Top Song, Car, and a Few Prices the Year I Was Born

1952

Vin Bruce released his first single

and,
  • Americans were buying houses in the suburbs, and were also busy purchasing new cars, televisions, and refrigerators. Unemployment had dropped to 2.6%, inflation was a modest 1.92%, and the average household income was $3,400.00. The average cost of a new home was $9,050.00, the average cost of a new car was $1,700.00, and a gallon of gas averaged 20 cents. Consumerism was on the rise, and Americans were enjoying “a standard of living that no other country could approach.”
  • In 1952, three out of five American families owned a car, two out of three families had a telephone, and one in three families had a television. The average American woman would be married by the age of 20, and relatively few women would continue with a career once their children were born. Fast food restaurants like McDonald’s and KFC were growing in popularity, but the scourge of polio affected thousands of American families as well.
  • In the November election, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president of the United States by defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson. Eisenhower received 442 electoral votes and 33,778,693 popular votes to Stevenson’s 89 electoral votes and 27,314,992 popular votes.
  • The U.S. detonated the first thermonuclear bomb at Enewetak Island in the Pacific Ocean.
  • The Korean War went into its third year, and there were nearly three million American soldiers stationed in Korea.
  • In the 1950s, polio was one of the most feared diseases in the U.S., and "had become one of the most serious communicable diseases among children." NPR tells us that in 1952 alone, "nearly 60,000 children were infected with the virus; thousands were paralyzed, and more than 3,000 died. Hospitals set up special units with iron lung machines to keep polio victims alive. Rich kids as well as poor were left paralyzed."
  • Queen Elizabeth II succeeded King George VI to the British throne, and was proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • From December 5-9, the Great Smog of London smothered the city, wreaking havoc and killing nearly 12,000 residents.
  • In 1952, London’s trams trundled into history, and gold coins in the amounts of $5.00, $10.00, and $20.00 could now be minted in Canada.
  • The Detroit Lions were the NFL champions, the Detroit Red Wings were the Stanley Cup champs, and the New York Yankees won the World Series.
  • MLB legends Harry Heilmann and Paul Waner were both inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Standardization Board cleared the way for MLB player Stan Musial to get a salary increase to $85,000.
  • Baseball legend Mickey Mantle hit his first career grand slam, and the Boston Braves played their last game at Braves Field before moving to Milwaukee.
  • Companies and brands that were founded in 1952 include the Holiday Inn, Allegheny Airlines (the forerunner of US Airways), Mrs. T's Pierogies, Sheetz, Inc., St. Martin's Press, the Stony Hill Vineyard, and the Timberland Company.
  • The American fast food restaurant chain "KFC" (Kentucky Fried Chicken) opened its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • Sun Records, an independent American record label, was founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the first record label to feature artists like Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.
  • Consumer products that were introduced in 1952 include the Brownie camera, Kellogg’s frosted flakes, Gleem toothpaste, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Lipton’s dry onion soup, Mr. Potato Head, Mrs. Paul’s frozen fish sticks, the Olay skin care brand, the treadmill, and the video tape recorder.
  • British engineer Maurice Olley of General Motors began to design the Corvette. (By the way, the first Corvette came off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan on June 30, 1953.)
  • In 1952, the best-selling American cars were Chevrolet (818,142), Ford (671,733), Plymouth (396,000), Buick (303,745), and Pontiac (271,373).
  • Only 6.5 million Americans—or 4.2% of the U.S. population—owned common stock.
  • Mad magazine (1952-2018) began publishing. Over a 66-year span, Mad published over 550 regular magazine issues, as well as scores of reprint projects.
  • The Today Show—television’s first magazine-format program—premiered on NBC. Other shows that debuted in 1952 were Dragnet, I’ve Got a Secret, and The Jackie Gleason Show (aka The Honeymooners).
  • At the 24th Academy Awards—which honored the best films of 1951—An American in Paris won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Musical, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Story and Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
  • At the 4th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Red Skelton Show (NBC) won an Emmy for Best Comedy Show, Studio One (CBS) won an Emmy for Best Dramatic Show, and Your Show of Shows (NBC) won an Emmy for Best Variety Show.
  • In 1952, Christine Baranski, Harvey Weinstein, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Ross, Mandy Patankin, Mr. T, Roseanne Barr, Sharon Osbourne, and Steven Seagal were all born.
https://hobbylark.com/party-games/Y...2, three out of,once their children were born.
 
This was top of the chart the week I was born...




If you could afford to buy a home after the war, it was likely to be a brand new one. The average cost of a new house was £1,891 (around £69,042 in today’s money[1]) and the average salary was £10 a week (roughly £365[2]), so buying a property was no mean feat, even then.
On the upside, these new homes came with indoor toilets, revolutionising the way we did our business!
The electric fire, washing machine and humble fish finger were life-changing inventions of the era.

Top selling car...not that we knew anyone who had a car back in the mid 50's.. but the top selling was..

BY the 1950's the UK provided 52% of the world’s exported cars - the most of any nation. Only the USA built more cars - but they were mostly made for the domestic market.


Needless to say, the vast majority of cars in Britain during the 1950s were built on these shores...and this was possibly the biggest selling small car...

27398d90-61d9-4ce5-b785-bf3c4f5090d6.jpg
..Ford Popular and also the Hillman Minx, which I eventually owned a couple of decades later
42cda1c1-38d5-4203-a524-d2930374fa4f.jpg
 
CallMeKate said:
Vin Bruce
Click to expand...
His recording of Jole Blon remains the most popular Cajun song ever (in Louisiana anyway), some call it the Cajun national anthem.

He was from Cutoff, Louisiana my father had friends there we'd visit every summer when I was a kid. They knew Vin, but I never met him. He was early Cajun famous, somehow missed the more recent upswing in popularity.
 
Great thread!

Here are the Top 10 songs. I've only familiar with Young Love and All Shook Up.


This is apparently one of the best cars that year.

shutterstock_105233975

1957: Ford Skyline​

Originally produced with glass covering 3/4 of the roof when it arrived in 1954, Ford quickly converted its stunning Skyliner into something more practical and jaw-dropping for its 1957 model. Its dominant and most striking feature was a hi-tech, hardtop convertible roof that, as Motor Biscuit describes, “gracefully opened and arced back into a rear-hinged trunk in a matter of seconds. To accomplish this balletic feat took no less than six motors, four lift jacks, a host of electrical relays, ten solenoids, four power lock mechanisms, and over 600 feet of wiring.”


And here are some grocery prices. Remember TV Dinners and Tang?

1: Milk​

A dollar went a lot further 50 years ago than it does today -- you could buy a whole gallon of milk for a buck.


A dollar went a lot further 50 years ago than it does today -- you could buy a whole gallon of milk for a buck.
Back in 1957, milk was $1 per gallon.
Today, we have a lot more choices when standing in the dairy aisle, but whether whole, 2 percent, 1 percent, skim, or soy, milk sets us back about $3.49 when it's not on sale.

2: TV Dinner​

A Swanson TV dinner cost just 75 cents in 1957. With classics like Wagon Train and American Bandstand shown in 39.5 million homes, TV trays were popping up all over the place. Today, a frozen chicken and corn tray will set you back $2.99.

3: Tang​

Tang Breakfast Crystals were launched in America in 1957 for around 50 cents a jar. In 1965, the Gemini 4 astronauts got this powdered vitamin C powerhouse for free on their space mission and all of the following Gemini and Apollo missions. Today, anyone can buy Tang for $3.39 for a 12-ounce canister.

4: Ground Beef​

To make that delicious meatloaf, mother shelled out 30 cents for a pound of hamburger in 1957. Today, we pay considerably more for our ground beef -- $4.09 per pound!

5: Butter​

When they weren't cooking with lard or shortening, American women of 1957 opted for butter at 75 cents a pound. These days, we're more likely to count fat grams and opt for margarine or other butter substitutes. In any case, at about $3.99 a pound, we don't pay with just our arteries to enjoy good old-fashioned butter today.

6: Syrup​

In 1957, you could douse a stack of flapjacks with pure Vermont maple syrup because it only cost 33 cents for 12 ounces. At $9.36 for 12 ounces of the real stuff today, we have to go a little lighter on the sap. But these days it's much less expensive to grab an imitation. You can get 12 ounces of Aunt Jemima for $1.89.

7: Campbell's Tomato Soup​

It's no wonder Campbell's tomato soup has always been a family favorite. People have been wallowing in its creamy comfort for generations. To make it even more soothing, in 1957 a can only set you back a dime! Today, it's still an affordable form of therapy, and it costs only a buck.

8: Gum​

Gum chompers had several choices back in 1957. There were Juicy Fruit, Wrigley's Spearmint, and Dubble Bubble, to name a few. You could pretty much chew until your jaw hurt at just 19 cents for 6 packs (30 pieces). Today, in addition to the dental bills, it costs about $1.19 for a 6-pack of gum.

9: Broccoli​

In 1957, in a world in which the word fiber was mostly used to discuss fabrics, a bunch of broccoli only cost 23 cents. Today's health-conscious crowd pays a little more to munch this super food -- around $1.79 per bunch.

10: Eggs​

In 1957, a dozen eggs cost a mere 55 cents. For those who aren't quite ready to pour an omelet from a pint-size container of artificial eggs, you can still crack the good old-fashioned, incredible, edible egg for $2.99 a dozen.

11: Iceberg Lettuce​

Iceberg lettuce used to rule the refrigerator's produce bin -- it only cost 19 cents per head in 1957! Salad makers these days reach for other types of lettuce, including romaine, red leaf, and endive, just to name a few. Iceberg still has its loyal followers, but they can now plan on paying $1.49 per head.

12: Nabisco Saltines​

Nabisco saltines can settle an upset stomach, and, at 25 cents for a 16-ounce package in 1957, that's better than medicine. But today, the same size box will set you back $2.69.

13: Pot Roast​

Pot roasts brought families to the table most Sundays in 1957, and it cost 69 cents a pound for that roast. Today, it's harder to get busy families together, but when they do, the cook can expect to pay $4.59 per pound.

14: Canned Corn​

The "Ho Ho Ho, Green Giant" jingle wasn't born until 1959, but cooks in 1957 reached for a can of corn with his jolly green likeness for about 14 cents per 27-ounce can. Today, 95 cents will get you a 15-ounce can.
 
seadoug said:
Great thread!

Here are the Top 10 songs. I've only familiar with Young Love and All Shook Up.


This is apparently one of the best cars that year.

shutterstock_105233975

1957: Ford Skyline​

Originally produced with glass covering 3/4 of the roof when it arrived in 1954, Ford quickly converted its stunning Skyliner into something more practical and jaw-dropping for its 1957 model. Its dominant and most striking feature was a hi-tech, hardtop convertible roof that, as Motor Biscuit describes, “gracefully opened and arced back into a rear-hinged trunk in a matter of seconds. To accomplish this balletic feat took no less than six motors, four lift jacks, a host of electrical relays, ten solenoids, four power lock mechanisms, and over 600 feet of wiring.”


And here are some grocery prices. Remember TV Dinners and Tang?

1: Milk​

A dollar went a lot further 50 years ago than it does today -- you could buy a whole gallon of milk for a buck.


A dollar went a lot further 50 years ago than it does today -- you could buy a whole gallon of milk for a buck.
Back in 1957, milk was $1 per gallon.
Today, we have a lot more choices when standing in the dairy aisle, but whether whole, 2 percent, 1 percent, skim, or soy, milk sets us back about $3.49 when it's not on sale.

2: TV Dinner​

A Swanson TV dinner cost just 75 cents in 1957. With classics like Wagon Train and American Bandstand shown in 39.5 million homes, TV trays were popping up all over the place. Today, a frozen chicken and corn tray will set you back $2.99.

3: Tang​

Tang Breakfast Crystals were launched in America in 1957 for around 50 cents a jar. In 1965, the Gemini 4 astronauts got this powdered vitamin C powerhouse for free on their space mission and all of the following Gemini and Apollo missions. Today, anyone can buy Tang for $3.39 for a 12-ounce canister.

4: Ground Beef​

To make that delicious meatloaf, mother shelled out 30 cents for a pound of hamburger in 1957. Today, we pay considerably more for our ground beef -- $4.09 per pound!

5: Butter​

When they weren't cooking with lard or shortening, American women of 1957 opted for butter at 75 cents a pound. These days, we're more likely to count fat grams and opt for margarine or other butter substitutes. In any case, at about $3.99 a pound, we don't pay with just our arteries to enjoy good old-fashioned butter today.

6: Syrup​

In 1957, you could douse a stack of flapjacks with pure Vermont maple syrup because it only cost 33 cents for 12 ounces. At $9.36 for 12 ounces of the real stuff today, we have to go a little lighter on the sap. But these days it's much less expensive to grab an imitation. You can get 12 ounces of Aunt Jemima for $1.89.

7: Campbell's Tomato Soup​

It's no wonder Campbell's tomato soup has always been a family favorite. People have been wallowing in its creamy comfort for generations. To make it even more soothing, in 1957 a can only set you back a dime! Today, it's still an affordable form of therapy, and it costs only a buck.

8: Gum​

Gum chompers had several choices back in 1957. There were Juicy Fruit, Wrigley's Spearmint, and Dubble Bubble, to name a few. You could pretty much chew until your jaw hurt at just 19 cents for 6 packs (30 pieces). Today, in addition to the dental bills, it costs about $1.19 for a 6-pack of gum.

9: Broccoli​

In 1957, in a world in which the word fiber was mostly used to discuss fabrics, a bunch of broccoli only cost 23 cents. Today's health-conscious crowd pays a little more to munch this super food -- around $1.79 per bunch.

10: Eggs​

In 1957, a dozen eggs cost a mere 55 cents. For those who aren't quite ready to pour an omelet from a pint-size container of artificial eggs, you can still crack the good old-fashioned, incredible, edible egg for $2.99 a dozen.

11: Iceberg Lettuce​

Iceberg lettuce used to rule the refrigerator's produce bin -- it only cost 19 cents per head in 1957! Salad makers these days reach for other types of lettuce, including romaine, red leaf, and endive, just to name a few. Iceberg still has its loyal followers, but they can now plan on paying $1.49 per head.

12: Nabisco Saltines​

Nabisco saltines can settle an upset stomach, and, at 25 cents for a 16-ounce package in 1957, that's better than medicine. But today, the same size box will set you back $2.69.

13: Pot Roast​

Pot roasts brought families to the table most Sundays in 1957, and it cost 69 cents a pound for that roast. Today, it's harder to get busy families together, but when they do, the cook can expect to pay $4.59 per pound.

14: Canned Corn​

The "Ho Ho Ho, Green Giant" jingle wasn't born until 1959, but cooks in 1957 reached for a can of corn with his jolly green likeness for about 14 cents per 27-ounce can. Today, 95 cents will get you a 15-ounce can.
Click to expand...
#14 reminded me of how excited I was when I was around 7 & I sent labels from cans of Green Giant & got a Green Giant Super ball.
 
CallMeKate said:
Here's the Billboard top song for the week & year I was born. Most popular car was the 1957 Ford Skyline. The median cost for a home was $18,962.22. And just for fun, eggs were 55 cents a dozen. Anyone else know your Billboard song?

Click to expand...
Same here...born 1957
 

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