Here is a summary of the top news stories and history events that happened in 1960:

1. John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States by defeating Richard Nixon. JFK was also the first Roman Catholic and youngest person ever to be elected U.S. president.

2. Hurricane Donna battered the eastern U.S. from late August until mid-September. HurricaneScience.org tells us that Donna is the only hurricane on record to produce hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic States, and New England. Donna roamed the Atlantic for a total of 17 days, and also holds the record for retaining major hurricane status in the Atlantic Basin for nine days.

3. The USS Enterprise—the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier—was launched.

4. The FDA approved the world’s first commercially produced birth control pill.

5. The 10 millionth copyright registration was made at the U.S. Copyright Office.

6. In the year 1960, General Motors was America’s biggest company, followed by U.S. Steel, General Electric, Chrysler, and Standard Oil of New Jersey.

7. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) was created, and its 12 members are Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

8. In 1960, the words AAA battery, arcade game, cruise control, discotheque, fast food, golden oldie, hair gel, mayo, new wave, plant-based, pre-approved, reality check, rock star, soul food, theme park, valet parking, wide receiver, wigged out, and yeesh all appeared in print for the first time.

9. The starting salary for a teacher was $5,135. It was $4,400 for a police officer and $9,400 for an engineer.

10. Farmers made up 8.3% of the U.S. labor force. There were about 3,711,000 American farms in 1960, averaging about 303 acres apiece.

11. In New York City, monthly rents averaged around $200, but you could still find housing for $100 or less.

12. Back in the year 1960, there were 53 million households in the United States, and the average household had 3.29 people.

13. Over 90% of American households had at least one TV, and about 65% of Americans were churchgoers.

14. The average family income was $5,600, an increase of $200—or four percent—over 1959. For households headed by individuals 65 years and over, the average annual income was only $2,900.

15. Pete Rozelle became the NFL Commissioner after serving as the acting president of the NFL following Bert Bell’s death in October 1959.

16. Demolition began on Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, which had been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team from 1913 to 1957.

17. Here is a sports fact from 1960: The Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series by defeating the New York Yankees in seven games.

18. The 1960 Summer Olympics were held in August with Rome as the host city. For the first time, the games were televised live in 18 European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan to the delight of millions of viewers.

19. Gunsmoke (CBS) was the top TV show, the last episode of The Howdy Doody Show (NBC) aired, and The Flintstones (ABC) premiered.

20. Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Music Score, and Best Costume Design.

21. Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel—To Kill a Mockingbird—was published.

22. The last episode of the radio sitcom Amos ‘n’ Andy aired. Set in Harlem with black characters, Amos ‘n’ Andy premiered on March 19, 1928.

23. The theme from the film A Summer Place was number one on the charts for nine weeks.

24. The minimum wage was $1.00, the average family income was $5,600, and a new house cost $16,500.

25. In 1960, the words AAA battery, arcade game, brain drain, coin-op, computerese, Eurodollar, golden oldie, hair gel, health spa, mayo, Montezuma's revenge, ob-gyn, peace corps, rock star, theme park, and valet parking all appeared in print for the first time.