| Organization of Petroleum Exporting companies (OPEC) met for 1st time. Sprite introduced by Coca-Cola. Laser perfected. One in every three Americans owns a car. 10 percent of work force is on the farm. |
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| DNA genetic code broken. IBM Selectric typewriter introduced. New York's First National Bank offers fixed-term CD. Cigarette makers spend $115 million on TV advertising. Canned pet foods are among the top 3 sellers at grocery stores. |
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| Cuban missile crisis pits U. S. against Soviet Union. 90 percent of households have a TV set. ABC begins broadcasting color, 3.5 hours per week. Diet-Rite Cola introduced as first sugar-free soft drink. Tab-opening aluminum drink cans introduced. |
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| Pres. Kennedy assassinated; L B Johnson becomes President. Congress enacts equal-pay-for-equal-work pay for women. Valium introduced by Roche Laboratories. Federal budget reaches nearly $100 billion. First-class postal rates go up to 5 cents per ounce. |
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| Congress approves Tonkin Gulf resolution in North Vietnam. Civil rights bill approved. Studebaker-Packard makes seat belts standard equipment. Ford introduces the Mustang. Zip codes adopted by the U.S. Postal Service. |
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| War in Vietnam intensifies. St. Louis' Gateway Arch completed. Pres. Johnson's Great Society plan unveiled. U.S. immigration bill abolishes national origin quotas. |
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| Student Protest against Vietnam War begins. National Organization for Women (NOW) is founded. New York subway fares rise to 20 cents per ride. Taster's Choice freeze-dried instant coffee introduced. |
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| Rolling Stone magazine founded. Nearly 10,000 farmers receive more than $20,000 each in subsidies. U.S. population passes 200 million. 2.7 million Americans receive food stamp assistance. |
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| Vietnam War and protests intensify. Richard Nixon elected president. Automobile produces reaches 8.8 million. VW captures 57 percent of U.S. import market. Oil discovered on Alaska's North Slope. Three-day holiday weekends created by Congress. |
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| Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. Average U.S. automobile wholesales at $2,280. Panty hose production reaches 624 million pairs, up from 200 million in 1968. Nat'l. Association of Broadcasters begins cigarette advertising phaseout. |
Note: Material adapted from "The Value of a Dollar, 1860-2004." Third Edition, Scott Derks, Grey House Publishing.
