Nov 2
M1 Motorway Opens
The M1, Britain's first full-length motorway, opened between London and Birmingham. No speed limit, no crash barriers, no lighting. Motorists could finally drive fast — and they did.
🇬🇧United Kingdom · 50s
The M1 and the Mini
Britain built a motorway, shrank the car, and Macmillan won by a landslide.
What happened
5 milestones of 1959
Aug 26
Mini Launched
Alec Issigonis's Mini went on sale at £496. Front-wheel drive, transverse engine, tiny but spacious. It became a design icon and classless symbol — driven by everyone from students to Beatles.
Oct 8
Macmillan Wins General Election
The Conservatives won a landslide with 100-seat majority. 'Supermac' promised prosperity. The affluent society had voted with its wallet. Labour began its long identity crisis.
Jul 25
Hovercraft Crosses the English Channel
Christopher Cockerell's SR.N1 hovercraft crossed the English Channel in two hours. On the 50th anniversary of Bleriot's flight, British engineering innovation made headlines worldwide.
Aug 29
Obscene Publications Act
The new Act allowed literary merit as a defence against obscenity charges. It would be tested the very next year with Lady Chatterley's Lover. British censorship began to loosen.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Room at the Top
Jack Clayton — Laurence Harvey claws his way up. Kitchen sink realism arrives in cinema.
North West Frontier
J. Lee Thompson — Kenneth More on a train through India. Last gasp of Empire adventure.
Ben-Hur
William Wyler — Charlton Heston's chariot race. 11 Oscars. Massive UK box office.
I'm All Right Jack
John Boulting — Peter Sellers as a shop steward. Savage satire of British industry.
Some Like It Hot
Billy Wilder — Monroe, Curtis, Lemmon. 'Nobody's perfect.' Comedy perfection.
What was on TV
Juke Box Jury
1959-1967 — David Jacobs. Panel voted records 'Hit' or 'Miss'. Saturday tea-time institution.
Whicker's World
1959-1994 — Alan Whicker roamed the world. Travel journalism as entertainment.
Face to Face
1959-1962 — John Freeman's intense interviews. Television as psychological probe.
The Army Game
1957-1961 — ITV military comedy. Alfie Bass and Bill Fraser. Precursor to Dad's Army.
Laramie
1959-1963 — American Western import that British audiences loved.
How much things cost
Currency: GBP
Pint of milk5d
Loaf of bread6d
Pint of bitter1s 5d
Average house£2,507
Mini car£496
Gallon of petrol4s 6d
Inflation: 0.6%
Near-zero inflation. Full employment. Consumer boom. The affluent society was real — if you were in the South.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Pint of milkONS
1959 (GBP)
5d
→
Today's value (£)
--
Loaf of breadONS
1959 (GBP)
6d
→
Today's value (£)
--
Pint of bitterBBPA
1959 (GBP)
1s 5d
→
Today's value (£)
--
Average houseONS
1959 (GBP)
£2,507
→
Today's value (£)
--
Mini carBMC
1959 (GBP)
£496
→
Today's value (£)
--
Gallon of petrolAA
1959 (GBP)
4s 6d
→
Today's value (£)
--
Technology
Mini car
Issigonis's revolutionary small car — front-wheel drive, transverse engine.
Hovercraft
Cockerell's invention crossed the Channel — a British engineering triumph.
M1 motorway
Britain's first motorway — no speed limit, no central reservation.
Microchip
Jack Kilby's integrated circuit invented in the US — the future of electronics.
Stereo LPs
Stereophonic records becoming standard — music in two channels.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Mods emerging — sharp Italian suits, scootersTeenage fashion becoming distinct from adult fashionMini skirt precursors — hemlines rising slowly
Slang
Gear— Excellent, fashionable
Hip— Trendy, aware
Bird— A girl
Behavior
- Car ownership booming — the M1 opened up weekend motoring
- Coffee bar culture thriving — espresso and jukebox in every town
- Teenagers recognized as a distinct consumer group for the first time
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