Historical Events
- 10.83 inches (27.5 cm) rainfall at Fort Ripley, Minnesota (state record, until 2007)
- 2 passenger trains collide head-on killing 76 (Seville, Spain)
- Bloody Friday: within the space of seventy-five minutes, the Provisional Irish Republican Army explode twenty-two bombs in Belfast; six civilians, two British Army soldiers and one UDA volunteer were killed, 130 injured
- In New York 57 murders occur in 24 hours
Sports History
MLB Los Angeles Dodgers release knuckleball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm, ending his career
Famous Birthdays
- Dennis Krijgsman, Dutch soccer player and manager (Sparta/Vitesse), born in Alphen aan de Rijn, Netherlands
- Kimera Bartee, American MLB outfielder.1996-2001 (Detroit Tigers, and 2 other teams), and coach, 2017-21 (Pittsburgh Pirates, and 2 other teams), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2021)
- Shinjiro Otani, Japanese wrestler (NJPW), born in Yamaguchi, Japan
Famous Deaths
- Jigme Dori Wangchuck, King of Bhutan (1952-72), dies of a heart condition at 45
- Ralph Craig, American athlete (Olympic gold 100/200m 1912), dies at 83
Died in 1972 1972 Highlights
About July 21, 1972
Day of the Week: Friday
How Long Ago? 51 years, 9 months and 6 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Cancer
Music Charts
#1 Song: Lean On Me - Bill Withers
#1 Song: Puppy Love - Donny Osmond
