1972

Today in History 11/16 (UNESCO’s World Heritage)

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UNESCO world heritage site Easter Island, or Hanga Roa (© Andia/UIG/Getty Images)(1972) UNESCO’s World Heritage program created
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) creates its World Heritage program to protect cultural, historic, scientific, and natural heritage sites. The program will grow to include more than 1,000 areas around the world.
A World Heritage site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.
Map of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO World Heritage sites
wiki/World_Heritage_Site
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(1972) UNESCO’s World Heritage program created.
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1933 | FDR reaches out to the Soviets as United States opens diplomacy with Soviet Union
US President Franklin Roosevelt tells Soviet senior diplomat Maxim Litvinov in a telegram that he hopes the two countries will “forever remain normal and friendly.” This simple note establishes diplomatic relations between the nations. The US had broken off Soviet relations after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
1959 | A stage on Broadway is alive with the ‘Sound of Music’
A governess, the children she teaches, and their father whom she’s come to love are forced to flee the Nazi occupation of Austria in the latest musical by Rogers and Hammerstein that opens on this day. Based on the story of the Von Trapp family, many of the show’s songs will become standards, particularly after the release of a popular 1965 film adaptation.
1966 | Dr. Sam Sheppard acquitted of murder in second trial
A jury acquits Sheppard for the 1954 murder of his pregnant wife. The US Supreme Court had thrown out his earlier conviction for, among other things, the “carnival atmosphere” of that trial. The notoriety of the case will spur TV shows, movies, books, and the career of lawyer F. Lee Bailey.

Today in History 11/16/17

Russian diplomat Maxim Litvinov, circa 1935 (© Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(1933) United States opens diplomacy with Soviet Union
US President Franklin Roosevelt tells Soviet senior diplomat Maxim Litvinov in a telegram that he hopes the two countries will "forever remain normal and friendly." This simple note establishes diplomatic relations between the nations. The US had broken off Soviet relations after the 1917 Russian Revolution.
The relations between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991) succeeded the previous relations from 1776 to 1917 and predate today's relations that began in 1992. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established late due to mutual hostility. During World War II, the two countries were briefly allies. At the end of the war, the first signs of post-war mistrust and hostility began to appear between the two countries, escalating into the Cold War; a period of tense hostile relations, with periods of détente.
United States Soviet Union Locator
Map indicating locations of United States and Soviet Union (including spheres of influence relations)

wiki/Soviet_Union–United_States_relations
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Today in History 09/05 (Reign of Terror)

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Execution in 1794 of Robespierre, French revolutionary, who was declared an outlaw by the Convention and he was sent to the guillotine with his supporters (© Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll
In France, a Committee of Public Safety is set up to deal with government enemies in the wake of the monarchy’s overthrow. But safety will not be maintained as in-fighting reaches epic proportions, leaving tens of thousands dead, many by the “National Razor” (guillotine), during the 11-month Reign of Terror.
The Reign of Terror, or The Terror, is the label given by most historians to a period during the French Revolution after the First French Republic was established. Several historians consider the “reign of terror” to have begun in 1793, placing the starting date at either 5 September, June or March, while some consider it to have begun in September 1792, or even July 1789, but there is a consensus that it ended with the fall of Maximilien Robespierre in July 1794.
Start date: Sep 05, 1793
End date: Jul 28, 1794

Execution of the Girondins
The execution of the Girondins
wiki/Reign_of_Terror
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(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll.
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1914 | Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I’s Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
1957 | Sal and Dean hit the road in a bold Beat manifesto as ‘On the Road’ published
Reading more like a prose poem than a novel, the 320-page semiautobiographical work published today journeys across sunbaked tarmacs to define the ethos of the Beat Generation. The rambling, stream-of-consciousness travelogue, ‘On the Road,’ will also launch author Jack Kerouac into the literary stratosphere.
1972 | ‘Black September’ terrorists take Israeli athletes hostage during Munich Olympics
Munich’s Olympic Games are plunged into panic after Palestinian terrorists storm the Olympic Village rooms housing Israeli athletes and staff, killing two, and taking dozens hostage. A rescue attempt by German authorities at the Munich airport will be botched, resulting in the deaths of nine Israelis, five terrorists, and a West German police officer.

Today in History 09/05/17

French infantry in action during WWI (Bibliothèque nationale de France/Public Domain)(1914) Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I's Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
The Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from 6–10 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German armies in the west. The battle was the culmination of the German advance into France and pursuit of the Allied armies which followed the Battle of the Frontiers in August and had reached the eastern outskirts of Paris. A counter-attack by six French armies and the British Expeditionary Force along the Marne River forced the Imperial German Army to retreat north-west, leading to the First Battle of the Aisne and the Race to the Sea. The battle was a victory for the Allies but led to four years of trench warfare stalemate on the Western Front.
Start date: Sep 06, 1914
End date: Sep 10, 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August - 5 September 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August – 5 September 1914

wiki/First_Battle_of_the_Marne
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Today in History 09/04 (Geronimo)

Photograph of Geronimo by A. F. Randall, 1886 (© Apic/Getty Images)(1886) Geronimo lays down arms after 30 years of fighting
Apache leader Goyalkla, or as he’s known to non-Native Americans, Geronimo, formally surrenders after the US Army 4th Cavalry relentlessly pursues him and his band of warriors throughout southern Arizona. Geronimo will be the last Native American war chief to officially lay down arms.
Geronimo was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Apache tribe. From 1850 to 1886 Geronimo joined with members of three other Chiricahua Apache bands—the Tchihende, the Tsokanende and the Nednhi—to carry out numerous raids as well as resistance to US and Mexican military campaigns in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Sonora, and in the southwestern American territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Geronimo’s raids and related combat actions were a part of the prolonged period of the Apache–United States conflict, which started with American settlement in Apache lands following the end of the war with Mexico in 1848.
Lived: Jun 16, 1829 – Feb 17, 1909 (age 79)
Nationality: American
Spouse: Ta-ayz-slath
Children: Eva Godeley (Daughter) · Chappo Geronimo (Son) · Lulu Dohn-Zay Geronimo (Daughter) · Fenton Geronimo (Son) · Little Robe Geronimo (Son)
Related movies: Geronimo: An American Legend
Parents: Tablishim “The Gray One” Goy… (Father) · Juana (Mother) · Tablishim “The Gray One” Goyaale
Highlights
  • 1851: On March 5, 1851, when Geronimo was in his 20’s, a force of Mexican militia from Sonora under Colonel Jose Maria Carrasco attacked and surprised an Apache camp outside of Janos, Chihuahua, slaughtering the inhabitants, including Geronimo’s family.

  • 1886: In 1886, General Miles selected Captain Henry Lawton to command B Troop, 4th Cavalry, at Fort Huachuca, and First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood, to lead the expedition that brought Geronimo and his followers back to the reservation system for a final time.

  • 1886: According to National Geographic, “the governor of Sonora claimed in 1886 that in the last five months of Geronimo’s wild career, his band of 16 warriors slaughtered some 500 to 600 Mexicans.”

  • 1894: After 1/4 of the population died of tuberculosis, the Chiricahuas, including Geronimo, were relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1894; they built villages scattered around the post based on kindred groups.

  • 1898: In 1898 Geronimo was part of a Chiricahua delegation from Fort Sill to the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska.

  • 1909: He died of pneumonia on February 17, 1909, as a prisoner of the United States at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Portrait of Geronimo (Guiyatle), Apache
Geronimo, Chiricahua Apache leader. Photograph by Frank A. Rinehart, 1898
wiki/Geronimo
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(1886) Geronimo lays down arms after 30 years of fighting.
Also on this day,

476 | Middle Ages begin as Rome’s child emperor is overthrown
Flavius Odoacer becomes the first king of Italy after leading a successful rebellion against Western Rome’s young emperor. The beginning of his reign will traditionally mark the end of the Ancient Roman epoch and the start of the Middle Ages.
1957 | ‘E Day’ arrives as the Edsel is rolled out for public view
After months of revved-up publicity, Ford Motor Company debuts a new car, but clever Madison Avenue ad campaigns won’t be able save the ill-fated auto. A combo of bad design choices and screwy mechanics dooms the Edsel to low sales, and the name itself will become a byword for overhyped failures.
1972 | Spitz rules the pool at Munich’s Olympic games
Swimming phenom Mark Spitz, 22, caps off 16 years of medal-winning competition with the biggest amateur athletics prize of all, Olympic gold. The famously mustachioed US swimmer takes a total of seven gold medals at the Munich Games, a record that will stand for 36 years.

Today in History 09/04/17

American swimmer champion Mark Spitz shows five of his seven Olympic gold medals, Aug 31, 1972 in Munich (© STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)(1972) Spitz rules the pool at Munich's Olympic games
Swimming phenom Mark Spitz, 22, caps off 16 years of medal-winning competition with the biggest amateur athletics prize of all, Olympic gold. The famously mustachioed US swimmer takes a total of seven gold medals at the Munich Games, a record that will stand for 36 years.
Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer, nine-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in 7 events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich West Germany, an achievement surpassed only by Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed in 1972. Spitz holds more medals than any other Jewish athlete in the history of the Olympics.
Born: Feb 10, 1950 (age 67) · Modesto, CA
Height: 6' 0" (1.83 m)
Spouse: Suzy Weiner (m. 1973)
Children: Justin Spitz (Son) · Matthew Spitz (Son)
Movies and TV shows: Freedom's Fury · Emergency! · Challenge of a Lifetime
Education: Santa Clara High School
Highlights
  • 1965: At age 15 in Tel Aviv, Spitz won four gold medals and was named the most outstanding athlete.

  • 1972: During the Munich Massacre by Palestinian terrorists in the 1972 Olympics, Israeli racewalker Shaul Ladany awakened and alerted American track coach Bill Bowerman, who called for the U.S. Marines to come and protect American Jewish Olympians swimmer Spitz and javelin thrower Bill Schmidt.

  • 1973: Mark Spitz married Suzy Weiner on May 06, 1973.

  • 1985: In 1985, Spitz lit a torch to open the Maccabiah Games.

  • 2005: In 2005, he was a member of the U.S. delegation at the 17th Maccabiah Games.

  • 2007: He won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, setting a record that lasted until 2007 when Brazilian swimmer, Thiago Pereira, won six golds at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

wiki/Mark_Spitz
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Today in History 08/31 (Jack the Ripper)

Illustration showing police discovering the body of one of Jack the Ripper's victims in London in 1888 (© Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(1888) Murderer strikes in London’s Whitechapel district
Mary Ann Nichols, a servant and prostitute, is discovered dead on the street in Whitechapel, in London’s East End. The slum area is notoriously violent, but authorities will begin to suspect a serial killer is at large when another woman is similarly killed just a over a week later.
Jack the Ripper is the best-known name for an unidentified serial killer generally believed to have been active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. In both the criminal case files and contemporary journalistic accounts, the killer was called the Whitechapel Murderer and Leather Apron.
Nationality: British

Streetmap showing the locations of the first seven Whitechapel murders
The sites of the first seven Whitechapel murders – Osborn Street (centre right), George Yard (centre left), Hanbury Street (top), Buck’s Row (far right), Berner Street (bottom right), Mitre Square (bottom left), and Dorset Street (middle left)
wiki/Jack_the_Ripper
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(1888) Murderer strikes in London’s Whitechapel district.
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1928 | Mack the Knife and Pirate Jenny meet in a Berlin premiere of ‘Threepenny Opera’
Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s adaptation of ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ opens in Berlin as a musical slyly critiquing capitalism and socialism. ‘The Threepenny Opera’ introduces the world to ‘Mack the Knife,’ and will become one of the most performed works of musical theater in history.
1972 | Soviet gymnast Korbut wows the world with Olympic gold
All 4′ 11″ and 84-pounds, the USSR’s Olga Korbut has the Olympic crowds cheering in Munich as she performs nearly flawless, and boldly athletic, gymnastics. Cold War tensions melt as the sweet-faced 17-year-old ‘Sparrow from Minsk’ wins three gold medals for her individual routines.
1997 | The world mourns for the ‘People’s Princess’ as Diana dies
Speeding through a Paris tunnel, the car carrying Diana, Princess of Wales, 36, crashes, killing her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver, injuring another passenger, and causing fatal injuries that claim the life of one of the most famous and beloved women in the world.

Today in History 08/31/17

Princess Diana (© Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images)(1997) The world mourns for the 'People's Princess'
Speeding through a Paris tunnel, the car carrying Diana, Princess of Wales, 36, crashes, killing her companion Dodi Fayed and the driver, injuring another passenger, and causing fatal injuries that claim the life of one of the most famous and beloved women in the world.
On 31 August 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz S280, were pronounced dead at the scene; the bodyguard of Diana and Fayed, Trevor Rees-Jones, was the only survivor.
Date: Aug 31, 1997
Flowers for Princess Diana's Funeral
Flowers left outside Kensington Palace in tribute to Diana

wiki/Death_of_Diana,_Princess_of_Wales
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Today in History 06/17 (Watergate)

The Watergate office complex in Washington, DC, in 1972, the year a break-in occurred at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in the building (© Archive Photos/Getty Images)(1972) Break-in at the Watergate Hotel ends in arrests
Five men, including US President Richard Nixon’s security chief, are arrested after breaking into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate Complex in Washington, DC. What Nixon’s press secretary later dubs a ‘third-rate burglary’ will be the undoing of a presidency.
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal that occurred in the United States during the early 1970s, following a break-in by five men at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972, and President Richard Nixon’s administration’s subsequent attempt to cover up its involvement. After the five burglars were caught and the conspiracy was discovered, Watergate was investigated by the United States Congress. Meanwhile, Nixon’s administration resisted its probes, which led to a constitutional crisis.
Date: Jun 17, 1972

Government Exhibit 133, Chapstick Tubes with Hidden Microphones
E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, who led the Watergate break-in team, were stationed in a Watergate Hotel room while the burglary was underway. A lookout was posted across the street at the Howard Johnson Hotel. Bruce Givner was a 21-year old intern working at the DNC’s 6th floor offices in the Watergate Hotel Complex when his prolonged stay on that floor precluded the burglars from entering the offices to correct their earlier wiretap work. During the break-in, Hunt and Liddy would remain in contact with each other and with the burglars by radio. These Chapstick tubes outfitted with tiny microphones were later discovered in Hunt’s White House office safe.
Address Book of Watergate Burglar Bernard Barker, Discovered in a Room at the Watergate Hotel
Address book of Watergate burglar Bernard Barker, discovered in a room at the Watergate Hotel, June 18, 1972
wiki/Watergate_scandal
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(1972) Break-in at the Watergate Hotel ends in arrests.
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1462 | The Night Attack unleashes Vlad the Impaler’s fury
A conflict over Prince Vlad III’s refusal to pay taxes to Sultan Mehmed II results in a bloody nighttime raid by the Wallachian prince and his forces on the Ottoman sultan’s armed camp. The Night Attack ends in victory for the Wallachians, but Vlad Dracula’s goal of assassinating the sultan goes unmet.
1631 | Taj Mahal’s inspiration Mughal Empress Mumtaz Mahal dies
Empress Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of India’s Mughal emperor, dies while giving birth to the couple’s fourteenth child. Her husband’s grief will lead to 21 years of construction on the Taj Mahal, a domed marble mausoleum for his wife’s tomb and one of the architectural wonders of the world.
1673 | Two mapmakers, Marquette and Joliet, meet the mighty Mississippi
Frenchman Jacques Marquette and French-Canadian Louis Jolliet set their canoes down on the river Native Americans called the “Mesipi,” near what will be Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. These early European explorers will map the huge waterway’s course to within 435 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.