Vandalia Rotary Club Explores 1969
The Vandalia Rotary Club turned back the clock at its July 8 meeting as President Patrick Click led members through a spirited and informative look at the year 1969. The program was part of his ongoing “Name That Year” series, which mixes Rotary fellowship with local history and trivia.
This week’s featured year was chosen in honor of birthday celebrant Doug, who was born in 1969.
Click shared a wide range of facts about life and culture during that time.
Highlights from 1969 included:
-World Population: 3.63 billion, compared to 7.8 billion in 2020.
-Major Events:
The Apollo 11 moon landing (“The eagle has landed”)
Richard Nixon’s first term as the 37th U.S. president
The Woodstock music festival
The Stonewall Uprising in New York City, often marked as the start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
-Television Milestones:
Debuts of Sesame Street, Scooby Doo, and The Brady Bunch.
-Prices in 1969:
Gallon of milk: $1.05
Gasoline: ~35 cents per gallon
Loaf of bread: 23 cents
Dozen eggs: 62 cents
Average new car: ~$2,000 (with top-end Corvettes around $4,800).
-Top Song: “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies.
-Highest Grossing Movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
-Important Inventions:
The ATM
The laser printer
ARPANET (early internet prototype)
CCD sensor for cameras.
-Companies Founded in 1969:
Gap
DoubleTree Hotels
Long John Silver’s
Little Tikes
Union Pacific Corporation.
-Top Performing Stocks in 1969:
Johnson & Johnson (70.2% average return)
Disney (58.6%)
Procter & Gamble (27.3%)
Merck (25.7%).
President Click concluded the program by reflecting on the importance of understanding the past to guide the future.
The club plans to continue the “Name That Year” series throughout the Rotary year as part of its commitment to honoring tradition while looking forward.
