1960 -- the year we graduated

World Statistics

Population: 3.039 billion

Nobel Peace Prize:
Albert John Luthuli (South Africa)

More News

American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, shot down over Russia (May 1).
Khrushchev kills Paris summit conference because of U-2 (May 16).
Top Nazi murderer of Jews, Adolf Eichmann, captured by Israelis in Argentina (May 23)—executed in Israel in 1962.
Communist China and Soviet Union split in conflict over Communist ideology.
Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, and Zaire (Belgian Congo) gain independence.
There are 900 US military advisers in South Vietnam.

U.S. Statistics

President: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Vice President: Richard M. Nixon
Population: 180,671,158
Life expectancy: 69.7 years
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000): 18.9
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000): 17.3
Homicide Rate (per 100,000): 4.7

U.S. News

John F. Kennedy defeats Richard Nixon in a closely-fought presidential race.

Black sit-in at Greensboro, N.C., diner receives national attention. Background: Civil Rights

Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars): $526.6 billion
Federal spending: $92.19 billion
Federal debt: $290.5 billion
Consumer Price Index: 29.6
Unemployment: 5.5%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.04

Sports

World Series: Pittsburgh defeats NY Yankees (4-3)
NBA Championship: Boston defeats St. Louis Hawks (4-3)
Stanley Cup: Montreal defeats Toronto (4-0)
Wimbledon: Women: Maria Bueno defeats S. Reynolds (8-6 6-0) ; Men: Neale Fraser defeats R. Laver (6-4 3-6 9-7 7-5)
Kentucky Derby Champion: Venetian Way
NCAA Basketball Championship: Ohio St. defeats California (75-55)
NCAA Football Champions: Minnesota (AP, UPI, NFF) (8-2-0) & Mississippi (FW) (10-0-1)

Entertainment

Academy Award:
Best Picture: Ben-Hur, Sam Zimbalist, producer (MGM)
Record of the Year: "Mack the Knife," Bobby Darin
Album of the Year: Come Dance With Me, Frank Sinatra (Capitol)
Song of the Year: "The Battle of New Orleans," Jimmy Driftwood, songwriter
Miss America: Lynda Lee Mead (MS)
Ninety percent of U.S. homes have a television set.
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho terrifies movie-goers and becomes one of the year's most successful films, as well as one of the most memorable psychological thrillers.

Science

The first working laser is built by T. H. Maiman (US).
Echo I, the first communications satellite, is launched.
NASA launches Tiros I, the first weather satellite.