List some of the things that you have seen change or develop in your lifetime.
I did this post a couple years back and thought it was interesting. The rate of change these days is so rapid, I didn’t think it would hurt to revisit this topic.
So I was born in 1959. I found some interesting facts from The PeopleHistory about 1959.
- Fidel Castro came to power
- The Dahli Lama is forced to flee Tibet
- Barbie doll launched
- Alaska became the 49th state
- Hawaii became the 50th state
- The St. Lawrence Seaway is completed
- NASA introduces America’s first astronauts to the world including John H. Glenn Jr, and Alan Shepard Jr.
- US Launches first Weather Station in Space
Cost of Living 1959
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 1.01%
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 0.9%
Average Cost of new house $12,400.00
Average Yearly Wages $5,010.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 25 cents
Average Cost of a new car $2,200.00
Movie Ticket$1.00
Loaf of Bread 20 cents
Kodak Movie camera $67.50
Ladies Stockings $1.00
Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Sterling
Average House Price 2,410 Austin 7 ( Mini ) 500
Television programs included “Rawhide”, “Bonanza” and “The Twilight Zone”,
Movies included “Some Like it Hot”, “Ben Hur” and “North by Northwest”
Clothing and accessories looked like this:
Coming forward to today, we see these changes.
- Fidel Castro died last year, November 25, 2016
- The Dahli Lama still does not live in Tibet
- Barbie is still here, though she has undergone many changes in clothing, body type, career, housing, etc.
- Alaska and Hawaii are still with the US
- St. Lawrence Seaway is still active
- NASA is still trying to go where no man has gone before
- Weather space station is still active
Data for 2017 is not yet available, but I did find it for 2010.
- Average Cost of new house ( 2009) $232,880 2008- $238,880
Average Cost for house rent( 2009 ) $780.00 per month 2008- $800.00
Average wages per year ( 2009 ) $39,423 2008- $40,523
Cost of a gallon of Gas ( February 1st 2010 ) $2.73 August 2009- $2.51
Average Cost C per kilowatt hour Electricity ( October 2009 ) $11.76 C ( April 2009 ) $11.59
A 20 ounce loaf of Bread ( January 2010 ) $2.27 ( February 2010 ) $2.49
A LB of Bacon ( January 2010 ) $3.22 A LB of Russet Potatoes ( January 2010 ) $0.52 Dozen Eggs ( January 2010 ) $1.37 Movie Ticket ( 2009 )$7,50 College Tuition State ( February 2010 ) $7,020 + Most States have raised tuition fees for 2009 – 2010 by between 5 and 15% ( August 2009 ) $6,585
First Class Stamp ( February 2010 ) $0.44 ( August 2009 ) $0.42
Consumer Price Index ( December 1st 2010 ) 215.263 ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693
Money Matters
Current Fed Base Interest Rate ( january 1st 2010 ) .25% Current Inflation Rate ( December 1st 2009 ) 0.03% ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693
Dow Jones ( January 9th 2011 ) 9,908 ( August 2009 ) 9,171
Price Of Gold Per Ounce ( January 9th 2010 ) $1068.33 ( August 1st 2009 ) $953.00
Price Barrel Of Oil ( February 1st 2010 ) $77.62 US Dollar Exchange Rate Euro ( February 9th 2010 ) 1.26750 ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.426
US Dollar Exchange Rate Pound ( February 9th 2010 ) 1.56.09 ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.672
Unemployment Rate ( January 2010 ) 10.1% ( November 2009 ) 10.2%
Fashion and accessories today:
What has changed in your lifetime?
You’re 2 years younger than me, Patti! Over here in the UK we had Rawhide and Bonanza too. Goodness knows what our grandchildren will have to pay for a house when they grow up.
Some enterprising banker will offer them a 50-year adjustable rate mortgage like they did in Japan when houses became unaffordable for ordinary incomes. Can you imagine? 50 years to pay off a house?