By the Numbers in 1974
World Population
—
UK Life Expectancy
56.5 years
US Life Expectancy
57.0 years
Gold Price (per oz)
$266.83
Dow Jones Index
889
US National Debt
—
Sovereign Nations
137
How Much Did Things Cost in 1974?
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £10,990 | $35,900 |
| Average salary | £2,580 | $11,400 |
| Pint of milk | 6p | $0.41 |
| Loaf of bread | 15p | $0.28 |
| Dozen eggs | 33p | $0.78 |
| Pint of beer | 17p | $0.85 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 45p | $0.53 |
| Cinema ticket | 45p | $1.87 |
Technology and Inventions in 1974
The first programmable pocket calculators appeared, and Hewlett-Packard's HP-65 could store programs on tiny magnetic cards. Ceefax launched on BBC television, giving Britons their first taste of on-demand information. General Motors fitted the first airbags in production cars.
- ● BBC launches Ceefax, the world's first teletext service
- ● Hewlett-Packard HP-65 — first programmable pocket calculator
- ● General Motors offers airbags in production cars for the first time
- ● Barcodes scanned at a checkout for the first time (Wrigley's gum in Ohio)
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