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What was life like for my grandparents and aunt in December 1960?

In December 1960, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S.

was around 31 cents.

This would have made driving more affordable for your grandparents compared to today.

The minimum wage in 1960 was $1.00 per hour.

Assuming your grandparents had typical working-class jobs, this would have provided a modest but stable income.

Color television sets were still relatively new in 1960, with only around 15% of U.S.

households owning one.

Your grandparents may have still had a black-and-white TV.

The polio vaccine had been widely distributed by 1960, greatly reducing the threat of this debilitating disease that had plagued earlier generations.

Commercial jet airliners like the Boeing 707 were just coming into service in 1960, making air travel more accessible but still a luxury for most families.

In 1960, the average U.S.

home cost around $12,000.

Housing was more affordable relative to incomes compared to today.

The U.S.

population in 1960 was around 180 million, less than two-thirds of today's population, leading to less crowding and congestion.

Your aunt would have been experiencing the cultural shifts of the emerging 1960s youth counterculture, which was still relatively new.

The typical American family in 1960 had 3.67 children, larger than today's average.

Your grandparents may have had a sizable household.

In 1960, only around 11% of women worked outside the home, so your grandmother was more likely a full-time homemaker.

Television programming in 1960 was limited to the major broadcast networks, with fewer than 100 channels available compared to hundreds today.

Medical care was less advanced in 1960, with fewer specialized treatments and higher mortality rates for some conditions.

The cold war tensions between the U.S.

and Soviet Union were heightened in 1960, with the U-2 spy plane incident occurring that year.

Rock and roll music was still relatively new in 1960, with artists like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry gaining popularity.

Racial segregation was still legal and widely practiced in many parts of the U.S.

in 1960, creating very different experiences for people of color.

Household appliances like dishwashers, clothes dryers, and microwave ovens were just starting to become more common in 1960.

The average American household in 1960 spent around 20% of its income on food, a higher proportion than today.

Smoking was much more socially acceptable in 1960, with 42% of adults in the U.S.

identifying as smokers.

Tranquilizers and anti-depressant medications were just beginning to be widely prescribed in 1960.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the U.S.

and Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war, occurred in October 1962, just a couple years after your grandparents' and aunt's time.

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