~More 1972~

Gov. George C. Wallace of Alabama is shot by Arthur H. Bremer at Laurel, Md., political rally (May 15).


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).


US GDP (1998 dollars): $1,237.30 billion
Federal spending: $230.68 billion
Federal debt: $435.9 billion
Median Household Income
(current dollars): $9,697
Consumer Price Index: 41.8
Unemployment: 5.9%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.08

Events:
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.
The National Institute of Mental Health and the surgeon general issue a report that claims exposure to violence on television fosters aggression in children.
Gloria Steinem's Ms magazine debuts.
M*A*S*H premieres on CBS.
Atari introduces the arcade version of Pong, the first video game. The home version comes out in 1974.

Movies:
The Godfather, Deliverance, Cabaret, Sleuth, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Books:
John Ashberry, Three Poems
John Gardner, The Sunlight Dialogues
Maxine Kumin, Up Country
James Merrill, Braving the Elements
Eudora Welty, The Optimist's Daughter
Science
Nobel Prizes in Science
Chemistry