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
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
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: – 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
Best 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
Books 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
1969 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
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
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
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
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
G I Joe Action Figure
Barbie and Ken Dolls
Hot Wheels
Power Balls
Lite-Brite
What Was New?
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 –