What Happened on January 1, 1972

• "Company" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 690 performances
• "On the Town" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 65 performances
• 38th Orange Bowl: #1 Nebraska beats #2 Alabama, 38-6

• 38th Sugar Bowl: #3 Oklahoma beats #5 Auburn, 40-22
• 58th Rose Bowl: #16 Stanford beats #4 Michigan, 13-12

• China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
• International Book Year begins
• KDSD TV channel 16 in Aberdeen, SD (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Policewomen are enlisted as full members of South African Police Force for the first time.

• Barron Miles, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame defensive back and coach (Montreal Alouettes, BC Lions), born in Roselle, New Jersey
• DJ Shadow [Joshua Davis], American hip-hop DJ and songwriter (Endtroducing.....), born in San Jose, Clifornia
• Garrett K. Gomez, American jockey (US Champion Jockey by earnings 2006-09; Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 2007-08), born in Tucson, Arizona (d. 2016)
• Lilian Thuram, French soccer defender (record 142 caps; Monaco; Parma; Juventus; Barcelona), born in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe

• (Jennie Jane Morgan, British-American vaudeville, radio, and screen actress (Our Miss Brooks - "Mrs Margaret Davis"), dies at 91
• Maurice Chevalier, French actor (Can Can; Gigi) and singer ("Thank Heaven For Little Girls"), dies at 83

Holidays: New Year's Day (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States)

• #1 Song: Brand New Key - Melanie
• #1 Song: Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) - Benny Hill