May 31, 1962
Gas cost $0.31 a gallon in the spring of 1962, and the Dow Jones stood at 652 — with Kennedy facing off against the steel industry after major producers announced sharp price increases, only to reverse course within 72 hours under intense White House pressure. On movie screens, "West Side Story" was drawing audiences nationwide after sweeping the Academy Awards, while Elvis Presley held the top spot on the charts with "Good Luck Charm." The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to claim the NBA championship, and astronaut Scott Carpenter added to America's momentum in space by completing three orbits of the Earth aboard the "Aurora 7" capsule on May 24.
On the cover
Magazine Covers — May 31, 1962
NY Times Headlines — Week of May 31, 1962
H-Bomb Destroyed In Air After Rocket'S Radio Fails; Fragments Of High-Altitude Device Fall Into Pacific--A.E.C. Terms Hazard Small--Soviet Charges A U.S. Plot H-Bomb Blown Up As Radio Falters
World Events — May 1962
Time Person of the Year — 1962
On the radio
Billboard Charts — May 31, 1962
Grammy Awards
On the bookshelf
On the television
Nielsen Top 10 — 1961–62 Season
Emmy Winners — 1962
At the movies
Box Office & Oscar Winners — May 31, 1962
Ebert 4-Star Films — May 31, 1962
On the field
Sports Champions — May 31, 1962
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