Life in 1969 – Popular Culture Facts

 

This page offers an insight into life in 1969 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1969.

The year 1969 began on a Wednesday. It was not a leap year

1969 In The News

Life in 1969 - Moon Landing
Neil Armstrong was the first man on the Moon in 1969

2nd March – Concorde made its first test flight.

17th March – Golda Meir became the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

1st July – Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle.

20th July – Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon.

15th August – The three day Woodstock music festival began. 

1st September – Colonel Gaddafi took control of Libya.

 

Life in 1969 – Prices

dollar bill

Average house:
UK – £4,145; USA – $15,550
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.28; USA – $0.35
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.08; USA – $0.23
Gold per ounce:
UK – $41.28, USA – $43.5

Life in 1969 – Population

World Map

World: – 3,637,281,892
Australia: – 12,379,384
Canada: – 21,448,072
China: – 798,640,512
India: – 541,459,328
Soviet Union: 129,572,616
United States: – 201,384,992
United Kingdom: – 55,461,000

 

Life in 1969 – Music

Popular MusicBest Selling Single:
UK – Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
USA – Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
AUS – Something/ Come Together – The Beatles
CAN – Get Back – The Beatles

Best Selling Album:
UK – Abbey Road – The Beatles
USA – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly
AUS – Hair – Original Broadway Cast
CAN – Hair – Original Broadway Cast

Popular Artists:
5th Dimension, The Beatles, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations, Tommy Roe

 

On the Bookshelves

BookshelfBooks Published in 1969:

Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut Jr
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle
The Godfather – Mario Puzo
The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton

At the Movies

Movies Films1969 Top Movies (USA box office figures):

1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – $29.2 million
2. The Love Bug – $21 million
3. Midnight Cowboy – $20.5 million
4. Easy Rider – $16.9 million
5. Hello Dolly! – $15 million

 

Life in 1969 – World Leaders

Harold Wilson
UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson


Australia
Prime Minister – John Gorton
Canada Prime Minister – Pierre Trudeau
China President – Dong Biwu and Soong Ching-ling
India Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi
Soviet Union Leader – Leonid Brezhnev 
United States President – Lyndon B Johnson to 20th January; Richard Nixon from 20th January
United Kingdom Prime Minister –  Harold Wilson

 

Born in 1969

Mariah Carey
Singer Mariah Carey

5th January – Marylin Manson (Musician)
5th February – Michael Sheen (Actor)
27th March – Mariah Carey (Singer)
3rd April – Lance Storm (Wrestler)
14th May – Cate Blanchett (Actress)
24th July – Jennifer Lopez (Actress/Singer)
18th August – Christian Slater (Actor/Producer)
13th September – Shane Warne (Cricketer)

Died in 1969

Boris Karloff
Actor Boris Karloff

2nd February – Boris Karloff (Actor)
11th March -John Wyndham (Author)
28th March – Dwight Eisenhower (US President)
2nd May – Franz von Papen (German Chancellor)
22nd June – Judy Garland (Actress)
3rd July – Brian Jones (Musician)
31st August – Rocky Marciano (Boxer)
2nd September – Ho Chi Minh (Vietnamese leader)

 

1969 Sport Highlights

Rod Laver 1969
Rod Laver at the US Open 1969

Football – Manchester City won the FA Cup
Cycling – Eddy Merckx (BEL) won the Tour de France
Tennis – Rod Laver won the Grand Slam – the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open
Golf – British Open won by Tony Jacklin; US Open won by Orville Moody
Baseball – New York Mets won the World Series
Horse Racing – What A Myth won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Majestic Prince won the Kentucky Derby
Snooker – John Spencer beat Gary Owen in the World Championship finals

 

Christmas Wishlist

Hot Wheels 1968

G I Joe Action Figure
Barbie and Ken Dolls
Hot Wheels
Power Balls
Lite-Brite

What Was New?

Life in 1969 ATM invented

Artificial Heart
Bar-code scanner
Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
First coronary artery bypass surgery
Tungsten-halogen bulb invented

 

 

Published Apr 14 2022 @ 10:45 am – Updated – Jun 14, 2022 @ 6:52 pm