1972

U.S. President Richard Nixon orders the development of a space shuttle program.

First scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) is introduced (price $395).

U.S. airlines begin mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage.

Volkswagen Beetle sales exceed those of the Ford Model-T when the 15,007,034th Beetle is produced.

The Godfather is released in cinemas in the USA.

Nixon orders "Christmas bombing" of North Vietnam (Dec.).

Five men are apprehended by police in attempt to bug Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex—start of the Watergate scandal (June 17).

Time Inc. transmits HBO, the first pay cable network.

Women dominate the 1971 Grammy Awards, taking all four top categories. Carole King won Record, Album and Song of the Year, while Carly Simon takes the Best New Artist award.

M*A*S*H premieres on CBS.

CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scanning is developed in England.

The compact disk is developed by RCA (US).

The antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) is developed by Bryan B. Malloy (Scotland) and Klaus K. Schmiegel (US).

Electronic mail is introduced. Queen Elizabeth will send her first email in 1976

The first female FBI agents are hired.

Former United States President Harry S. Truman dies in Kansas City, Missouri.

Deaths:
J. Edgar Hoover, American Federal Bureau of Investigation director (b. 1895)
Dan Blocker, American actor (b. 1928)
Jackie Robinson, baseball player (b. 1919)
Igor Sikorsky, Russian aviation engineer (b. 1889)
Charles Atlas, Italian-American strongman and sideshow performer
Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (b. 1934)