By the Numbers in 1953
World Population
—
UK Life Expectancy
54.0 years
US Life Expectancy
55.0 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$35.03
Dow Jones Index
350
US National Debt
—
Sovereign Nations
68
How Much Did Things Cost in 1953?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £1,800 | $8,500 |
| Average salary | £460/year | $3,600/year |
| Pint of milk | 3d | $0.23 |
| Loaf of bread | 5d | $0.16 |
| Dozen eggs | 3s 0d | $0.70 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 2d | $0.38 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 3s 5d | $0.29 |
| Cinema ticket | 1s 9d | $0.55 |
Technology and Inventions in 1953
Watson and Crick's discovery of the DNA double helix structure at Cambridge was perhaps the most important scientific breakthrough of the century. Television sales surged in Britain thanks to Coronation coverage. The first transistor computer was built at Manchester University, and heart-lung machines enabled the first successful open-heart surgery.
- ● Watson and Crick describe the double helix structure of DNA
- ● First successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine
- ● CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) established in Geneva
- ● RCA develops the first practical colour television system
Shop 1953 memorabilia on eBay/Amazon