The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 on Monday night to win their first NCAA football championship in 41 years.
1980 and Today
The Bulldogs defeated Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl to win their last national championship on Jan. 1, 1981. At that time, the S&P 500 was trading at 135.7 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading at 963.99.A $1,000 investment in the S&P 500 the day Georgia won their last championship would be worth more than $34,300 today.
Today, investors are very concerned about extreme inflation, including 6.8 percent CPI inflation in December. In 1980, the U.S. inflation rate was 13.5 percent. Today, the fed funds interest rate is 0.08 percent. In 1980, the fed funds rate finished the year at an astounding 22 percent.
The average cost of a new house in 1980 was $68,700. Today, it’s $408,800.
In 1980, the average American income was $19,500. Today it’s $64,214.
In 1980, a gallon of gas cost $1.19, the average new car cost $7,200 and a pound of ground beef cost $1.39.
CNN launched in 1980, and Beatle John Lennon was murdered. The Rubik’s cube first hit shelves in 1980, and millions of Americans tuned in to soap opera “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing.
In 1980, the U.S. population was 226,504,825. Today, it’s 333,997,899.
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