W.H. Auden

This portraitback to top

Photographed in the garden of Stephen Spender's house. Early in 1972, Auden was offered an honorary studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, with a cottage in the college grounds. However he was unwell and unhappy there. Auden died of heart failure in Vienna, on his journey back to Oxford after a summer in Austria. His last poems were published posthumously as Thank you, Fog (1974).

Events of 1972back to top

Current affairs

Britain joins the European Community. After two attempts both vetoed by President Charles De Gaulle of France, Britain is finally accepted into the EC under the pro-European leadership of Edward Heath.
British soldiers shoot 14 unarmed protesters in the Bloody Sunday massacre. The men were part of a march through Londonderry, protesting about the policy of internment without trial.

Art and science

David Bowie releases The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars; a classic glam-rock concept album with the themes of space aliens, gender ambiguity and rock 'n' roll superstardom.

International

The arrest of five men who were caught trying to bug the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee marks the beginning of the 'Watergate Scandal'. The scandal centred on attempts to spy on the Democratic opposition in order to help President Nixon's re-election, and finally led to Nixon's resignation two years later.
Black September Palestinian terrorists murder 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich.

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