May 1961 calendar

May 1961
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Learn the most interesting events and historical facts that happened in May 1961.
The US president was John F. Kennedy (Democrat), the UK Prime Minister was Harold Macmillan (Conservative), Pope John XXIII was leading the Catholic Church.

But much more happened on May 1961: find out below

history

Historical Events

Which were the important events of May 1961?


Events

  • 01 May 1961 1st US airplane hijacked to Cuba
  • 03 May 1961 Warren Spahn pitches a two hitter after pitching a no hitter.
  • 04 May 1961 1st on-the-road Spacemobile lecture given.
  • 05 May 1961 Alan Shepard becomes first American in space (aboard Freedom 7).
  • 06 May 1961 Omer Vanaudenhove chosen chairman of Belgium Liberal Party.
  • 07 May 1961 Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open.
  • 08 May 1961 First practical sea water conversion plant-Freeport, Texas, USA.
  • 09 May 1961 FCC Chairman Newton N Minow criticizes TV as a vast wasteland
  • 10 May 1961 Beyond the Fringe, premieres in London
  • 12 May 1961 Botvinnik wins world chess championship for third time.
  • 14 May 1961 Bus with first group of Freedom Riders bombed and burned in Alabama, USA.
  • 15 May 1961 Bonanza by Al Caiola Orchestra hits #19
  • 16 May 1961 13rd Emmy Awards: Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr and Barbara Stanwyck
  • 17 May 1961 Fidel Castro offers to exchange Bay of Pigs prisoners for 500 bulldozers.
  • 18 May 1961 Donnybrook! opens at 46th St. Theater NYC for 68 performances
  • 19 May 1961 New pier opens in Scheveningen
  • 20 May 1961 Henzes opera Elegy for Young Lovers, premieres in Schwetzingen
  • 21 May 1961 Governor Patterson declares martial law in Montgomery, Alabama, USA.
  • 22 May 1961 Mother-In-Law by Ernie K-Doe hits #1
  • 24 May 1961 American civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi for ''disturbing the peace'' after disembarking from their bus.
  • 25 May 1961 JFK sets goal of putting a man on Moon before the end of decade
  • 26 May 1961 US Air Force bomber flies the Atlantic in a record of just over three hours.
  • 27 May 1961 President Kennedy announces US goal to reach Moon
  • 28 May 1961 Amnesty International founded
  • 29 May 1961 The US Department of Agriculture officially begins its Food Stamp program.
  • 30 May 1961 Maris hits his 10th and 11th of 61 HRs
  • 31 May 1961 JFK visits Charles de Gaulle in Paris

Famous Birthday

Famous Deaths

vinyl songs

Music charts

Which were the top hits in May 1961?
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Top #5 songs in the USA

  1. - Runaway
  2. - Mother-In-Law
  3. - I've Told Every Little Star
  4. - A Hundred Pounds Of Clay
  5. - Daddy's Home

Top #5 songs in the UK

  1. - Blue Moon
  2. - You're Driving Me Crazy
  3. - On The Rebound
  4. - Wooden Heart
  5. - More Than I Can Say / Staying In

Movies

Which were the most popular Movies released in that month?
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A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Daniel Petrie

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands

Country: United States of America

Whispering Smith

Whispering Smith

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Leslie Fenton

Clear Skies

Clear Skies

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Grigoriy Chukhray

Starring: Nina Drobysheva, Evgeniy Urbanskiy, Natalya Kuzmina, Vitaliy Konyaev

The Young Savages

The Young Savages

Release year: 1961

Directed by: John Frankenheimer

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Dina Merrill, Edward Andrews, Vivian Nathan

Country: United States of America

Two Rode Together

Two Rode Together

Release year: 1961

Directed by: John Ford

Starring: James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Shirley Jones, Linda Cristal

Books

Which were the most popular books released in May 1961?
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Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K. Gann

Fate Is The Hunter

By:

Ernest K. Gann's classic memoir gives an intimate and exciting account of the turbulent early days of commercial aviation. Gann takes you into the cockpit and recounts it in his unique style.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall by Gayelord Hauser

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

By:

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: A Call to Beauty by Gayelord Houser

Something Light by Margery Sharp

Something Light

By:

The story of Louisa Mary Datchett, who was "very fond of men"-indiscriminately fond of men in fact. For their part, men seemed to see this in her and took advantage.

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

The Incredible Journey

By:

Their instincts told them to go west. So the Labrador retriever, the bull terrier, and the Siamese, a young Labrador retriever set off through Canada.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird

By:

To Kill A Mockingbird, the unforgettable story of a Southern childhood and the conscience crisis that rocked it became a bestseller immediately and was critically acclaimed when it was published for the first time in 1960.