1963

What Was Happening in 1963

A president was assassinated in Dallas and Beatlemania swept Britain as innocence gave way to upheaval.

Born in

By the Numbers in 1963

World Population

UK Life Expectancy

55.2 years

US Life Expectancy

55.7 years

Gold Price (per oz)

$35.47

Dow Jones Index

683

US National Debt

Sovereign Nations

101

How Much Did Things Cost in 1963?

ItemUKUS
Average house price£3,160$13,100
Average salary£850$5,800
Pint of milk5d$0.13
Loaf of bread6½d$0.22
Dozen eggs3s 10d$0.55
Pint of beer1s 4d$0.31
Gallon of petrol/gas4s 9d$0.30
Cinema ticket3s 3d$0.75

Technology and Inventions in 1963

Instant replay appeared on television for the first time. Touch-tone telephones were introduced, and the compact audio cassette began to change how people consumed music. Computers were still vast room-filling machines but were becoming essential in business and science.

  • Push-button touch-tone telephones were introduced by Bell System
  • Instant replay was used on TV for the first time during an Army-Navy football game
  • Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space aboard Vostok 6
  • The compact audio cassette was introduced by Philips at the Berlin Radio Show

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More About 1963

What Was Happening — A journey through the years