In 1956, the increase in living standards and the focus on education helped to fuel the increase in college education with 1 in 3 high school graduates now going off to college.
TV shows included “As The World Turns” and “The Price is Right.”
Mothers could now buy disposable diapers and Tefal non stick Frying Pans.
Elvis Presley appears on the Ed Sullivan show and enters the music charts for the first time, with “Heartbreak Hotel.”
Suez Crisis, Federal-Aid Highway Act signed for the construction of 41,000 miles of interstate highways.
Fidel Castro land in Cuba at the start of the Cuban Revolution.
Rock and Roll music sweeps the World, Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show and enters the US music charts for the first time, with “Heartbreak Hotel.”
Population:
- Wake County (1960 census): 169,082
- NC: 4,309,000
- USA: 168,900,000
National Debt:
- $272,750,813,649 (1956)
- $18,152,809,942,589 (2015)
Value of a Dollar: $1 in 1955 is $8.76 in 2015
Cost Of Living 1955:
- Yearly Inflation Rate USA: 1.52%
- Average Cost of new house: $11,700
- Average Monthly Rent: $88.00
- Average Yearly Wages: $4,450
- Average Cost of a new car: $2,050
- Cost of a gallon of Gas: $0.22
- Ground Coffee per lb: $.85
- Hamburger at McDonald’s: $0.15
- Ticket to Disneyland: $1.00 – (Rides and attractions were a separate fee via individual tickets. Three months after the park opened, books of tickets were available; the tickets were labeled “A” to “C.”)
Ounce of Gold Price:
- The cost of a Ounce of Gold was $34.99
- The inflation-adjusted price of a Ounce of Gold was $309.65
Cost of a movie ticket: $0.56
Inflation-adjusted price of a movie ticket: $4.42
The cost of a movie ticket in 2015: $7.92
Top 5 Movies:
- The Ten Commandments
- Around The World in 80 Days
- Giant
- War and Peace
- The King and I
- Best Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
- Best Actor: Yul Brynner – The King and I
- Best Actress: Ingrid Bergman – Anastasia
- Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Quinn – Lust for Life
- Best Supporting Actress: Dorothy Malone – Written on the Wind
- I Love Lucy – CBS – 16,999,300
- The Ed Sullivan Show – CBS – 14,937,600
- General Electric Theatre – CBS – 14,354,100
- The $64,000 Question – CBS – 14,159,600
- December Bride – CBS – 13,692,800
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents – CBS – 13,187,100
- I’ve Got a Secret – CBS – 12,720,300
- Gunsmoke – CBS – 12,720,300
- The Perry Como Show – NBC – 12,681,400
- The Jack Benny Show – CBS – 12,564,700
- Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel
- Elvis Presley – Don’t Be Cruel
- Nelson Riddle – Lisbon Antigua
- Platters – My Prayer
- Gogi Grant – The Wayward Wind
- Les Baxter – The Poor People Of Paris
- Doris Day – Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)
- Elvis Presley – Hound Dog
- Dean Martin – Memories Are Made Of This
- Kay Starr – Rock And Roll Waltz
- Morris Stoloff – Moonglow And Theme From “Picnic”
- Platters – The Great Pretender
- Pat Boone – I Almost Lost My Mind
- Elvis Presley – I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
- Elvis Presley – Love Me Tender
- Perry Como – Hot Diggity
- Eddie Heywood and Hugo Winterhalter – Canadian Sunset
- Carl Perkins – Blue Suede Shoes
- Jim Lowe – The Green Door
- Four Lads – No, Not Much
- Hound Dog – Elvis Presley from The Real Elvis EP
- Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis PresleY rom Heartbreak Hotel EP
- Don’t Be Cruel – Elvis Presley
- Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley
- Young Love – Sonny James
- I Want You, I Need You, I Love You – Elvis Presley
- Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins
- Love Me – Elvis Presley
- Be-Bop-A-Lula – Gene Vincent
- The Fool – Sanford Clark
- I Was the One – Elvis Presley
- I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
- Singing the Blues – Marty Robbins
- Auctioneer – Leroy Van Dyke
- Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) – Elvis Presley
- Crazy Arms – Ray Price
- That’s All – Tennessee Ernie Ford
- My Ba- Left Me – Elvis Presley
- The Cat Came Back – Sonny James
- Why Ba- Why – Red Sovine & Webb Pierce
ACC Football Champ: Clemson
ACC Basketball Champs: NC State (NCSU 76 – Wake Forest 54)
World Series Winner: NY Yankees over the Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3)
Heavyweight Boxing Champ: Floyd Patterson
NFL Championship Game: NY Giants over Chicago Bears (47-7)
NASCAR Season Winner: Buck Baker
Masters Winner: Jack Burke Jr. (Won over – won $6000)
Wimbledon Winners:
- Men’s Singles: Australia Lew Hoad defeated Australia Ken Rosewall 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4
- Women’s Singles: United States Shirley Fry Irvin defeated United Kingdom Angela Buxton 6–3, 6–1
- Men’s Doubles: Australia Lew Hoad / Australia Ken Rosewall defeated Italy Nicola Pietrangeli / Italy Orlando Sirola 7–5, 6–2, 6–1
- Women’s Doubles: United Kingdom Angela Buxton / United States Althea Gibson defeated Australia Fay Muller / Australia Daphne Seeney 6–1, 8–6
- Mixed Doubles: United States Shirley Fry / United States Vic Seixas defeated United States Althea Gibson / United States Gardnar Mulloy 2–6, 6–2, 7–5