The Year 1960 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 1960. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainmentt rivia, and much more.

1. In 1960, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president of the United States, and Richard M. Nixon was the nation’s vice president.
2. The average household income in the U.S. was $5,600, an increase of $200 over 1959. For households headed by individuals 65 years and over, the average annual income was $2,900.
3. A new car cost about $2,750, a first-class stamp was four cents, and the retail price for a gallon of gas averaged 31 cents. A slice of pizza cost 15 cents, a McDonald’s hamburger also cost 15 cents, and candy bars were five cents apiece.
4. The starting salary for a teacher was $5,135, $4,400 for a police officer, and $9,400 for an engineer.
5. In New York City, monthly rents averaged around $200 for a one-bedroom apartment, but you could still find one-bedroom units for $100 or less in areas like the Bronx or East Harlem.
6. According to 1960 U.S. Census data, the United States population was 179,323,175. The most populated cities were New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Detroit. The most populated states were New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio. In ascending order, the states with the fewest residents were Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming, Vermont, and Delaware.
7. There were 53 million households in the United States, and the average household had 3.29 people.
8. Farmers made up 8.3% of the U.S. labor force. In 1960, there were about 3,711,000 farms across America, averaging about 303 acres apiece.
9. Over 90% of American households had at least one TV, and about 65% of Americans were churchgoers.
10. On January 26, Pete Rozelle became the NFL commissioner after serving as the acting president of the NFL following Bert Bell’s death in October 1959. Britannica.com points out that as commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from 1960 to 1989, Rozelle “oversaw a period of enormous growth for professional gridiron football. He negotiated lucrative deals with the television networks, doubled the size of the league, and helped to create the Super Bowl.”
11. On January 28, the Dallas Cowboys became the newest NFL franchise.
12. On February 4, the San Francisco Giants moved from Seals Stadium to Candlestick Park. They played there until 1999, when they moved to Pacific Bell Park, now known as Oracle Park.
13. Throughout 1960, the mysterious Black Knight satellite led U.S. authorities to believe that an alien satellite was orbiting planet Earth to spy on humans. Grunge.com reports that “By the end of the 1950s, the space race was in full swing, and both the U.S. and USSR had managed to put satellites in orbit. But on February 11, 1960, a radar used by the U.S. Navy picked up the presence of a strange, dark, tumbling object that didn't belong to either country. The sudden possibility that the Soviets had quietly launched a satellite, possibly a spy satellite, freaked out plenty of Americans. It didn't help that this new object was in polar orbit when all the known satellites were circling the equator.”
14. On February 29, the first Playboy Club opened in Chicago.
15. On March 13, the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis.
16. At the 32nd Academy Awards on April 4—which honored the best films of 1959—Ben-Hur won an Oscar for Best Picture, and William Wyler (Ben-Hur) won an Oscar for Best Director. Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Simone Signoret (Room at the Top) won an Oscar for Best Actress. (By the way, Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars altogether.)
17. On April 14, the Motown Record Corporation was incorporated in Detroit. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records in 1959, Motown became one of the most successful Black-owned businesses in history.
18. President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law on May 6. PatriotPost.us explains that the bill “established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote.”
19. On May 9, the FDA approved the world’s first commercially produced birth control pill.
20. At the 12th Primetime Emmy Awards on June 20, The Art Carney Special (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor, and Playhouse 90 won an Emmy for Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama. Robert Stack (The Untouchables) won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series, and Jane Wyatt (Father Knows Best) won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series.
21. On June 23, the first contraceptive went on sale in the United States. According to Case.edu, “The Pill became the symbol of the so-called ‘sexual revolution’ of the 1960s-70s. Many blamed it for the events of these years—a rise in single motherhood, unmarried couples living together or in communes, open marriage and wife swapping, women's liberation, and increased visibility of sex in the media. Scholars now recognize that these cultural shifts began well before the advent of the Pill.”
22. On July 11, Harper Lee’s ever-popular novel—To Kill a Mockingbird—was published. Britannica.com tells us that this American classic “was translated into 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South.”
23. On July 22, Fidel Castro nationalized all U.S. sugar interests in Cuba.
24. On August 6, Chubby Checker performed "The Twist" on The Dick Clark Show and started a worldwide dance craze.
25. Hurricane Donna battered the Caribbean and eastern United States from late August until mid-September. HurricaneScience.org reports that Donna is the only hurricane on record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic States, and New England. Donna roamed the Atlantic for a total of 17 days and also holds the record for retaining major hurricane status in the Atlantic Basin for nine days.
26. In September, Le Duan replaced Ho Chi Minh as head of North Vietnam’s ruling Communist party, and North Vietnam escalated military operations against the South Vietnamese.
27. September 10 to 14: At the Baghdad Conference, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela created OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). Today, OPEC’s 12 members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
28. On November 8, Democrat John F. Kennedy was elected as president of the United States by narrowly defeating Richard Nixon, the Republican candidate. JFK was also the first Roman Catholic and the youngest person ever to be elected U.S. president.
29. On November 18, the 10 millionth copyright registration was made at the U.S. Copyright Office.
30. On November 25, CBS Radio aired the final episodes of the last network soap operas: Ma Perkins, Young Doctor Malone, The Right to Happiness, The Second Mrs. Burton, The Couple Next Door, and Whispering Secrets.
31. Zip codes were first introduced in 1960, and the USPS used a mascot named Mr. Zip to help Americans through the transition.
32. In 1960, the U.S. census was mailed out for the first time. Census.gov points out that "Earlier censuses had used self-enumeration on a limited scale, but 1960 was the debut for this technique as a primary method for the collection of population and residential data. The postal service delivered questionnaires to every occupied housing unit. Householders were asked to complete the questionnaire and hold it for an enumerator to pick up."
33. American engineer and physicist Theodore Maiman built the first laser at the Hughes Research Laboratories in California.
34. Brothers Tom and James Monaghan bought a pizza restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for $500. The restaurant, originally called DomiNick’s, was renamed Domino’s in 1965.
35. In 1960 as well, demolition began on Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, which had been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team from 1913 to 1957.
36. 1,000 kWh of electricity: $0.25
37. 23-inch television: $219.95
38. 45 rpm single record: $1.00
39. A gallon of gas: $0.31
40. Budweiser beer: $0.99 for a six-pack
41. Can of Aqua Net hairspray: $0.47
42. Cup of restaurant coffee: $0.10 to $0.15
43. Daily newspaper: $0.10
44. Doctor’s office visit: $5.00
45. Kenmore washing machine: $158.00
46. McDonald’s Coca-Cola: $0.10
47. McDonald’s French fries: $0.10
48. McDonald’s cheeseburger: $0.19
49. McDonald’s coffee: $0.10
50. McDonald’s hamburger: $0.15
51. McDonald’s malt shake: $0.20
52. McDonald’s orangeade: $0.10
53. McDonald’s root beer: $0.10
54. Men’s electric shaver: $20.30
55. Movie ticket: $0.69
56. Pair of men’s Levi’s jeans: $5.00
57. Payphone (local call): $0.10
58. Polaroid Land camera: $93.45
59. Popcorn at the movie theater: $0.20
60. Postage stamp: $0.04
61. Tennis shoes: $5.00
62. Tuition at Columbia: $1,460
63. Tuition at Harvard: $1,520
64. Tuition at MIT: $1,200
65. Tuition at Penn State: $480

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/what-happened-in-1960/
2. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1960-1969/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1956.html
5. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1960
6. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1960
7. https://www.listchallenges.com/tv-shows-this-kid-watched-in-the-1960s
8. https://fiftiesweb.com/cars/1960s-chevrolet/
9. https://www.onthisday.com/deaths/date/1960
10. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/born-1960.php
11. https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1960.htm
12. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices/Historic-Prices-1960s/Historic-Prices-1960

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor