Memory Lane: 1958

VanguardRocket19581958 brought Americans recession with a vengeance and large increases in unemployment over 7.0% ( 5.2 million ).

Inflation dipped below 2% in 1958 so those in work earning the average wages of $3,851 per year were quite well off.

Cars continued to get bigger and heavier with larger engines, but imports continued to grow now with the added Datsun and more Toyotas from Japan.

Americas first satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral.

This is also the year that the Microchip first developed which is the very early stages of PC’s we all now use at work and at home.

This was also the year of the Munich air disaster on 6th February in which 7 Manchester United Players died.

In The News

The microchip is invented

Great Chinese Famine

First Trans-Atlantic passenger jetliner service begins

Munich air disaster

US Military predicts satellites orbiting the earth to make detailed maps from space


Population/Economy

Population:

  • Wake County (1960 census): 169,082
  • NC: 4,376,000
  • USA: 174,900,000

National Debt:

  • $276,343,217,745 (1958)
  • $18,152,809,942,589 (2015)

Value of a Dollar: $1 in 1958 is $8.26 in 2015

Cost Of Living 1958:

  • Yearly Inflation Rate USA: 2.73%
  • Yearly Inflation Rate UK: 2.7%
  • Average Cost of new house: $12,750
  • Average Monthly Rent: $92
  • Average Yearly Wages: $4,600
  • Average Cost of a new car: $1,900
  • Cost of a gallon of Gas: $0.25
  • Cheeseburger at McDonald’s: $0.15
  • Ticket to Disneyland: $1.25 – (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 an ounce of gold was $35.10
  • The inflation-adjusted price of an ounce of gold was $290.08


Going to the Movies

Cost of a movie ticket: $0.50

Inflation-adjusted price of a movie ticket: $4.13

The cost of a movie ticket in 2015: $7.92

Top 5 Movies:

  1. Vertigo
  2. Touch of Evil
  3. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
  4. Horror of Dracula
  5. Gigi


31st Academy Awards

  • Best Picture: Gigi
  • Best Actor: David Niven – Separate Tables
  • Best Actress: Susan Hayward – I Want to Live!
  • Best Supporting Actor: Burl Ives – The Big Country
  • Best Supporting Actress: Wendy Hiller – Separate Tables

Top 10 TV Shows

  1. Gunsmoke – CBS – 17,404,200
  2. Wagon Train – NBC – 15,865,950
  3. Have Gun Will Travel – CBS – 15,074,850
  4. The Rifleman – ABC – 14,547,450
  5. The Danny Thomas Show – CBS – 14,415,600
  6. Maverick – ABC – 13,360,800
  7. Tales of Wells Fargo – NBC – 13,272,900
  8. The Real McCoys – ABC – 13,228,950
  9. I’ve Got a Secret – CBS – 13,097,100
  10. The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp – ABC – 12,789,450


Top 20 Pop Songs

  1. Domenico Modugno – Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)
  2. Everly Brothers – All I Have To Do Is Dream / Claudette
  3. Elvis Presley – Don’t / I Beg Of You
  4. David Seville – Witch Doctor
  5. Perez Prado – Patricia
  6. Billy Vaughn – Sail Along Silvery Moon / Raunchy
  7. Perry Como – Catch A Falling Star / Magic Moments
  8. Champs – Tequila
  9. Tommy Edwards – It’s All In The Game
  10. Dean Martin – Return To Me
  11. Conway Twitty – It’s Only Make Believe
  12. Sheb Wooley – The Purple People Eater
  13. Everly Brothers – Bird Dog / Devoted To You
  14. Silhouettes – Get A Job
  15. Elegants – Little Star
  16. Ricky Nelson – Stood Up / Waitin’ In School
  17. Laurie London – He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands
  18. Platters – Twilight Time
  19. Jimmie Rodgers – Secretly
  20. Danny and the Juniors – At The Hop

Top 10 Country Songs

  1. The Story of My Life – Marty Robbins
  2. Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
  3. Ballad of a Teenage Queen – Johnny Cash
  4. Oh Lonesome Me / I Can’t Stop Loving You – Don Gibson
  5. Just Married – Marty Robbins
  6. All I Have to Do is Dream – The Everly Brothers
  7. Guess Things Happen That Way – Johnny Cash
  8. Alone With You – Faron Young
  9. Blue Blue Day – Don Gibson
  10. Bird Dog – The Everly Brothers


This Year in Sports

ACC Football Champ: Clemson

ACC Basketball Champs: Maryland (Maryland 86 – UNC 74)

World Series Winner: NY Yankees over Milwaukee Braves

NFL Championship Game: Baltimore Colts (Baltimore 23 – NY Giants 17)

NASCAR Season Winner: Lee Petty

Masters Winner: Arnold Palmer (4 under – won $11, 250)

Wimbledon Winners:

  • Men’s Singles: Australia Ashley Cooper defeated Australia Neale Fraser, 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11
  • Women’s Singles: United States Althea Gibson defeated United Kingdom Angela Mortimer Barrett, 8–6, 6–2
  • Men’s Doubles: Sweden Sven Davidson / Sweden Ulf Schmidt defeated Australia Ashley Cooper / Australia Neale Fraser, 6–4, 6–4, 8–6
  • Women’s Doubles: Brazil Maria Bueno / United States Althea Gibson defeated United States Margaret duPont / United States Margaret Varner, 6–3, 7–5
  • Mixed Doubles: Australia Lorraine Coghlan / Australia Robert Howe defeated United States Althea Gibson / Denmark Kurt Nielsen, 6–3, 13–11