The year was 1964. It was a momentous and interesting year in almost every field of endeavor, from popular culture to politics and many things in between.
That year’s most spectacular event in popular culture was the advent of “Beatlemania.” Four lads from Liverpool dominated that year’s music charts. In the week of April 4, 1964, they held the top five places on the Billboard Hot 100 charts with the songs “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please, Please Me.” It was all kicked off with their February 9 appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”
The top television shows that year were: “Bonanza,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” The Fugitive,” “Combat,” and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C,” “The Man From UNCLE,” “The Munsters,” “The Addams Family,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” Bewitched,” and “Gilligan’s Island” made their debut that fall.
It was a great year for Broadway. “Hello Dolly,” “Oliver,” “Funny Girl,” and Fiddler on The Roof” all opened that year.
In sports, the St. Louis Cardinals were World Series champions, the Cleveland Browns won the NFL title, the Buffalo Bills won the AFL, the Boston Celtics were NBA champions, and the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in Hockey.
In the news, Lyndon Johnson won an unprecedented landslide victory over Senator Goldwater in that year’s Presidential election. Johnson also signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that year and introduced his “War on Poverty.
The New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows opened that spring.
The Ford Mustang was also introduced that spring.
At the movies, “My Fair Lady” was the Best Picture of the Year, Other notable films were “Mary Poppins,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “Fail Safe,” “Seven Days in May and “Zorba the Greek.” The James Bond movie franchise introduced us to “Goldfinger,” which, in my humble opinion, was the best of the James Bond flicks
Closer to home, William Scranton was Governor of Pennsylvania, and Richard Knaur was Mayor of Williamsport. That year, Williamsport voters turned down a proposal to give the City a Council-Manager form of government.
The Williamsport Cable Company raised its rates from $3.50 per month to $4.50 per month, causing a major public outcry.
City officials met that December with social service officials on how to deal with the new “War on Poverty.”
L. Eugene Pauling was appointed the new Sheriff of Lycoming County in December to replace Charles Green, who was jailed for corruption.
Williamsport School District officials announced that December that they hoped to have the new high school built and running by September of 1968.
At local stores, the Varsity Shop was selling suits for between $50 and $65.
At Tri-State, women’s blouses were selling for up to $10.
At Britts Department Store, a seven-foot Scotch Pine Christmas Tree sold for $7.
In local sports, after winning its first six games, St. Joe’s lost to St. Marty’s of Wilkes-Barre.
The Williamsport Millionaires basketball team won their seventh straight game, beating previously unbeaten Renovo.
The weather on Christmas that year was unseasonably warm. It was cloudy, with light rain, and the high temperature was 58 degrees, some 15 degrees warmer than it was on Easter Sunday.
I was seven years old in 1964 and really enjoyed my Christmas. I got some pretty neat toys for Christmas that year. That year was the year that G.I. Joe was introduced. I was lucky enough to get one and really enjoyed having it. Unfortunately, like so many of my childhood toys, it did not survive the wear and tear of my youth.
I got a really cool playgun called “Johnny Seven” by Remco, which was seven guns in one. I had a lot of fun with that until it ended up getting broken through hard use and play. I also got a camouflaged Mattel submachine gun and played a lot of Army with that.
One of the most interesting things I got that year was a World War I play set with plastic Allied and German planes, tanks, artillery, and a few individual soldiers. The soldiers lasted a little longer than the guns.
I don’t remember much about what my two sisters got for Christmas, but the item I do remember was the Easy Bake Oven. That particular toy was first introduced that year.
It seems that I am hung up on fun things about my Christmas, but at that age, you don’t think about the deeper meaning of the season.
All in all, it was an interesting Christmas season, as was the rest of the year of 1964.
