Jan 20
JFK Inaugurated
'Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.' The youngest elected president inspired a generation. Camelot began.
🇺🇸United States · 60s
The New Frontier
JFK takes office, a man orbits Earth, and the Bay of Pigs fails.
What happened
5 milestones of 1961
Apr 17
Bay of Pigs Invasion Fails
A CIA-backed force of Cuban exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Castro. It was a disaster — crushed in 72 hours. Kennedy took responsibility. Castro was emboldened.
May 5
Alan Shepard — First American in Space
Alan Shepard rode Freedom 7 on a 15-minute suborbital flight. 'Why don't you fix your little problem and light this candle?' he told mission control. America had its first astronaut.
May 25
Kennedy Commits to the Moon
JFK told Congress: 'I believe this nation should commit itself to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.' The most ambitious peacetime goal in history.
Aug 13
Berlin Wall Construction Begins
East Germany began building the Berlin Wall overnight, dividing the city with concrete and barbed wire. Families were separated. The Iron Curtain became physical.
What was playing
70% local · 30% international
What was in cinemas
West Side Story
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins — Won 10 Oscars. The greatest movie musical adaptation.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Blake Edwards — Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. 'Moon River' became timeless.
The Hustler
Robert Rossen — Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson. Pool and existential crisis.
101 Dalmatians
Clyde Geronimi — Disney's biggest animated hit since Snow White. Cruella de Vil!
The Guns of Navarone
J. Lee Thompson — Gregory Peck leads a WWII commando mission. Classic war adventure.
What was on TV
The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961-1966 — Carl Reiner created the perfect comedy. Mary Tyler Moore became a star.
Ben Casey
1961-1966 — The doctor drama that paved the way for every medical show.
Wide World of Sports
1961-1998 — 'The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.' Sports TV was born.
The Flintstones
1960-1966 — Prime-time animation for adults. 'Yabba-dabba-doo!'
Wagon Train
1957-1965 — The #1 show on television. Westward ho.
How much things cost
Currency: USD
Gallon of milk$1.05
Gallon of gas$0.31
New house (median)$12,500
New car (average)$2,600
Loaf of bread$0.21
Movie ticket$0.69
Inflation: 1.0%
Kennedy inherited a mild recession but the economy recovered quickly with low inflation.
Then vs. Now
Inflation-adjusted values
Gallon of milkBLS
1961 (USD)
$1.05
→
Today's value ($)
--
Gallon of gasEIA
1961 (USD)
$0.31
→
Today's value ($)
--
New house (median)Census Bureau
1961 (USD)
$12,500
→
Today's value ($)
--
New car (average)BLS
1961 (USD)
$2,600
→
Today's value ($)
--
Loaf of breadBLS
1961 (USD)
$0.21
→
Today's value ($)
--
Movie ticketNATO
1961 (USD)
$0.69
→
Today's value ($)
--
Technology
First American in space
Alan Shepard flew Freedom 7 for 15 minutes — America's first spaceflight.
IBM Selectric typewriter
The Selectric's golf-ball element revolutionized typing.
Yuri Gagarin orbits Earth
The Soviet cosmonaut beat America to orbit, intensifying the space race.
Valium introduced
The first modern anti-anxiety drug. It would become the most prescribed medication in America.
Electric toothbrush
Broxodent introduced the first electric toothbrush for home use.
Pop Culture
Fashion
Jackie Kennedy's pillbox hat and A-line dressesBouffant hairstylesSlim-cut suits for men
Slang
Groovy— Cool, excellent (emerging)
Split— To leave
Uptight— Tense, anxious
Behavior
- The Twist dance craze swept the nation — everyone could do it
- Peace Corps launched — idealistic young Americans volunteered abroad
- Jackie Kennedy became the most admired woman in the world
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