December 31, 1960
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 — December 31, 1960
NY Times Headlines — Week of December 31, 1960
U.S. Increases 'Readiness' To Meet Crisis Over Laos; Seato Studying 'Invasion'; Forces On Alert White House Meeting Considers Political Steps To Bar War U.S. Alerts Force In Laotian Crisis
U.S. Says Soviet And Red Vietnam Aid Laos Rebels; Asserts 180 Air Drops Were Made In Nineteen Days -- President Sees Advisers U.S. Says Soviet Aids Laos Rebels
Kennedy Warned Income Tax Cut May Be Needed; Temporary Relief Suggested By Task Force To Arrest Decline In Economy Downward Trend Seen President-Elect Meets Here With Farm Leaders And Gets Their Support Kennedy Warned On U.S. Economy
World Events — December 1960
Time Person of the Year — 1960
On the radio
Billboard Charts — December 31, 1960
Grammy Awards
On the bookshelf
On the television
Nielsen Top 10 — 1960–61 Season
Emmy Winners — 1960
At the movies
Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 31, 1960
On the field
Sports Champions — December 31, 1960
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