In both Europe and America Japanese imported cars and other goods were continuing to rise and trouble the governments of UK and USA as they worried about industries in their own countries being affected and jobs lost.
In the spring of 1968 on 4th April the Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated and Robert Kennedy was mortally wounded when he is shot by Sirhan Sirhan.
The peace movement had continued to grow and more and more Americans were against the war in Vietnam.
Once again more riots occurred throughout cities in America.
The music scene was once again set by the “Beatles” and the “Rolling Stones”
Fashion flirted with see through blouses and midis and maxis skirts joined the Mini Skirt as part of the fashion trends.
There is a flu pandemic in Hong Kong.
The first Black Power salute is seen on television worldwide during an Olympics medal ceremony.
Dr. Christian Barnard performs the first successful heart transplant
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The first Big Mac goes on sale in McDonalds costing 49 cents
Boeing 747 made its maiden flight
Emergency 911 telephone service is started
Hong Kong flu pandemic
The Poor Peoples March held in Washington, D.C
Vietnam US soldiers massacre men, women and children in My lai
Population:
- Wake County (1960 census): 169,082
- NC: 5,004,000
- USA: 200,700,000
National Debt:
- $347,578,406,425 (1968)
- $18,152,809,942,589 (2015)
Value of a Dollar: $1 in 1968 is $6.92 in 2015
Cost Of Living 1968:
- Yearly Inflation Rate USA: 4.27%
- Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average: 943
- Average Cost of new house: $14,950
- Average Yearly Wages: $7,850
- Minimum Hourly Wage: $1.60
- Average Monthly Rent: $130
- Average Cost of a new car: $2,822
- Cost of a gallon of Gas: $0.34
- Cheeseburger at McDonald’s: $0.18
- Ticket to Disneyland: Admission & 12 Adventures: $4.75
Ounce of Gold Price:
- The cost of an ounce of gold was $38.69
- The inflation-adjusted price of an ounce of gold was $266.83
Cost of a movie ticket: $1.31
Inflation-adjusted price of a movie ticket: $9.03
The cost of a movie ticket in 2015: $7.92
Top 5 Movies:
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Bullitt
- Planet of the Apes
- Rosemary’s Baby
- Funny Girl
- Best Picture: Oliver!
- Best Director: Carol Reed – Oliver!
- Best Actor: Cliff Robertson – Charly
- Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn – The Lion In Winter
- Best Supporting Actor: Jack Albertson – The Subject Was Roses
- Best Supporting Actress: Ruth Gordon – Rosemary’s Baby
- Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In – NBC -18,523,500
- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. – CBS – 15,844,000
- Bonanza – NBC – 15,494,500
- Mayberry R.F.D – CBS – 14,795,500
- Family Affair – CBS – 14,679,000
- Gunsmoke – CBS – 14,504,250
- Julia – NBC – 14,329,500
- The Dean Martin Show – NBC – 14,038,250
- Here’s Lucy – CBS – 13,863,500
- The Beverly Hillbillies – CBS – 13,688,750
- Beatles – Hey Jude
- Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue
- Bobby Goldsboro – Honey
- Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay
- Rascals – People Got To Be Free
- Cream – Sunshine Of Your Love
- Herb Alpert – This Guy’s In Love With You
- Hugo Montenegro – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
- Simon and Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson
- Archie Bell and The Drells – Tighten Up
- Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A.
- O.C. Smith – Little Green Apples
- Tommy James and The Shondells – Mony, Mony
- Doors – Hello, I Love You
- Gary Puckett and The Union Gap – Young Girl
- Box Tops – Cry Like A Baby
- Fifth Dimension – Stoned Soul Picnic
- Hugh Masekela – Grazing In The Grass
- Grass Roots – Midnight Confessions
- Sly and The Family Stone – Dance To The Music
- Sing Me Back Home – Merle Haggard
- Skip A Rope – Henson Cargill
- Take Me To Your World – Tammy Wynette
- A World Of Our Own – Sonny James
- How Long Will My Baby Be Gone – Buck Owens
- You Are My Treasure – Jack Greene
- Fist City – Loretta Lynn
- The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde – Merle Haggard
- Have A Little Faith – David Houston
- I Wanna Live – Glen Campbell
- Honey – Bobby Goldsbvoro
- D-I-V-O-R-C-E – Tammy Wynette
- Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
- Heaven Says Hello – Sonny James
- Already It’s Heaven – David Houston
- Mama Tried – Merle Haggard
- Harper Valley PTA – Jeannie C. Riley
- Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – Eddy Arnold
- Next In Line – Conway Twitty
- I Walk Alone – Marty Robbins
ACC Football Champ: NC State
ACC Basketball Champs: North Carolina (UNC 87 – NC State 50)
World Series Winner: Detroit Tigers over St. Louis Cardinals
Heavyweight Boxing Champs: Joe Frazier (NYSAC); Jimmy Ellis (WBA)
Super Bowl II: Green Bay Packers (Green Bay 33 – Oakland Raiders 14)
NASCAR Season Winner: David Pearson
Masters Winner: Bob Goalby (11 under – won $20,000)
Wimbledon Winners:
- Men’s Singles: Australia Rod Laver defeated Australia Tony Roche, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
- Women’s Singles: United States Billie Jean King defeated Australia Judy Tegart Dalton, 7–5, 9–7
- Men’s Doubles: Australia John Newcombe / Australia Tony Roche defeated Australia Ken Rosewall / Australia Fred Stolle, 6–3, 6–8, 14–12, 6–3
- Women’s Doubles: United States Rosemary Casals / United States Billie Jean King defeated France Françoise Dürr / United Kingdom Ann Haydon-Jones, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5
- Mixed Doubles: Australia Margaret Court / Australia Ken Fletcher defeated Soviet Union Alex Metreveli / Soviet Union Olga Morozova, 6–1, 14–12