The 30-share Sensex crossed the historic 72,000 mark today and the Nifty touched a record high on strong global market trends. The BSE gauge closed at an all-time high of 72,038.43, up 701.63 points or 0.98 percent. The Nifty rose 213.40 points or 1 percent to close at a record high of 21,654.75.