a blast from the past

This month I celebrated my 50 something-ish birthday. I was thinking about how much things must have changed in all these years. Which got me to wondering. What were things really like back in the year I was born? So I did a little poking around and found out some interesting facts about the year of my birth. 


One thing I love about having a blog it always has me thinking about things to write about and I am constantly learning new things. My Aunt Gen sent me an e-card that had tons of info about the year 1959 and this idea was born! I learned a few things so read on and maybe you will too!

United States Population: 177,829,62

Yearly family salary 6,600.00

Minimum wage in U.S. was $1.00 per hour

Gallon of gas was .25

Dwight D. Eisenhower was President and Richard M. Nixon was Vice President in 1959

Alaska becomes the 49th state

Hawaii becomes the 50th state

Cost of a first class postage stamp was 4 cents

My parents, aunts/uncles and grandparents were probably stuck to the tube watching t.v. shows like:

Rawhide

Hawaiian Eye

Dragnet ends after 8 years 

Bonanza ( in color)

The Twilight Zone

          

In the sports world in 1959

         

Dodgers. vs. Chicago White Sox (4-2)

Baltimore Colts vs. New York Giants. (31-16)

Canadians vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (4-1)

NCAA: California vs. West Virginia (71-70)

My parents went to the movies a lot when they were younger. It was not uncommon to go to the movies and spend the day there. In the year I was born this is what was going on in Hollywood.

And the Academy Award went to:

Best Motion Picture: Ben- Hur

Best Actor: Charlton Heston – Ben- Hur

Best Actress: Simone Singnoret- Suddenly, Last Summer

Best Supporting Actor: Hugh Griffith- Ben- Hur 

Best Supporting Actress :Shelly Winters-The Diary of Anne Frank

Here are some other interesting bits of info that I found.

The Frisbee came to be…

Fidel Castro forced the revolution that brought him into power

Playboy debuts with Marilyn Monroe in the centerfold

The Barbie doll became a girls best friend

So can you tell me; did anything interesting happen on the year you were born?