WHAT ALL HAPPENED APRIL TO OCTOBER 1972
Find out what all happened April to October 1972

The Troubles: In Belfast, British Army snipers shoot five civilians dead in the Springhill Massacre. (9. July 1972)

The fast food restaurant chain Popeyes is founded in Arabi, Louisiana. (12. June 1972)

The Troubles: a car bombing outside a crowded pub in Belfast sparks a two-day gun battle involving the Provisional IRA, Ulster Volunteer Force and British Army. Seven people are killed and over 66 injured. (13. May 1972)

Vietnam War: Increased American bombing in Vietnam prompts anti-war protests in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. (22. April 1972)

The United States launches Landsat 1, the first Earth-resources satellite. (23. July 1972)

The Troubles: In Operation Motorman, the British Army re-takes the urban no-go areas of Northern Ireland. It is the biggest British military operation since the Suez Crisis of 1956, and the biggest in Ireland since the Irish War of Independence. Later that day, nine civilians are killed by car bombs in the village of Claudy. (31. July 1972)

Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan are executed in Ankara for attempting to overthrow the Constitutional order. (6. May 1972)

Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s. (2. April 1972)

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashes in the Andes mountains, near the border between Argentina and Chile. By December 23, 1972, only 16 out of 45 people lived long enough to be rescued. (13. October 1972)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos signs Proclamation № 1081, placing the entire country under martial law and marking the beginning of his authoritarian rule. (21. September 1972)

Sino-Japanese relations: Japan establishes diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China after breaking official ties with the Republic of China. (29. September 1972)

Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive – The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum. (25. April 1972)

An East German Ilyushin Il-62 crashes during takeoff from East Berlin, killing 156. (14. August 1972)

Roberto Clemente records the 3,000th and final hit of his career. (30. September 1972)

The United States and the Soviet Union sign the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. (26. May 1972)

The Troubles: Bloody Friday – the Provisional IRA detonate 22 bombs in central Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom in the space of 80 minutes, killing 9 and injuring 130. (21. July 1972)

Four Black September terrorists hijack Sabena Flight 571. Israeli Sayeret Matkal commandos recapture the plane the following day. (8. May 1972)

The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. (11. July 1972)

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system has its opening day of passenger service. (11. September 1972)

An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-62 crashes outside Moscow killing 174. (13. October 1972)