If you were born in 1951, you share your birth year with Walt Disney’s first premier of “Alice in Wonderland,” the founding of Jack in the Box, the “Dennis the Menace” newspaper comic strip, and more. In this year, the unemployment rate had dropped significantly and the economy was greatly improving. Television was becoming more commonplace and it was popular to give children encyclopedias and guitar lessons for mental nourishment.
Interesting Statistics from 1951
- U.S. population: 154.88 million
- Worldwide population: 4.38 billion
- Life expectancy: 68.4 years
- Price of gas: 19 cents per gallon
- Price of a new house: $9,000
- Wages per year: $3,510
Top News in 1951
- The 22nd Amendment, which limits presidencies to two terms only, is passed.
- The Treaty of San Francisco is signed, bringing a formal end to the Pacific War. The war between the U.S. and Germany is also officially ended.
- The United Nations recapture Seoul in the Korean War.
- Luis E. Miramontes creates the first birth control pill.
If You Were Born in 1951, Your Parents Witnessed These Historic Events
- The United Nations open their headquarters in New York City.
- The first NBA All-Star basketball game is held.
- U.S. nuclear testing is moved to Nevada.
- A hydrogen bomb is tested for the first time in Operation Greenhouse.
- A phone call is connected without an operator for the first time.
- “I Love Lucy” debuts.
- The first commercially-created computer, UNIVAC, comes into being.
- In Jerusalem, King Abdullah of Jordan is assassinated.
- General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the United Nations Forces, is fired.
1951 Pop Culture
Sports
- 1951 World Series: New York Yankees defeat New York Giants 4-2.
- 1951 NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams defeat Cleveland Browns 24–17.
- 1951 NBA Championship: Rochester Royals defeat New York Knicks 4-3.
- 1951 Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Montreal Canadiens 4-1.
Arts
- Top-grossing movies in 1951: “Quo Vadis,” “Show Boat,” “David and Bathsheba”
- Top singles in 1951: “Too Young,” “Because of You,” “How High the Moon”
- Top books in 1951: “From Here to Eternity,” “Look Younger, Live Longer,” “From Here to Eternity,” “The Catcher in the Rye”
Who Else Was Born in 1951?
- Jill Biden
- Phil Collins
- Mark Hamill
- Tommy Hilfiger
- Kurt Russell
- Jane Seymour
- Sting
- Robin Williams
Who Died in 1951?
- John Alden Carpenter
- Dorothy Dix
- André Gide