Flashback Friday- 1961

1961 The cold war continued to worsen with the USSR exploding some very large bombs during testing and then masterminding the building of the Berlin Wall separating East from West Berlin, America sent a battle group to Germany and Americans and Russians Glared at each other across the border, due to this uncertainty many Americans built backyard fallout shelters in case of nuclear war. To make matters worse the Americans financed anti-Castro Cubans for an invasion at the bay of pigs which was an unmitigated disaster. The Soviets put the first man in space In April, Yuri Gagarin followed by the US in May with Alan Shepard. Popular music included Chubby Checker's “Pony Time” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles, and top movies included "West Side Story" and "The Parent Trap.” [source]

If you were living in this year, you might be:

Listening to:

Wearing this:

Watching this:

Reading this:

In 1961:

• A gallon of gas costs 27 cents, a dozen of eggs was 30 cents, and you could get a pound of bacon was 67 cents(how cool is that?!)
• John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as President of the United States and then advises American families to build bomb shelters.
• Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space and segregation on railways in the south ends.
• The Peace Corps is established, the first Six Flags theme parks opens, and Pampers, the first disposable diaper, is introduced.
• The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) started, the first in-flight movie is shown, the first electric toothbrush is produced, "Frito" corn chips appear, and "Barbie" gets a boyfriend when the "Ken" doll is introduced.