By the Numbers in 1949
World Population
—
UK Life Expectancy
53.5 years
US Life Expectancy
54.7 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$35
Dow Jones Index
223
US National Debt
—
Sovereign Nations
58
How Much Did Things Cost in 1949?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £1,000 | $7,000 |
| Average salary | £340 | $2,950 |
| Pint of milk | 3d | $0.20 |
| Loaf of bread | 5½d | $0.14 |
| Dozen eggs | 2s 4d | $0.70 |
| Pint of beer | 10d | $0.21 |
| Cinema ticket | 1s 3d | $0.40 |
Technology and Inventions in 1949
The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, ending the US nuclear monopoly and escalating the arms race. The de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner, was being developed. EDSAC, one of the first practical stored-program computers, began operating at Cambridge. Television was spreading into American homes at a rapid pace.
- ● Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, ending the US nuclear monopoly
- ● EDSAC, a practical stored-program computer, began operating at Cambridge University
- ● RCA introduced the 45 RPM vinyl record, creating a format war with Columbia's LP
- ● De Havilland Comet jet airliner prototype completed its first flight
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