Fun facts from 1956
- A new car would cost around $2,050
- United States Population: 168,903,031
- World Population: 2.833 billion
- February 23: Norma Jean Mortenson changed her name to Marilyn Monroe
- Gallon of gas in U.S. was 22 cents in 1956
- Cost of a loaf of bread was 18 cents
- Dwight Eisenhower was President and Richard Nixon was Vice President in 1956
- Gold was $35.00 an ounce
- Cost of a first class postage stamp was 3 cents
- Silver was 90 cents an ounce
- Minimum wage in U.S. was $1.00 per hour
TELEVISION--
- January 28: Elvis Presley made his first television appearance on The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show
- April 2,1956: As the World Turns made its' debut
- October 1: Ernie Kovacs becomes the host for NBC's The Tonight Show on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- November 3 - The Wizard of Oz is shown on CBS tv for the first time in the US, with an estimated viewing audience of 45 million people
- December 31: Bob Barker makes his debut on Truth or Consequences
SPORTS—
- 1956 World Series was: the New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers(4-3)
- NFL: New York Giants d. Chicago Bears (47-7)
- NCAA Basketball Championship: San Francisco vs Iowa (83-71)
- Buck Baker won the NASCAR championship
- If you’re celebrating your fifty-two year old birthday this year, here is some information about the:
ACADEMY AWARDS
- Best Motion Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
- Best Actor: Yul Brynner in the King and I
- Best Actress: Ingrid Bergman in Anastasia
MUSIC--
- The Platters sing "The Great Pretender"
- Elvis Presley released "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956
- "Memories are Made of This" - sung by Dean Martin was a hit
- "Blue Suede Shoes" siung by Carl Perkins was a hit in 1956
- "I Walk the Line" sung bu Johnny Cash was a hit
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS IN 1956--
- January 3: Mel Gibson
- January 20: Bill Maher
- June 11: Joe Montana
- July 2: Jerry Hall
- July 3: Montel Williams
- November 16: Terry Labonte