When the writers of Alive were tasked with scribing a brief article on utilizing the movie’s tag line, “Where were you in ’62?”, it didn’t take long for me to remember exactly where I was 51 years ago. Up until July 29th of that year, I was in my mother’s womb. Needless to say, my memory is a little foggy since during the first half of the year I was still experiencing en-utero development. However, once I arrived, my parents brought me up to speed pretty quickly and exposed me to the world at large.
The biggest story of the year was the continuation of the Cold War and the worsening relationship between United States and Russia. The situation really boiled over when the USSR placed ballistic missiles on Cuban land, just 90 miles away from the coast of Florida. President John F. Kennedy called their bluff by threatening war unless the missiles were removed. They were, but for a short time, the world was on the brink of nuclear war and potential world destruction. Personally, I was more focused on breastfeeding, sleeping and loading up my diaper than the Cuban Missile Crisis.
On a less stressful note, JFK set a goal of landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Other world leaders of that time included; President Charles de Gaulle of France, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of Germany, Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru of India, Chairman of the People’s Republic of China – Liu Shaoqi, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union – Nikita Khrushchev. To be honest, my circle of political influence in 1962 was Mommy, Daddy and Grammy Lucy. Grammy called me her “cuddle bear.”
The average cost of a new house was $12,500.00 and the average annual income was $5,556.00. Monthly rent for an average two-bedroom, one bath apartment was $110.00 per month. The average cost of a new car was $3,125.00, eggs cost $0.32 per dozen and a gallon of gas was $0.28. The yearly U.S. inflation rate was 1.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the year at 652. Life expectancy in the United States was 70.1 years.
Shortly after I arrived, on August 5th to be precise, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the Beverly Hills Hotel of an apparent drug overdose. My dad was very sad that day.
On a business note, the first Wal-Mart discount store was opened by Sam Walton in Bentonville, Arkansas and the first K-Mart department store opened in Garden City, Michigan. Additionally, AT&T launched into orbit the world’s first commercial communications satellite, Telestar.
At the national news level, rioting on the University of Mississippi campus following a black student, James Meredith, attempting to enroll in school at the college. The situation demanded that federal troops and U.S. marshals take control. Internationally, an oral Polio vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin and given to millions of children to combat polio. Finally, the United States Navy SEALS program was activated.
On the sports scene, Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson in the first round to win the boxing Heavyweight Championship of the World. The New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants to claim the World Series in seven games. Despite the Giants loss, this was the start of my devout loyalty to the Orange and Black. The Super Bowl wasn’t played until 1967, but in 1962 the Green Bay Packers won the NFL Championship game by beating the New York Giants. Brazil won the 1962 World Cup in Chile, but most Americans didn’t even know what soccer was yet so no one paid any attention. Speaking of athletics, by the end of the year I was sitting up on my own. BAM! Now that’s what I’m talking about!
In the entertainment industry, the Beatles were turned down by Decca Records, but went on to release their first recording: “Love Me Do”. The band went on to release a few other decent songs after that. Andy Warhol’s famous painting of a can of Campbell’s soup was completed. Ninety percent of American homes now owned a television set and the Beverly Hillbillies and The Dick Van Dyke Show ruled the ratings. Johnny Carson also began as host for The Tonight Show. Personally, I don’t recall watching anything on TV other than the wildly entertaining Captain Kangaroo. In the theaters, movies such as West Side Story, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia and To Kill a Mockingbird were tops at the box office. However, it was the release of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, starting Sean Connery, that was the start of a 50-year movie franchise.
Other notable celebrities who were born in 1962, although not in my play date circle, include; Tom Cruise, Rosie O’Donnell, Matthew Broderick, Axl Rose, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Jim Carrey, Trace Adkins, Darryl Strawberry, Joan Cusack, Evander Holyfield, Demi Moore, Jodie Foster, Bo Jackson, Lew Diamond Phillips, MC Hammer, Roger Clemmons, Jon Bon Jovi, Patrick Ewing, Jon Stewart and the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.
It probably goes without saying that living in 1962 was a simpler, less complicated time, with sock-hops with early Rock and Roll, drive-in diners with roller skating waitresses and attendants pumping your gas and checking your oil at the service station. It was the television show Happy Days in real time. Progress and evolution are inevitable, but there was something to be said for life at a malt shop listening to a jukebox.
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