Hires To You headerThe Illustrated History of Hires Root Beer

1967 

IT HAPPENED IN…1967

A launch pad fire during testing at Cape Kennedy took the lives of Apollo astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee.

The Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional state laws forbidding interracial marriages.

The worst race riots in U.S. history broke out in over 100 cities.  Five days of rioting in Detroit, Michigan left 43 people dead and caused $200 million in property damage.

Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as America’s first black Supreme Court justice.

Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) was indicted after refusing induction into the U.S. Army and subsequently stripped of his boxing title.

A July announcement indicated the U.S. would increase troop strength in Vietnam to 525,000 by the end of 1968.

The “Summer of Love” was observed in San Francisco, California.

The U.S. population passed 200 million November 22, 1967.

The 100 millionth U.S. telephone was installed.  America had half of the world’s phones.

Network television premieres included “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Ironsides,” “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” and “Mannix.”  “The Andy Griffith Show” was the top rated network television show.

The Green Bay Packers won the first annual Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Beatles released the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

McDonald’s introduced the “Big Mac” in Pittsburgh, and opened their first restaurant outside the U.S. in Canada.

Amana introduced the first microwave oven for U.S. consumers.

The Japanese manufactured Datsun 510 sedan was first offered for sale in the U.S.

IBM opened a plant in Austin, Texas to manufacture Selectric typewriters.

3,474 U.S. soft drink bottling plants were in operation.

(Figure 1967-01, Saturday Evening Post)

Hires was a major sponsor of the Sacramento Cup Unlimited Hydroplane races held October 2, 1967 on Folsom Lake, northeast of Sacramento, California.  The race was won by Miss Bardahl, driven by Billy Schumacher.  Celluloid, pinback buttons measuring 2.0" in diameter admitted a child for $1.00 and an adult for $2.00.

(Figure 1967-02, child's pinback button)

(Figure 1967-03, adult's pinback button)

The lower left edge of this tin sign is marked "MADE IN CANADA - BARKER - 67."  Hires and the arcs are embossed, and the edges are rolled.

(Figure 1967-04, tin sign, 29.0" x 12.0")

The bottom edge of this tin sign is also marked "MADE IN CANADA - BARKER - 67."

(Figure 1967-05, tin sign, 35.0" x 8.0")

This pressed wood menu board was manufactured for distribution in Canada.  It was hung by a metal chain attached to the back. 

(Figure 1967-06, menu board, 24.0" x 16.0")