In 1962, "Stranger on the Shore" topped the charts, Lawrence of Arabia packed theaters, a stamp cost 4¢, the average home went for about $15,900.
🎵 Top songs of 1962
"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker Bilk
"I Can't Stop Loving You" — Ray Charles
"Mashed Potato Time" — Dee Dee Sharp
🎬 In theaters
Lawrence of Arabia
The Longest Day
To Kill a Mockingbird
What things cost in 1962
$0.31
Gallon of gas
4¢
Postage stamp
$0.70
Movie ticket
$1.04
Gallon of milk
$15,900
Average home
$2,800
New car
$5,956
Household income
A $0.31 gallon of gas in 1962 has the buying power of roughly $3.20 in 2024 dollars. A 4¢ stamp is around 41¢ today, and a $0.70 movie ticket is about $7.25.
The biggest moments of 1962
John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7 on February 20, 1962.
The Seattle World's Fair opened, giving the city its famous Space Needle.
Retail history was made as the first Walmart, Kmart, and Target stores all opened in 1962.
Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game on March 2, 1962 — a record that still stands.
Jacqueline Kennedy gave a televised tour of the restored White House in February, watched by some 80 million Americans.
Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring was published, helping launch the modern environmental movement.
Toys, TV & trends of 1962
Johnny Carson took over The Tonight Show in October 1962, beginning a 30-year run.
The Beverly Hillbillies premiered and quickly became the most-watched show on television.
Spider-Man made his comic-book debut in Amazing Fantasy #15.
Tang became a household name after John Glenn drank the orange powder in orbit.
The first Taco Bell opened in Downey, California, in March 1962.
McHale's Navy premiered, with Ernest Borgnine's PT-boat crew keeping families laughing.
The music scene
Ray Charles' hit came from his groundbreaking album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which boldly fused R&B with country and topped the album chart for 14 weeks. The Four Seasons burst out of Newark with back-to-back #1s "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry." Meanwhile in England, a little-known band called the Beatles was rejected by Decca Records in January, signed with EMI, and released their first single "Love Me Do" that October.
At the movies
Dr. No premiered in London in October 1962, introducing Sean Connery as James Bond and launching the longest-running franchise in movie history. At the April Oscar ceremony, West Side Story swept 10 awards including Best Picture. Lawrence of Arabia was famously shot over more than a year in the deserts of Jordan and Spain — and would go on to win seven Academy Awards.
Cartoons kids loved
The Jetsons
The Flintstones
Beany and Cecil
The Jetsons made history as the first program ever broadcast in color on ABC — though most families watched George and Judy in black and white. It lasted just one prime-time season in 1962-63, yet those 24 episodes reran for decades and shaped how generations pictured the future.
The world in 1962
World population: about 3.1 billion
U.S. President: John F. Kennedy
The Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 gripped the world for thirteen tense days before ending peacefully.
Algeria gained independence from France in July 1962 after an eight-year war.
Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in Rome in October, beginning sweeping changes in the Catholic Church.
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago both became independent nations in August 1962.
1962 birthday questions
How old is someone born in 1962?
Someone born in 1962 turns 64 in 2026 (63 if their birthday has not come round yet).
What was the number one song in 1962?
"Stranger on the Shore" by Acker Bilk was among the biggest hits of 1962.
What movie came out in 1962?
Lawrence of Arabia was one of the films packing theaters in 1962.
How much did gas cost in 1962?
A gallon of gas ran about $0.31 in 1962, and a postage stamp cost 4¢.
How much did a house cost in 1962?
The average home went for roughly $15,900 in 1962, against a typical household income of about $5,956.