1950's Events - Prices - Culture
High Tech Stuff too!
ISLAM NEWSROOM - LOOKS BACK TO 1950'S
What was it like in America back when Yusuf Estes was still in school? Did they have cars back then? Did they have electricity? -- Did they even have houses or just tents? (LOL)
Let's LOOK BACK . . to the 1950's in U.S.A.
22nd Amendment Ratified — 2 Term Presidential Limit
Jersey Turnpike Opens to Traffic
Empire State Building Broadcasts 1st COLOR TELEVISION
June 25, 1951 — First Color TV Broadcast
(from the Empire State Building)
Britain Festival Opens!
DJ Alan Freed Utters — “ROCK & ROLL” (start of something big)
It’s 1951 & Prices Soar
The AIR (annual inflation rate) Heats Up! (wait — is that Hot A.I.R.?) while Great Britain tops out at 10%
“A nickel just ain’t what it used to be!”
Everything costs more today than ever before. Wages are on the rise across the country, but so are costs of living.
Read this average price list for instance:
Average Weekly Pay Check — $60
Man can make up to $3,000 a year, or more and now even women can get jobs paying them as much as 60 cents to 80 cents an hour ($1,000 a year or more) and that ain’t nothing to sneeze at. If you do sneeze, a box of tissues is up to
Gas — 19 cents gallon (18.9 to be exact)
Eggs — 2 cents each
Bread — 15 cents loaf (less than penny a slice)
Hamburger— 50 cents pound
Cabbage— 5 cents a head
New Car — $1,500 (used cars from 10 bucks)
House — $9,500
Average Cost of a new car - $1,500.00 -
Loaf of Bread - 16 cents -
LB of Hamburger Meat - 50 cents -
Bacon per LB - 52 cents -
Eggs per dozen - 24 cents -
Water Jacket Heater ( Asbestos ) - $4.59 -
Baby Diapers ( Cotton ) - From $2.79 -
Children's Tricycle - From $14.00 -
Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Sterling -
Average House Price - 2,115 -
HEADLINES 1951
Unemployment Down 3 1/2%
Unemployment dropped down to 3.3% across America as more and more find jobs. Labor forces continue to grow across the country as large factories return back to making appliances and clothes instead of making war.
Tons of Cars From “Over There”
Europe exporting tons of cars to U.S. — across the “pond”, like Volkswagens, Austin Martin and a few Rolls Royces from Great Britain. (Think those Japanese will come up with something?)
New Roads & Turnpike in N.J.
More cars mean — more roads, more roads mean — more jobs, more jobs mean — more money and more money means — (more cars?)
— New Jersey gets 1st Turnpike roadway in U.S.
Kids Get More Than Ever Before
Encyclopedia sets, guitar and piano lessons on the rise for youngsters, to improve their little minds.
Now, with over three thousand dollars yearly income, clothes and shoes are not the only things to shop for. Sales of cars, houses, musical instruments and even swimming pools are increasing in the U.S.
Cars Top Out with Tops Off
Convertible car sales jump through the roof (or where the roof used to be) with optional powerhouse engines, 2-tone paint jobs, white wall tires and even blinking light turn signals. Drivers say they’re sick of sticking their left hands out the window in the rain.
Televisions Becoming Popular
Dads love to see the baseball games on Sunday and moms love to watch “As the World Turns” daily. Kids can’t get enough of “Howdy Doody” and “Buster Brown” and the Saturday Matinee with “Big John and Little Sparky” shows. Popular television shows included, “The Honeymooners”, “Father Knows Best” — what family doesn’t love “LUCY”?
Color TV was first broadcast from atop the Empire State Building on June 25, 1951.
A-Bomb Tested In Nevada
Just Now Confirmed From Nevada Nuclear Test Site — U.S. has just tested “Operation Ranger”
U.S. moves atomic bomb development and testing from Pacific islands to Nevada, just 65 miles from Las Vegas. Comedians on the Vegas strip, warned “Not to Bomb Out” (humor).
- 1951 to 1962 — Over 920 unground nuclear tests at Nevada Test Site. What began as atmospheric testing (in the air we breath) caused serious poisoning of the air causing numerous health effects. So testing was moved underground to reduce risks (but mostly so people wouldn’t notice what these guys are doing). — What the future holds — Only God Knows for sure!
Grocery List Dunklin County Missouri — 1950’s
1950’s Cost for Car, Food & Groceries
- Income (average pay)— $3,000.00
- House (average) — $9,000.00
- Car(average)— $ 900.00
- Ford (models from)— $1,340.00
TV’s
- Philco (#1430)— $ 200.00
- Admiral “system”— $ 550.00
- Records (12 inch)— $ 4.85
- Records (10 inch)— $ 2.85
- Gas(1 gallon)$ .20
- Postage stamp$ .03
- Milk$ .82
- Bread (loaf)$ .14
- Pumpkins (pound)$ .02
- Campbell’s Beans$ .25
- Steak (sirloin per lb)$ .77
- Mayonnaise (quart jar)$ .62