What Happened on January 31, 1972

Historical Events

Mahalia Jackson's Funeral

Aretha Franklin sings at gospel singer Mahalia Jackson's funeral at the Greater Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois

  • Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev becomes 11th King of Nepal
  • British Home Secretary Reginald Maudling to House of Commons on 'Bloody Sunday', "The Army returned the fire directed at them with aimed shots and inflicted a number of casualties on those who were attacking them with firearms and with bombs"
  • Military coup ousts civilian government of Ghana
  • US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998)
1972 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Marvin Coleman, American basketball player (Calgary Stampeders), born in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Pulu Poumele, American football guard (San Diego Chargers), born in Oceanside, California (d. 2016)
  • Reinier Robbemond, Dutch soccer player (Dordrecht '90), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands
Born in 1972

Famous Deaths

  • Bir Bikram Shah Deva Mahendra, King of Nepal (1955-72), dies at 51
  • Fritiof Nilsson Piraten, Swedish writer (Bombi Bitt Och Jag), dies at 76
  • Howard Barlow, American conductor (Voice of Firestone), dies at 79
  • Istvan Szelenyi, Hungarian composer and musicologist, dies at 67
1972 Highlights

About January 31, 1972

Day of the Week: Monday
How Long Ago? 52 years, 1 month and 28 days
Leap Year: Yes

Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Pig
Star Sign: Aquarius

Music Charts

  • US #1 Song: American Pie (Parts I & II) - Don McLean
  • UK #1 Song: Telegram Sam - T Rex