When This Dropped

February 12, 1960

President
Eisenhower
Dow (EOY)
615
Gas/gal
$0.31
Min Wage
$1.00

By the winter of 1960, Eisenhower was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $1.00/hr — the Soviet Union was actively testing the limits of the Cold War, with Khrushchev signaling Moscow might begin disarming unilaterally while continuing to push on the Berlin question and backing communist forces in Laos. On the cultural front, Marty Robbins held the top spot on the charts with "El Paso," and William L. Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" was the nonfiction book Americans were reading that season. The Philadelphia Eagles claimed the NFL championship, and just weeks earlier, the Winter Olympics had wrapped up in Squaw Valley, California, where the United States finished with 10 total medals including 3 gold.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — February 12, 1960

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of February 12, 1960

President War Rifts On Defense Imperil Moral; Deplores Both Exploitation Of Weapons And 'Leaking' Of Pentagon Testimony Wants 'Strong' Nation Eisenhower Sharply Denies Nixon Role In 'Reshaping' Of The Farm Message President Warns Defense Rifts Are Threat To Nation'S Morale

World Events — February 1960

Time Person of the Year — 1960

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Person of the Year
Dwight D. Eisenhower

On the radio

Billboard Charts — February 12, 1960

Teen Angel
Mark Dinning
Hot 100 #1
"Teen Angel"
Mark Dinning
Days Of Wine And Roses
Andy Williams
Billboard 200 #1
"Days Of Wine And Roses"
Andy Williams

Grammy Awards

The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
Grammy Album of the Year
"The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart"
Bob Newhart
Theme from Exodus
Ernest Gold
Grammy Song of the Year
"Theme from Exodus"
Ernest Gold
Theme from "A Summer Place"
Percy Faith
Grammy Record of the Year
"Theme from "A Summer Place""
Percy Faith
Bob Newhart
Grammy Best New Artist
Bob Newhart

On the bookshelf

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
William L. Shirer
NYT Fiction #1
"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich"
William L. Shirer
Folk Medicine
D.C. Jarvis
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Folk Medicine"
D.C. Jarvis
Advise and Consent
Allen Drury
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"Advise and Consent"
Allen Drury
Goodbye, Columbus
Philip Roth
National Book Award Fiction
"Goodbye, Columbus"
Philip Roth
James Joyce
Richard Ellmann
National Book Award Nonfiction
"James Joyce"
Richard Ellmann

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1959–60 Season

Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1959–60 Season

Emmy Winners — 1960

Macbeth
Emmy Drama Series
Macbeth
The Jack Benny Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Jack Benny Show
Raymond Burr
Perry Mason
Emmy Lead Actor
Raymond Burr
Perry Mason
Gertrude Berg
The Gertrude Berg Show
Emmy Lead Actress
Gertrude Berg
The Gertrude Berg Show

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — February 12, 1960

Ben-Hur
Box Office #1
Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur
Oscar Best Picture
Ben-Hur
Billy Wilder
The Apartment
Oscar Best Director
Billy Wilder
The Apartment
Burt Lancaster
Elmer Gantry
Oscar Best Actor
Burt Lancaster
Elmer Gantry
Elizabeth Taylor
BUtterfield 8
Oscar Best Actress
Elizabeth Taylor
BUtterfield 8

On the field

Sports Champions — February 12, 1960

NFL Champion
Philadelphia Eagles
AFL Champion
Houston Oilers
World Series
Pittsburgh Pirates
def. New York Yankees
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. St. Louis Hawks
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Toronto Maple Leafs
Winter Olympics
Squaw Valley, USA
🥇3🥈4🥉3
Summer Olympics
Rome, Italy
🥇34🥈21🥉16

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