In 1947, "Near You" topped the charts, Miracle on 34th Street packed theaters, a stamp cost 3¢, the average home went for about $6,600.
🎵 Top songs of 1947
"Near You" — Francis Craig & His Orchestra
"Heartaches" — Ted Weems & His Orchestra
"Peg o' My Heart" — The Harmonicats
🎬 In theaters
Miracle on 34th Street
Gentleman's Agreement
The Bishop's Wife
What things cost in 1947
$0.23
Gallon of gas
3¢
Postage stamp
$0.40
Movie ticket
$0.78
Gallon of milk
$6,600
Average home
$1,250
New car
$3,000
Household income
A $0.23 gallon of gas in 1947 has the buying power of roughly $3.20 in 2024 dollars. A 3¢ stamp is about 42¢ today, and a $0.40 movie ticket is around $5.50.
The biggest moments of 1947
Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier on April 15.
India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain on August 15.
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, flying the Bell X-1.
Jackie Robinson broke MLB's color barrier on April 15, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Britain partitioned its Indian Empire into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan on August 15.
Test pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 over California on October 14.
Toys, TV & trends of 1947
The first Polaroid Land camera was demonstrated in February.
The Diary of Anne Frank was first published in Dutch in June.
The transistor was invented at Bell Labs in December — the foundation of all modern electronics.
A young Bedouin shepherd discovered the first Dead Sea Scrolls in caves near Qumran.
Howdy Doody premiered on NBC in December — one of the earliest network children's TV shows.
Raytheon began commercial sales of the Radarange, the first microwave oven — a unit nearly six feet tall.
The music scene
1947 was the era of big-band swing giving way to crooners — Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Bing Crosby and Doris Day dominated radio. "Near You" by Francis Craig spent 17 weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart. Bebop jazz was taking off with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
At the movies
Gentleman's Agreement won the Best Picture Oscar for 1947. Miracle on 34th Street became a beloved holiday classic still watched today. Welcome Stranger (with Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald) and The Egg and I topped U.S. box office.
Cartoons kids loved
Tom and Jerry (theatrical shorts)
Bugs Bunny / Looney Tunes (theatrical shorts)
Woody Woodpecker (theatrical shorts)
Cartoons were a cinema staple in 1947 — most theaters showed an animated short before the feature. Tom and Jerry won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short for "The Cat Concerto." Bugs Bunny was at peak popularity. Television cartoons were still years away.
The world in 1947
World population: about 2.45 billion
U.S. President: Harry S. Truman
The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in caves near the Qumran ruins
President Truman announced the Truman Doctrine in March, formally beginning the Cold War.
Secretary of State George Marshall proposed the Marshall Plan in June to rebuild war-torn Europe.
The transistor was invented at Bell Labs on December 23 — the foundation of all modern electronics.
1947 birthday questions
How old is someone born in 1947?
Someone born in 1947 turns 79 in 2026 (78 if their birthday has not come round yet).
What was the number one song in 1947?
"Near You" by Francis Craig & His Orchestra was among the biggest hits of 1947.
What movie came out in 1947?
Miracle on 34th Street was one of the films packing theaters in 1947.
How much did gas cost in 1947?
A gallon of gas ran about $0.23 in 1947, and a postage stamp cost 3¢.
How much did a house cost in 1947?
The average home went for roughly $6,600 in 1947, against a typical household income of about $3,000.