19 Things That Were Normal in the 1960s But Are Unthinkable Today

Mercury thermometers were completely run-of-the-mill in the 1960s (as well as the 1970s, 80s, and even the 90s!). Every mom, dad, grandma, aunt, etc., had a mercury thermometer hidden away in case of fevers. You just shake it for a minute to wake up the mercury, then pop it underneath your tongue. Today, health and safety standards are significantly higher than they were sixty years prior. The potential hazard of exposure to deadly mercury has pushed these old-fashioned thermometers off the market.