Nov 8
JFK Elected President
John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in one of the closest elections in history. At 43, he was the youngest elected president and the first Catholic.
🇺🇸United States · 60s
The New Frontier
JFK, the Pill, and a nation ready for change.
What happened
4 milestones of 1960
Feb 1
Greensboro Sit-Ins
Four Black college students sat at a whites-only Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. Within weeks, sit-ins spread across the South.
Civil rights — center the bravery of the students
May 9
FDA Approves the Birth Control Pill
Enovid became the first oral contraceptive approved by the FDA, launching a revolution in reproductive rights and women's independence.
May 1
U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down
Francis Gary Powers' U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over the Soviet Union, embarrassing the Eisenhower administration and escalating Cold War tensions.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock — The shower scene changed horror forever.
Spartacus
Stanley Kubrick — 'I am Spartacus!' — Kirk Douglas' epic rebellion.
The Apartment
Billy Wilder — Best Picture. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.
The Magnificent Seven
John Sturges — Box office hit in the US — TMDB 7.5
Ocean's Eleven
Lewis Milestone — Box office hit in the US — TMDB 6.4
What was on TV
The Andy Griffith Show
1960-1968 — Mayberry became America's idealized small town.
The Flintstones
1960-1966 — First primetime animated series. 'Yabba Dabba Doo!'
Kennedy-Nixon Debates
Sep-Oct 1960 — First televised presidential debates — TV changed politics forever.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.00
Gallon of gas$0.31
New house (median)$12,700
Postage stamp$0.04
Inflation: 1.7%
Stable economy under Eisenhower. The postwar middle class was firmly established.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1960 (USD)
$1.00
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1960 (USD)
$0.31
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1960 (USD)
$12,700
→
Today's value ($)
--
Postage stampUSPS
1960 (USD)
$0.04
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
TIROS-1 weather satellite
First successful weather satellite launched by NASA.
Laser invented
Theodore Maiman built the first working laser at Hughes Research.
Etch A Sketch
The iconic drawing toy debuted at the American Toy Fair.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Pillbox hats (Jackie Kennedy effect)Slim-fit suitsCapri pants for womenThe beehive hairstyle
Slang
Far out— Amazing, mind-blowing
Groovy— Cool, excellent
Pad— Home, apartment
Behavior
- The Twist dance craze swept the nation
- Suburban shopping malls became social hubs
- Fallout shelters — Cold War anxiety was real
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