About the day » Thursday August 31, 1972Calender converter

• Angela Spaans, 's-Gravenzande, Nederland († 2020)
• Ted van der Helm († 2022)

• Benedict Alphonse Schmid (69), Stearns, Minnesota
• Bouwinus Takens (82), Blijham
• Cornelis Josephus Kortsmit (67), Moerdijk,, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Adriana Johanna de Wit (86)
• Alida Lunstroo- (91), Amsterdam, Nederland
• Dirk Johannes Swart (75), Leeuwarden
• adriana van der SLUIS (98)
• Alva A. Mentink (74), Lima Township, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin
• Dirk Dorenstouter (49), Amsterdam
• Adriaan de Lange (82), Zevenbergen

• 1970 » Arie van Lent, Dutch-German footballer and manager
• 1970 » Debbie Gibson, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1970 » Greg Mulholland, English politician
• 1970 » Nikola Gruevski, Macedonian economist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
• 1970 » Queen Rania of Jordan
• 1971 » Chris Tucker, American comedian and actor
• 1971 » Kirstie Allsopp, British TV presenter
• 1971 » Pádraig Harrington, Irish golfer
• 1971 » Vadim Repin, Belgian-Russian violinist
• 1973 » Scott Niedermayer, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

• 1965 » E. E. Smith, American engineer and author (b. 1890)
• 1967 » Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian journalist and author (b. 1891)
• 1968 » John Hartle, English motorcycle racer (b. 1933)
• 1969 » Rocky Marciano, American boxer (b. 1923)
• 1973 » John Ford, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)
• 1974 » Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1923)
• 1974 » William Pershing Benedict, American soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
• 1978 » John Wrathall, Rhodesian accountant and politician, 2nd President of Rhodesia (b. 1913)
• 1979 » Sally Rand, American actress and dancer (b. 1904)
• 1979 » Tiger Smith, English cricketer and coach (b. 1886)

1. Jan
2. Richard
3. Johannes
4. Marco
5. Peter
6. Jeroen
7. Robert
8. Michael
9. Patrick
10. Ronald
11. Pieter
12. Hendrik
13. Marcel
14. Michel
15. David
16. Johan

1. Maria
2. Sandra
3. Johanna
4. Monique
5. Esther
6. Saskia
7. Miranda
8. Elisabeth
9. Bianca
10. Patricia
11. Wendy
12. Ingrid
13. Jennifer
14. Nicole
15. Karin
16. Anna

• Koningin Juliana (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from September 4, 1948 till April 30, 1980 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from April 5, 1967 to Tuesday, July 6, 1971 the cabinet Biesheuvel I, with Mr. B.W. Biesheuvel (ARP) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from Thursday, July 20, 1972 to Friday, May 11, 1973 the cabinet Biesheuvel II, with Mr. B.W. Biesheuvel (ARP) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 13.3 million citizens.
• January 13 » Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
• January 20 » Pakistan launched its nuclear weapons program, a few weeks after its defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War, as well as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
• February 15 » Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time.
• February 28 » China–United States relations: The United States and China sign the Shanghai Communiqué.
• July 1 » The first Gay pride march in England takes place.
• September 4 » Mark Spitz becomes the first competitor to win seven medals at a single Olympic Games.

The temperature on August 31, 1972 was between 9.8 °C and 20.6 °C and averaged 15.3 °C. There was -0.1 mm of rain. There was 10.7 hours of sunshine (78%). The almost cloudless was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the northeast.