When This Dropped

January 11, 1957

President
Eisenhower
Dow (EOY)
436
Gas/gal
$0.31
Min Wage
$1.00

By the winter of 1957, Eisenhower was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $1.00/hr — the U.S. Navy's Vanguard rocket had just exploded on the launch pad in a failed attempt to put America's first satellite into orbit, leaving the country scrambling to close the gap with the Soviet Union in the early space race. On television, "Gunsmoke" was the top-rated show in the country, while moviegoers were buying tickets to see "The Bridge on the River Kwai" take home the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Detroit Lions had claimed the NFL championship, and on December 20, Boeing's new 707 jet airliner completed its first flight, marking the beginning of the commercial jet age in America.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — January 11, 1957

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of January 11, 1957

President To Ask 72 Billion Budget, A Peacetime Peak; 1.5 Billion Surplus Foreseen In Message He Will Send To Congress Wednesday Over Half For Defense Postal Rate Rise And Help For School Building Urged --New Spending Higher

Unity Main Issue For The Red Bloc, Chou Tells Poles; He Hails Moscow-Warsaw Pact, But Stresses Primacy Of Soviet Over Satellites

World Events — January 1957

Time Person of the Year — 1957

Hungarian Freedom Fighter
Person of the Year
Hungarian Freedom Fighter

On the radio

Billboard Charts — January 11, 1957

Singing the Blues
Guy Mitchell with Ray Conniff & his Orchestra
Best Sellers #1
"Singing the Blues"
Guy Mitchell with Ray Conniff & his Orchestra

On the bookshelf

By Love Possessed
NYT Fiction #1
"By Love Possessed"
Kids Say the Darndest Things
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Kids Say the Darndest Things"
The Field of Vision
Wright Morris
National Book Award Fiction
"The Field of Vision"
Wright Morris
Russia Leaves the War
George F. Kennan
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Russia Leaves the War"
George F. Kennan

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1956–57 Season

Gunsmoke
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1956–57 Season

Emmy Winners — 1957

Gunsmoke
Emmy Drama Series
Gunsmoke
The Phil Silvers Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Phil Silvers Show
Peter Ustinov
Omnibus
Emmy Lead Actor
Peter Ustinov
Omnibus
Jane Wyatt
Father Knows Best
Emmy Lead Actress
Jane Wyatt
Father Knows Best

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — January 11, 1957

The Teahouse of the August Moon
Box Office #1
The Teahouse of the August Moon
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Oscar Best Picture
The Bridge on the River Kwai
David Lean
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Oscar Best Director
David Lean
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Alec Guinness
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Oscar Best Actor
Alec Guinness
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Joanne Woodward
The Three Faces of Eve
Oscar Best Actress
Joanne Woodward
The Three Faces of Eve

On the field

Sports Champions — January 11, 1957

NFL Champion
Detroit Lions
World Series
Milwaukee Braves
def. New York Yankees
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. St. Louis Hawks
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Boston Bruins

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