January 1961 calendar
Learn the most interesting events and historical facts that happened in January 1961.
The US president was Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican), the UK Prime Minister was Harold Macmillan (Conservative), Pope John XXIII was leading the Catholic Church.
But much more happened on January 1961: find out below

Historical Events
Which were the important events of January 1961?
Events
- 01 Jan 1961 Houston Oilers beat LA Chargers 24-16 in AFL championship game
- 02 Jan 1961 Hawaii's all-time low temperature, 14 degrees F recorded atop Haleakale.
- 03 Jan 1961 The SL-1, a government-run reactor near Idaho Falls, Idaho, leaks radiation, killing three workers.
- 05 Jan 1961 US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba.
- 07 Jan 1961 Trucial States (later United Arab Emirates) issue their first postage stamps.
- 08 Jan 1961 Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Yvor Winters.
- 09 Jan 1961 British authorities announce that they have discovered a large Soviet spy ring in London.
- 11 Jan 1961 Racial riot at University of Georgia, USA.
- 14 Jan 1961 Chicago Bears' Willard Dewveall becomes first NFL player to join the AFL.
- 15 Jan 1961 Supremes signed with Motown Records
- 16 Jan 1961 Conquering Hero opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 8 performances
- 17 Jan 1961 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the ''military-industrial complex''.
- 19 Jan 1961 1st episode for Dick Van Dyke Show is filmed
- 20 Jan 1961 Arthur M Ramsay becomes archbishop of Canterbury.
- 21 Jan 1961 Conquering Hero closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 8 performances
- 23 Jan 1961 US Supreme Court rules cities and states have right to censor films.
- 24 Jan 1961 Lazard Brothers Ltd draw a check for US$334,867,807.68.
- 25 Jan 1961 Military coup in El Salvador.
- 26 Jan 1961 1st woman personal Physician to President-JG Travell
- 27 Jan 1961 Sing Along with Mitch [Miller] premieres on NBC TV
- 28 Jan 1961 Republic of Rwanda proclaimed.
- 29 Jan 1961 US female Figure Skating championship won by Laurence Owen.
- 30 Jan 1961 JFK asks for an Alliance for Progress and Peace Corp
- 31 Jan 1961 Ham is 1st primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury / Redstone 2
Famous Birthday
German actress and noted family, the winner Golden Globe Award in 1981 for her starring role in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
American actress, a comedianne who made her mark in a No.
French man suspected to have murdered all the members of his family (his wife and their four children) at his home, in Nantes.
Canadian-American hockey star named athlete of the year on 01/09/1982 and nicknamed "the great Gretzky.
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Famous Deaths
1st democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (d. 1961).
Composer, dies at 49.
Composer, dies at 54.
Composer, dies a day before 75th birthday.
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