1969 History

Show history for:

1969 On July 20th, one of mans crowning achievements occurred when American Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon and uttered the immortal words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The opposition to the war continued to increase with more and more attending anti-war demonstrations and demanding that the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam. The music came from groups including the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and the Beatles. The most famous music festival of modern times, "WOODSTOCK", took place on a New York farm on August 15th-17th with more than 400,000 avid music fans attending to see the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash and Young and others perform live. Fashions reflected the anti war sentiment with military jackets adorned with peace signs, and other trends including long, unkempt, wild hair and headbands showed the feelings of anti-establishment felt by the youth.

Cost of Living 1969

How Much things cost in 1969
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 5.46 %
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 800
Average Cost of new house $15,550.00
Average Income per year $8,550.00
Average Monthly Rent $135.00
Average Cost New Car $3,270.00
Toyota Corona $1,950.00
Gas per Gallon 35 cents
Alarm Clock from Westclox $9.98




What Events Happened in 1969

  • Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States
  • 250,000 march on Washington in protest at the Vietnam War
  • The first man landed on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission by the United States and Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon. The famous words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." will become part of our history
  • RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 entered service
  • Golda Meir of Milwaukee, Wisconsin , USA, becomes Prime Minister of Israel
  • Robin Knox-Johnston becomes the first person to sail around the world solo without stopping
  • The very first U.S. troop withdrawals are made from Vietnam
  • Chappaquiddick Affair Senator Edward Kennedy driving a car plunges into a pond and a body of a woman passenger is found in the car
  • Members of a cult led by Charles Manson murder five people
  • Hurricane Camille hits the Mississippi coast killing 248 people
  • Wal-Mart incorporates as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
  • Charles de Gaulle Resigns as French President
  • A bomb is exploded in a bank in Milan, Italy
  • Rising Inflation is a worldwide problem
  • The Death Penalty is Abolished in the UK
  • Woodstock attracts more than 300,000 rock-n-roll fans
  • Police forces in the United States crack down on student protests
  • The U.S. Air Force closed its Project (Blue Book) concluding there was no evidence of UFO's

Popular Culture 1969

  • A free concert organized by the Rolling Stones is held at Altamont Speedway in Livermore, Calif with problems caused by the use of Hells Angels as Bouncers resulting in a number of deaths.
  • The groundbreaking TV program Monty Python's Flying Circus is shown for the first time and the catch phrase "And now for something completely different," becomes its trademark.
  • Sesame Street, known for its Muppet characters, makes it's debut on PBS.
  • The Beatles' last public performance is on the roof of Apple Records.
  • The Beatles release their final album "Abbey Road".

Popular Films

  • The Love Bug
  • Funny Girl
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  • True Grit
  • Midnight Cowboy
  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Easy Rider
  • Where Eagles Dare

Popular Musicians

  • The Rolling Stones " Honky Tonk Woman"
  • James Brown
  • The Beatles with " Get Back and Come Together "
  • Johnny Cash " Daddy Sang Bass "
  • Bob Dylan
  • Crosby, Stills and Nash
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • John Denver
  • Simon and Garfunkel
  • Fleetwood Mac
  • Marvin Gaye
  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience
  • Cream
  • Pink Floyd
  • " In The Year 2525 " by Zager and Evans
  • " Sugar Sugar " by The Archies
  • Elton John
  • David Bowie

Technology 1969

  • First Concorde test flight is conducted in France
  • First transplant of human eye
  • Seiko sells the first Quartz Watch
  • The Harrier Jump Jet enters service with the RAF
  • The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded
  • The first automatic teller machine (ATM or Cash Machine) is installed in the United States
  • Creation of ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet
  • The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its debut. It carried 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, from Seattle to New York City.
  • UNIX is invented
  • The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, the epitome of the American muscle car, is introduced.
  • The Microprocessor (a miniature set of integrated circuits) is invented, opening the way for the computer revolution that followed

Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )

  • Internet USA US military
  • Manned Moon Landing USA Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin walk on Moon
  • CCDs USA Charge Coupled Device - to capture image
  • Cash Dispenser Turkey by Luther Simjian
  • Battery Powered Smoke Detector USA


Research for this year is provided by The People History.
See History By Year and Decade for more prices and information.
Find out more about the 60s at ThePeopleHistory.com.