Fun facts about the 1960's

The 60's were a great time in American culture. There were so many big events that took place during this era that made the US what it is today. From the music, to political events, to new technologies, the 60's are time that so many of us will never forget. It is fun to go back and take a look at fun facts about the 60 s. There are many fun facts about the 60's that really made this decade stand out.

There were so many advancements in the 1960's. John Glenn was the first astronaut to orbit the earth, traveling our orbit 7 times. The first US rocket landed on the moon, and John Glenn was there as well. This was a huge step for the US in the cold war space race against the Russians. This whole space race was started with the launch and orbit of Russian space satellite Sputnik.

There were many different things that made the average American, the middle class. About 90 percent of the American population finally owned a television set. The minimum wage was set at $1.25 an hour. It was so much different than the minimum wage of our day and age. The median family income was also 6,000 dollars a year. This is almost the median income of families every month in 2013.

New technologies took Americans by storm in the 60's. One of the greatest new technologies was color Polaroid film. This film developed in just about one minute, giving the first instant photography to those who were taking photos. We are much luckier now with digital cameras which can take a photo and we can instantly see the results. The new advancements of television gave opportunities for individuals and families to see what they have never seen before. First lady Jackie Kennedy gave a virtual tour of the white house to Americans over TV. Over 46 million Americans tuned in for this tour of the white house.

There were also many firsts in the 60s. The first Wal-Mart store was opened, which has now turned into a retailer mega store. The first K mart was also opened. In Houston, plastic surgeons used the first silicone breast implant on a human. The first Beatles record was released. It was their single, "Love me Do." A musical revolution started and much of it is considered the sound of legends like no other. Does anyone remember Woodstock? Rumor has it, that if you said yes to this question, that you weren't there!

Things sure did cost a lot less back in the day. A semesters worth of tuition at Harvard cost just around $1,000 and now a days it would cost around $30,000. A new car would cost just around $2,500, where as a new car now is going to run you around $25,000.

Life seemed to be much simpler back in the 60's. Things weren't so complicated with so many different fast paced options. It was much easier to live a simple life and feel satisfied. Life was more  basic, but modernization was on it's way. There wasn't really any big new thing you had to get every week, at least by today’s standards. The 60's were such a great time.