1972 15c 20th Summer Olympic Games

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U.S. #1462

15¢ 20th Summer Olympics

Issue Date: August 17, 1972

City: Washington, DC

Quantity: 46,340,000

Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Printing Method: Photogravure

Perforations: 11 x 10 ½

Color: Black, blue, red, emerald and yellow

Another celebration of the 20th Olympic Summer Games, this stamp reflects the emphasis placed on track and field events.

The 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, which was then in West Germany. It was the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany. The first had been in 1936, when the Nazi regime was still in power.

The U.S. team’s Mark Spitz set a world record by winning seven gold medals in a single Olympics. Spitz’s record stood until 2008, when Michael Phelps, also representing the U.S., won eight gold medals.

Olga Korbut, a tiny gymnast from the Soviet Union, captured the hearts of millions around the world as she took three gold medals.

The Games were overshadowed by an act of terrorism known as the “Munich Massacre.” On September 5, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village and took 11 Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage. All of the Israelis were killed, along with five of the terrorists.