums of 1972

Hit Movies of 1972