
Westwood High School
Class of 1972
News from 1972
A blast from the past, to jog your memories of exciting events and popular culture from 1972.
COST OF LIVING
- Yearly Inflation Rate USA - 3.27%
- Average Cost of a New House - $27,550
- Average Income per Year - $11,800
- Average Monthly Rent - $165
- Cost of a Gallon of Gas - 55 cents
- Wrangler Jeans - $12
U.S. and WORLD HISTORY (only a few positive headlines)
- 1972 was the year Scientists development the Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) scanning technology in England.
- The last US ground troops were withdrawn from Vietnam.
- The Equal Rights Amendment which provided for the legal equality of the sexes passed by the U.S. Senate.
- World leaders agreed to ban biological warfare.
- Apollo 16 with John Young and Charles Duke landed on the Moon with Boing Lunar Rover #2.
- First two female FBI agents started training at Quantico.
- American swimmer Mark Spitz won a record 7 gold medals in the Summer Olympics in Munich.
POPULAR CULTURE
- M*A*S*H premiered on CBS.
- Trekkies rejoiced when the first Star Trek fan convention took place in New York City.
- “Grease” debuted on Broadway, spreading the message “A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card”.
- Atari released PONG, the first commercially successful video game.
- “Your Mama” (pronounced “Joe Mama”) became a popular phrase amongst the youth.
- The book Jonathan Livingston Seagull was released.
- HBO introduced TV violence, nudity, and obscenity to the comforts of your own living room!
- David Bowie first introduced his glorious alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
- Mama Mia! The band ABBA hit the charts.
- Duane “The Rock” Johnson was born.
- Evil Knievel broke 93 bones after successfully clearing 35 cars.
- Paul McCartney and Wings went of their first tour. Paul was previously with another popular band.