The Year 1966 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1966. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, entertainment trivia, and much more.

1. In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th president of the United States, and Hubert H. Humphrey was the nation’s vice president.
2. Throughout 1966, the U.S. economy was running hot. Companies were operating at full capacity and were also “ramping up investment” because they expected the economic boom to continue indefinitely. America was also “knee-deep in the Vietnam War,” and the U.S. government was “spending hard and fast” to support the war effort.
3. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4%, the nation’s inflation rate was 2.86%, and the average retail price for a gallon of gas was 32 cents.
4. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 6.6%, and the cost of a first-class stamp was five cents.
5. The average annual household income in the U.S. was $6,900, the median price for a new house was $17,200, and the average cost for a new car was $2,650.
6. In 1966, you could buy a new scooter for $279.00.
7. A comfy pair of women’s pajamas cost $4.94.
8. You could buy three pairs of men’s socks for $2.79.
9. A men’s lightweight sports coat cost $18.50.
10. You could buy a boy’s “perma-prest” shirt for $2.39.
11. You could also purchase a pair of boy’s western pants for $2.97.
12. Women’s hats cost $5.22 each.
13. You could buy a pair of women’s “kitten heels” for $5.97.
14. Women’s print “overblouses” cost $6.97.
15. You could buy a girl’s Sunday dress for $8.99.
16. American companies and brands established in 1966 included ARCO, Best Buy, Camping World, K-Swiss, Kirkland’s, Mastercard, and Peet’s Coffee.
17. Consumer products launched during the year included Bugles, Cool Whip, Doritos, Fresca, Lego Trains, PlayTape, Scope (mouthwash), the Slurpee, and Wite-Out.
18. By January 1966, about 70% of the combined prime-time programming from the three networks was in color. Almost 100% of NBC’s schedule was in color, compared to 51% for CBS’s lineup and 49% for ABC’s programming. According to TVObscurities.com, “NBC became the first all-color network when the daytime game show Concentration switched to color on November 7th, 1966.”
19. On January 1, all cigarette packs in the U.S. were required to carry the following statement: “Caution, Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.”
20. On January 12, during his State of the Union message, President Johnson asserted that the United States would remain in South Vietnam until all Communist aggression ended in the country.
21. On January 31, President Johnson announced that U.S. troops would resume bombing North Vietnam, “citing Hanoi's failure to respond to his peace overtures during the 37-day bombing pause.”
22. On February 10, Jacqueline Susann’s novel, Valley of the Dolls, was published.
23. On March 3, James Goldman’s play—The Lion in Winter—opened on Broadway.
24. On March 26, anti-war protests were held in New York City, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
25. On March 30, Barbra Streisand’s second TV special, Color Me Barbra, aired on CBS.
26. On April 8, Time magazine published its controversial “Is God Dead” issue, which also had the first cover in its history to feature “only type and no photo.”
27. On April 11, Frank Sinatra recorded his Strangers in the Night single for an album of the same name.
28. On April 18, the 38th Academy Awards honored the best films of 1965. At the ceremonies, The Sound of Music won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Robert Wise (The Sound of Music) won an Oscar for Best Director. Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Julie Christie (Darling) won an Oscar for Best Actress. Finally, Martin Balsam (A Thousand Clowns) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and Shelley Winters (A Patch of Blue) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
29. On May 2, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara reported that the North Vietnamese were infiltrating 4,500 men every month into the South.
30. On May 22, at the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and The Fugitive (ABC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Dick Van Dyke (The Dick Van Dyke Show) (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series, and Mary Tyler Moore (The Dick Van Dyke Show) (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series.
31. On May 30, NASA launched Surveyor 1 to the moon—“the first in a series of seven U.S. missions to the moon that preceded Apollo.” (On June 1, Surveyor 1 successfully landed on the moon.)
32. On June 21, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?—a film adaptation of Edward Albee's 1962 play of the same name—was released. It was directed by Mike Nichols and starred Elizabeth Taylor as Martha, Richard Burton as George, George Segal as Nick, and Sandy Dennis as Honey.
33. On June 27, Dark Shadows—a gothic soap opera that ran until 1971—debuted on ABC.
34. On July 1, Medicare, a health insurance program for people 65 and older and for certain younger people with disabilities, went into effect. Nineteen million Americans signed up for Medicare during its first year.
35. From July 8 to August 19, 35,000 members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) working at five major airlines across the country went on strike. As a result, about 60% of the commercial airline industry in the U.S. was grounded for 43 days.
36. On July 11, The Newlywed Game, a game show that ran until 2013, premiered on ABC.
37. On July 23, Frank Sinatra's album, Strangers In The Night, hit #1 on the U.S. charts.
38. On August 29, the Beatles’ last public concert in the U.S. took place at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
39. On August 30, Hanoi announced that China would provide technical and economic assistance to North Vietnam.
40. On September 8, Star Trek—a science fiction series “that follows the crew of the starship USS Enterprise as it completes its missions in space in the 23rd century”—premiered on NBC.
41. On September 17, Mission Impossible, a television drama that chronicled “the exploits of a team of secret government agents,” debuted on CBS.
42. On September 21, five inches of rain fell in New York City. It was the “greatest deluge of rain” that the Big Apple had seen in 33 years.
43. On September 29, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Camaro.
44. On October 3, the Soviet Union announced that it would provide military and economic assistance to North Vietnam.
45. On October 15, Congress established the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). (For the record, USDOT’s first official day of operation was on April 1, 1967.)
46. On November 11, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist Church (UMC).
47. By the end of 1966, there were 389,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam. For the year, there were 5,008 combat deaths in Vietnam, and another 30,093 soldiers were wounded.
48. In 1966, buffalo wings and tunnel of fudge cake were popular American food trends, and pantsuits and the military look were all the rage.
49. The game Twister was America’s most popular toy.
50. Bonanza (NBC) was the most-watched television show, followed by The Red Skelton Show (CBS), The Andy Griffith Show (CBS), The Lucy Show (CBS), The Jackie Gleason Show (CBS), Green Acres (CBS), Daktari (CBS), Bewitched (ABC), The Beverly Hillbillies (CBS), and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. (CBS).
51. The final episode of the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (ABC) was broadcast. The show aired on television for 14 years and also had 402 radio episodes dating back to 1944.
52. Adam Sandler, Cindy Crawford, David Cameron, David Schwimmer, Gordon Ramsay, Halle Berry, Janet Jackson, Jilian Dempsey, Jordan Matter, Luke Perry, and Mike Tyson were all born in 1966.
53. Here are some sports facts for the year: The Boston Celtics were the NBA champs, the Baltimore Orioles won the World Series, and the Montreal Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup.
54. Finally, MLB legend Willie Mays signed a $130,000 contract with the San Francisco Giants, and Emmett Ashford became the first African American umpire in major league baseball.

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/1966-fun-facts-trivia-history/
2. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1966
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1966
5. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1966.html
6. https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2016/09/22/the_credit_crunch_of_1966_an_instructive_50th_anniversary_102358.html
7. https://www.metv.com/quiz/can-you-guess-how-much-these-items-cost-in-1966
8. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1966.html
9. https://www.the-numbers.com/market/1966/top-grossing-movies
10. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices
11. https://www.onthisday.com/deaths/date/1966
12. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1966

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor