When This Dropped

August 12, 1962

President
Kennedy
Dow (EOY)
652
Gas/gal
$0.31
Min Wage
$1.15

The federal minimum wage stood at $1.15/hr that summer of 1962, and the Dow Jones sat at 652 — with the U.S. and Soviet Union locked in ongoing negotiations over a nuclear test ban treaty, casting a shadow over international relations even as everyday American life moved forward. Bobby Vinton's "Roses Are Red (My Love)" sat at the top of the charts, and audiences were filling theaters to see Cary Grant and Doris Day in "That Touch of Mink," the summer's top-grossing film. On July 10, AT&T's Telstar satellite launched into orbit and transmitted the first live transatlantic television pictures, marking the first time a commercial communications satellite had ever relayed a signal between continents.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — August 12, 1962

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of August 12, 1962

Argentina Calm As Forces Accept New Army Chief; General Cornejo Saravia Is Appointed By President As Secretary Of War Stanch Anti-Peronist Buenos Aires Is Scene Of Rival Military Maneuvers Until Crisis Is Eased Rival Forces Deployed General Takes The Post Argentina Calm; Army Crisis Eased Political Threat During Day Strong Point Set Up

World Events — August 1962

Time Person of the Year — 1962

John F. Kennedy
Person of the Year
John F. Kennedy

On the radio

Billboard Charts — August 12, 1962

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Neil Sedaka
Hot 100 #1
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
Neil Sedaka
Days Of Wine And Roses
Andy Williams
Billboard 200 #1
"Days Of Wine And Roses"
Andy Williams

Grammy Awards

The First Family
Vaughn Meader
Grammy Album of the Year
"The First Family"
Vaughn Meader
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Sammy Davis Jr.
Grammy Song of the Year
"What Kind of Fool Am I?"
Sammy Davis Jr.
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Tony Bennett
Grammy Record of the Year
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
Tony Bennett
Robert Goulet
Grammy Best New Artist
Robert Goulet

On the bookshelf

Ship of Fools
Katherine Anne Porter
NYT Fiction #1
"Ship of Fools"
Katherine Anne Porter
Calories Don't Count
Herman Taller
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Calories Don't Count"
Herman Taller
The Edge of Sadness
Edwin O'Connor
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"The Edge of Sadness"
Edwin O'Connor
The Moviegoer
Walker Percy
National Book Award Fiction
"The Moviegoer"
Walker Percy
The City in History
Lewis Mumford
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The City in History"
Lewis Mumford

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1961–62 Season

Wagon Train
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1961–62 Season

Emmy Winners — 1962

The Defenders
Emmy Drama Series
The Defenders
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Dick Van Dyke Show
E.G. Marshall
The Defenders
Emmy Lead Actor
E.G. Marshall
The Defenders
Shirley Booth
Hazel
Emmy Lead Actress
Shirley Booth
Hazel

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — August 12, 1962

That Touch of Mink
Box Office #1
That Touch of Mink
West Side Story
Oscar Best Picture
West Side Story
David Lean
Lawrence of Arabia
Oscar Best Director
David Lean
Lawrence of Arabia
Gregory Peck
To Kill a Mockingbird
Oscar Best Actor
Gregory Peck
To Kill a Mockingbird
Anne Bancroft
The Miracle Worker
Oscar Best Actress
Anne Bancroft
The Miracle Worker

Ebert 4-Star Films — August 12, 1962

An Autumn Afternoon
4-Star Review
An Autumn Afternoon
Cléo from 5 to 7
4-Star Review
Cléo from 5 to 7
Harakiri
4-Star Review
Harakiri
Lawrence of Arabia
4-Star Review
Lawrence of Arabia
The Manchurian Candidate
4-Star Review
The Manchurian Candidate

On the field

Sports Champions — August 12, 1962

NFL Champion
Green Bay Packers
AFL Champion
Dallas Texans
World Series
New York Yankees
def. San Francisco Giants
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Los Angeles Lakers
Stanley Cup
Toronto Maple Leafs
def. Chicago Blackhawks

Interested in postcards, posters or t-shirts? Leave your email and we’ll let you know.