By the Numbers in 1960
World Population
3.0B
UK Life Expectancy
54.8 years
US Life Expectancy
55.3 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$35.1
Dow Jones Index
616
US National Debt
286.3B
Sovereign Nations
90
How Much Did Things Cost in 1960?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £2,530 | $12,700 |
| Average salary | £700 | $5,315 |
| Pint of milk | 4d (old pence) | $0.13 |
| Loaf of bread | 5d | $0.20 |
| Dozen eggs | 3s 6d | $0.57 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 1d | $0.30 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 4s 6d | $0.31 |
| Cinema ticket | 2s 6d | $0.69 |
Technology and Inventions in 1960
Television was now in most homes, transistor radios were hugely popular, and the first communication experiments via satellite were underway. Jet air travel was becoming mainstream following the introduction of the Boeing 707.
- ● The first working laser was demonstrated by Theodore Maiman
- ● TIROS-1, the first weather satellite, was launched by NASA
- ● The halogen lamp was invented
- ● The Boeing 707 made transatlantic jet travel routine
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