Jul 29
NASA Established
Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA. America's answer to Sputnik was a civilian space agency. The space race had an official home.
🇺🇸United States · 50s
NASA Is Born
America creates NASA, hula hoops conquer playgrounds, and the recession bites.
What happened
5 milestones of 1958
Jan 31
Explorer 1 — First US Satellite
The US launched Explorer 1, its first satellite, aboard a Jupiter-C rocket. It discovered the Van Allen radiation belts. America was finally in space.
Q1-Q2
Recession Hits Hard
The worst recession since 1937 hit with 7.5% unemployment. Auto sales plummeted. It was brief but sharp — and ended Eisenhower's run of good economic news.
Mar-Dec
Hula Hoop Craze
Wham-O introduced the Hula Hoop. 25 million sold in four months. It was the biggest fad in American history — and it was over almost as fast as it started.
Dec 1
Our Lady of the Angels School Fire
A fire at Our Lady of the Angels school in Chicago killed 92 children and 3 nuns. It led to sweeping reforms in school fire safety codes across the nation.
tragedy
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Vertigo
Alfred Hitchcock — Now considered one of the greatest films ever made. Jimmy Stewart's obsession.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Richard Brooks — Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Tennessee Williams on screen.
South Pacific
Joshua Logan — Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical was the year's top earner.
Gigi
Vincente Minnelli — Won 9 Oscars including Best Picture. The last great MGM musical.
The Blob
Irvin Yeaworth — Steve McQueen's debut. A teenage drive-in classic.
What was on TV
The Donna Reed Show
1958-1966 — Another idealized American family. Donna Reed was everyone's perfect mom.
77 Sunset Strip
1958-1964 — Cool detectives in Hollywood. Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes combed his hair.
Peter Gunn
1958-1961 — Henry Mancini's jazz score made this the coolest detective show on TV.
Gunsmoke
1955-1975 — #1 show for the third straight year.
The Rifleman
1958-1963 — Chuck Connors and his rapid-fire Winchester. The West as family drama.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.01
Gallon of gas$0.31
New house (median)$12,750
New car (average)$2,200
Loaf of bread$0.19
Hula Hoop$1.98
Inflation: 2.8%
The recession pushed unemployment to 7.5%. Recovery came quickly but the downturn shook confidence.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1958 (USD)
$1.01
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1958 (USD)
$0.31
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1958 (USD)
$12,750
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1958 (USD)
$2,200
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1958 (USD)
$0.19
→
Today's value ($)
--
Hula HoopWham-O
1958 (USD)
$1.98
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
NASA founded
America's space agency was born as a direct response to Sputnik.
Explorer 1 satellite
America's first satellite discovered the Van Allen radiation belts.
Integrated circuit
Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments built the first integrated circuit — the microchip.
ARPA created
The Advanced Research Projects Agency (later DARPA) was founded — seed of the internet.
Boeing 707
Pan Am launched transatlantic 707 service. The jet age had begun.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Hula hoops everywhereBeatnik black turtlenecksFull skirts giving way to straighter silhouettes
Slang
Hairy— Scary, dangerous
Blast— A great time
Flick— A movie
Behavior
- Beatnik poetry readings in coffeehouses
- Teenagers owned the jukebox and the drive-in
- Fallout shelter drills became routine in schools
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