By the Numbers in 1956
World Population
—
UK Life Expectancy
54.4 years
US Life Expectancy
55.1 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$35.06
Dow Jones Index
464
US National Debt
—
Sovereign Nations
77
How Much Did Things Cost in 1956?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £2,100 | $9,500 |
| Average salary | £530/year | $3,960/year |
| Pint of milk | 3½d | $0.24 |
| Loaf of bread | 5½d | $0.18 |
| Dozen eggs | 3s 4d | $0.60 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 3d | $0.40 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 3s 10d | $0.30 |
| Cinema ticket | 2s 0d | $0.60 |
Technology and Inventions in 1956
The first transatlantic telephone cable (TAT-1) was laid between Scotland and Newfoundland. Britain opened Calder Hall, the world's first full-scale commercial nuclear power station. Hard disk drives were introduced by IBM — the RAMAC 305 weighed over a ton and stored just 5 MB. Videotape recording was demonstrated for the first time.
- ● TAT-1 — first transatlantic telephone cable — enters service
- ● Calder Hall nuclear power station opens in Cumberland, England
- ● IBM introduces the RAMAC 305 — the first commercial hard disk drive
- ● Ampex demonstrates the first practical videotape recorder
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