The 60s Official Site

Time Capsule High School Class of 1965

Key Facts of 1965:

• President:  Lyndon B. Johnson
• Vice President: Hubert Humphrey
• Cost of a gallon of gas:  31 cents
• Cost of a gallon of milk:  95 cents
• Cost of a dozen of eggs: 53 cents
• Cost of a new home:  $21,500
• Cost of a first class postage stamp:  5 cents
• Unemployment:  5.2%

Notable Inventions of 1965:

• Astroturf
• Soft contact lenses
• NutraSweet
• The compact disk invented by James Russell
• Kevlar invented by Stephanie Louise Kwolek

Time Capsule of 1965:

• The war in Vietnam escalates with over 100,000 U.S. troops and an intensive bombing campaign.
• The first significant campus protests against the war begins.
• U.S. Marines are sent to the Dominican Republic to prevent an allegedly imminent leftist takeover.
• After two months of nationally-watched civil rights demonstrations in Selma, Alabama, President Johnson wins congressional approval of the historic Voting Rights Act, which will make blacks a political force in the south.
• Black nationalist leader Malcolm X shot to death in New York.
• The Medicare program becomes law.
• The first spacewalk and rendezous of spacecraft.
• A power failure in a Toronto plant, the biggest in history, blacks out 80,000 square miles from southeastern Canada to Boston.
• The ultro-resilient Super-Ball is the biggest toy fad since the Hula Hoop.
• Skateboarding is in the midst of its first wave of national popularity.
• Sandy Koufax pitches the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series Championship over the Minnesoto Twins.
• The Green Bay Packers beat the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game.  Jim Brown will retire a year later and end a remarkable career to go into movies.
• Movies:  The top money makers at the boxoffice were The Sound of Music, (starring Julie Andrews,) Doctor Zhivago, Thunderball and Those Magnificient Men In Their Flying Machines.
• Television:  Bonanza remains the most popular series followed by Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Lucy Show, The Red Skelton Hour, and The Andy Griffith Show.  The success of the James Bond moves inspires two successful series, Get Smart and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Top Musical Artists of 1965 Were:

The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Sonny & Cher, The Dave Clark Five, The Supremes, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, The Righteous Brothers, Roger Miller, Four Tops, Petula Clark, Freddie & The Dreamers, The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Jay & The Americans, The 4 Seasons, The Byrds, Joe Tex, The Temptations

Top Musical Artist Debuts of 1965:

Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Manhattans, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, The Moody Blues, The Who, Bob Dylan, Sam The Sham & The Pharohs, Tom Jones, The Guess Who, Donovan, The Byrds, Lou Rawls, Cher, Sonny & Cher, The Turtles, Edwin Starr, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Vogues, Nancy Sinatra, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, The Young Rascals

Other Musical Tidbits:

• The Top Song of 1965 was (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones which was number 1 for 4 weeks
• The Top Recording Artist of 1965 was The Beatles.