1961

History is the collective memory of people with one common goal of moving ahead and charter the way into the future. The 60s was an era that saw a rise in freedom marches and movements by civil rights groups around the world.

1961

Following a successful presidential campaign on a Democratic Party ticket, JFK became the youngest candidate to become president. The world followed the inauguration events at the just renovated East front of the US Capitol as JFK took the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Earl Warren. JFK famed for the saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country" was inaugurated on the chilly morning of January 20, 1961 . During JFK’s reign, racial segregation had reached unimaginable heights in the USA especially the south regions. A 13-member group of African-American and white human rights activists started what was called Freedom Rides. The freedom riders embarked on a journey on May 4 from Washington D.C. with an aim to integrate the facilities at bus stations, like blacks using the whites’ only facilities and vice versa.

The Freedom Riders faced fierce hostility from white protestors, but the rides attracted international attention to the situation in America. The Interstate Commerce Commission put forth to the public regulations against racial segregation at all bus and train terminals in September of 1961.

As the racial segregation raged on in the USA, 1961 was to be a defining year in the Kenyan struggle for independence from the British colonialists. During the state of emergency of 1952, Kenyatta was on trial for heading the outlawed Mau Mau and found guilty even after pleading innocent to the charges. The judge sentenced Kenyatta and five other KAU leaders to seven years in prison at a place called Kapenguria famously remembered as the ‘Kapenguria Six’ in Kenya. Kenyatta served for six years in the Kapenguria prison and one year under house arrest in Lodwar until his release on August 21, 1961.

The year 1961 was the onset of many civil rights groups in the world fighting for different injustices. It brought about the awakening to the plight of the segregated, and it is in order a new world order was in motion.

Discover how the world looked like in 1961

Looking for 1961 Calendar ? Here it is: January 1961, February 1961, March 1961, April 1961, May 1961, June 1961, July 1961, August 1961, September 1961, October 1961, November 1961, December 1961

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Oscar

Oscar Winners

All Academy Awards Prize winners of the 34th edition of the Oscar ceremony


Best picture

West Side Story

West Side Story

West Side Story

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn

Country: United States of America

Best director

Jerome Robbins

West Side Story

West Side Story

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn

Country: United States of America

Best actor

Maximilian Schell

Judgment at Nuremberg

Judgment at Nuremberg

Directed by: Stanley Kramer

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich

Country: United States of America

Best actress

Sophia Loren

Two Women

Two Women

Directed by: Vittorio De Sica

Starring: Sophia Loren, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Raf Vallone, Eleonora Brown

Country: United States of America

Best supporting actor

George Chakiris

West Side Story

West Side Story

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn

Country: United States of America

Best supporting actress

Rita Moreno

West Side Story

West Side Story

Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn

Country: United States of America

history

Related stories

Breakfast At Tiffany’s is Released - October 5th, 1961

October 5th, 1961, a fashion icon was born. This was the release date for the mega romantic comedy hit, Breakfast at Tiffany’s starring Audrey Hepburn. The movie embodies what was classic 60’s Hollywood. It had romantic drama, beautiful classy costumes, and a star-studded cast. While Audrey was no rookie to acting, this was her breakout role and one of … read more

world population

Time Person of the Year

Who was the person of the year of 1961?


John F. Kennedy
Kennedy was inaugurated as President of the United States in 1961, ordering the failed invasion of Cuba by U.S.-trained Cuban exiles.

Books

Which were the most popular books released in 1961 ?
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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.

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

The Agony and the Ecstasy

By:

Irving Stone's classic biographical novel about Michaelangelo - in which both the artist as well as the man are fully brought to life. This novel is a masterpiece in its own right. It portrays Michelangelo’s passionate, dangerous love life and …

Ring Of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell

Ring Of Bright Water

By:

The story of Gavin Maxwell and his life with otters off the west coast of Scotland was hailed as a masterpiece in 1960. It remains one of the most beloved books.

A Nation Of Sheep by William J. Lederer

A Nation Of Sheep

By:

Nation Of Sheep A, William J. Lederer

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.

1961 Chinese Zodiac and Horoscope

According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 1961 is the year of the Ox

chinese zodiac sign
Nobel Prize

Nobel Prizes

All Nobel Prize winners of 1961


Peace Prize

  • Dag Hammarskjöld

Literature

  • Ivo Andrić

Physics

  • Robert Hofstadter
  • Rudolf Mössbauer

Chemistry

  • Melvin Calvin

Physiology or Medicine

  • Georg von Békésy
vinyl songs

Music charts

Which were the top hits of 1961?


Top #1 songs in the USA

  • - Tossin' And Turnin'
  • - Big Bad John
  • - Michael
  • - Bristol Stomp
  • - Runaround Sue
  • - Runaway
  • - Dedicated To The One I Love
  • - Calcutta
  • - Pony Time
  • - Surrender

Top #1 songs in the UK

  • - Halfway To Paradise
  • - Well I Ask You
  • - Wooden Heart
  • - Walk Right Back / Ebony Eyes
  • - Runaway
  • - Walking Back To Happiness
  • - Are You Lonesome Tonight?
  • - You Don't Know
  • - Johnny Remember Me
  • - Theme For A Dream

Movies

Which were the most popular Movies released in those months?
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The Dick Van Dyke Show

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Release year: 1961

Written by:

Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews

Country: United States of America

Yojimbo

Yojimbo

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa

Country: United States of America

Judgment at Nuremberg

Judgment at Nuremberg

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Stanley Kramer

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich

Country: United States of America

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

Through a Glass Darkly

Through a Glass Darkly

Release year: 1961

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman

Starring: Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Lars Passgård

Country: United States of America

Popular names

Which were the top popular names given to babies born in 1961 in the USA ?

world population

World Population

Demographic statistics of the year 1961


Population statistics

  • Total population: 3.1 billion (3,091,843,507 to be precise!)
  • Urban population: 1.1 billion, that is 34.0% of the total population of 1961 lives in cities
  • Yearly change: +56.8 million, corresponding to a percentage increase of +1.87%
  • Average density: 21.0 persons per km2
history

Historical Events

Which were the important events of 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
  • 01 Feb 1961 First full-scale test of US Minuteman ICBM is successful.
  • 02 Feb 1961 Prince Bernhard opens new RAI building in Amsterdam
  • 03 Feb 1961 6th largest snowfall in NYC history (17.4 (44.2cm))
  • 04 Feb 1961 Sputnik 7 launches into Earth orbit; probable Venus probe failure
  • 05 Feb 1961 February 9 ampndash In Congo, President Joseph Kasavubu names Joseph Ileo as the new Prime Minister.
  • 06 Feb 1961 Jail, No Bail Jail-in movement starts in Rock Hill, South Carolina
  • 07 Feb 1961 Jane Fonda made her acting debut in the NBC drama A String of Beads
  • 09 Feb 1961 Joseph Ileo appointed premier of Congo.
  • 10 Feb 1961 Niagara Falls hydroelectric project begins producing power.
  • 11 Feb 1961 Robert Weaver sworn in with then highest federal post by a black
  • 12 Feb 1961 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open.
  • 13 Feb 1961 Frank Sinatra launches Reprise label under Warner Bros Records
  • 14 Feb 1961 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Royal Poinciana Golf Invitational.
  • 15 Feb 1961 Entire US figure skating team of 18 dies in Belgian Sabena 707 crash.
  • 16 Feb 1961 US satellite Explorer 9 is launched.
  • 18 Feb 1961 Henk van der Grift becomes world champion skater
  • 19 Feb 1961 Henk van der Grift (Netherlands) becomes world champion all-around skater.
  • 21 Feb 1961 Mercury-Atlas 2 reentry test reaches 172 km.
  • 24 Feb 1961 Explorer (10) fails to reach Earth orbit
  • 25 Feb 1961 Paul Bikle in glider climbs from 1208 metre at release to record 14,100.
  • 26 Feb 1961 Hassan II becomes King of Morocco.
  • 27 Feb 1961 The first congress of the Spanish Trade Union Organisation is inaugurated.
  • 28 Feb 1961 JFK names Henry Kissinger special advisor
  • 01 Mar 1961 US President John Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
  • 02 Mar 1961 13 Daughters opens at 54th St. Theater NYC for 28 performances
  • 03 Mar 1961 Max Conrad circumnavigates the earth in 8 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes, setting a new world record.
  • 06 Mar 1961 1st London minicabs introduced
  • 08 Mar 1961 US nuclear submarine Patrick Henry arrives at Scottish naval base of Holy Loch from South Carolina in a record underseas journey of 66 days 22 hours.
  • 09 Mar 1961 1st animal returned from space, dog named Blackie aboard Sputnik 9
  • 12 Mar 1961 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Miami Golf Open.
  • 13 Mar 1961 JFK sets up the Alliance for Progress
  • 14 Mar 1961 George Weiss becomes president of New York Mets.
  • 15 Mar 1961 South Africa withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 17 Mar 1961 South Africa leaves British Commonwealth
  • 21 Mar 1961 Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for then record
  • 24 Mar 1961 New York Senate approves US$55 million for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows.
  • 25 Mar 1961 13 Daughters closes at 54th St. Theater NYC after 28 performances
  • 26 Mar 1961 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Golden Circle of Golf Festival.
  • 27 Mar 1961 Failed assassination attempt on King Saif al-Islam Achmad of Yemen.
  • 29 Mar 1961 KCPT TV channel 19 in Kansas City, MO (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 30 Mar 1961 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 169,600 feet (51,690 metres).
  • 31 Mar 1961 Aklilou Habtewold becomes first premier of Ethiopia.
  • 01 Apr 1961 Jim Bakker marries Tammy Faye
  • 03 Apr 1961 Happiest Girl in the World opens at Martin Beck NYC for 97 performances
  • 05 Apr 1961 Barbra Streisand appears on Jack Paar Show
  • 08 Apr 1961 British liner Dara explodes in Persian Gulf, kills 236
  • 09 Apr 1961 The Pacific Electric Railway in Los Angeles, once the largest electric railway in the world, ends operations.
  • 10 Apr 1961 Adolf Eichmann tried as a war criminal in Israel
  • 11 Apr 1961 Adolf Eichmann trial begins in Israel
  • 12 Apr 1961 Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin becomes 1st person to orbit Earth
  • 13 Apr 1961 Carnival! opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 719 performances
  • 14 Apr 1961 US element 103 (Lawrencium) discovered.
  • 15 Apr 1961 Music Man closes at Majestic Theater in New York City after 1375 performances.
  • 16 Apr 1961 15th Tony Awards: Becket and Bye Bye Birdie win.
  • 17 Apr 1961 33rd Academy Awards - Apartment, Burt Lancaster and Elizabeth Taylor win.
  • 18 Apr 1961 CONCP is founded in Casablanca as a united front of African movements opposing Portuguese colonial rule.
  • 19 Apr 1961 65th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:39.
  • 20 Apr 1961 American Harold Graham makes first rocket belt flight.
  • 21 Apr 1961 French army revolts in Algeria
  • 22 Apr 1961 Uprising of French parachutist of General Salan/Challe in Algeria.
  • 23 Apr 1961 Tenderloin closes at 46th St. Theater NYC after 216 performances
  • 24 Apr 1961 JFK accepts sole responsibility following Bay of Pigs
  • 25 Apr 1961 Mercury / Atlas rocket lifted off with an electronic mannequin
  • 26 Apr 1961 Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961
  • 27 Apr 1961 NASA launches Explorer 11 into Earth orbit to study gamma rays.
  • 28 Apr 1961 Lt Col Gueorgui Mossolov takes E-66A to 34,714 m altitude
  • 30 Apr 1961 1st shuttle flights between Washington DC, Boston and NYC begin
  • 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
  • 01 Jun 1961 FM multiplex stereo broadcasting 1st heard
  • 03 Jun 1961 Wildcat closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 172 performances
  • 04 Jun 1961 Mary Lena Faulk wins LPGA Western Golf Open
  • 08 Jun 1961 English Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, weds Katharine Worsley
  • 09 Jun 1961 Ryne Duren sets AL record with 7 straight strikeouts against Red Sox
  • 11 Jun 1961 Winston Churchill, last airs on ABC-TV
  • 12 Jun 1961 An ailing Bill Veeck sells his interest in White Sox to Arthur Allyn
  • 13 Jun 1961 Billy Barnes People opens at Royale Theater NYC for 8 performances
  • 14 Jun 1961 106 degrees F, hottest temperature in San Francisco, California.
  • 15 Jun 1961 Expansion Washingston Senators are 30-30, latest date an expansion team will be at .500, Washington will lose their next 10 games
  • 16 Jun 1961 Dave Garroway is fired as Today Show host
  • 17 Jun 1961 Billy Barnes People closes at Royale Theater NYC after 8 performances
  • 18 Jun 1961 CBS radio cancels Gunsmoke
  • 19 Jun 1961 Little Egypt (Ying-Yang) by Coasters peaks at #23
  • 22 Jun 1961 Moise Tshombe is released for lack of evidence of connection to the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
  • 23 Jun 1961 Cubs Ernie Banks ends his 717 consecutive-games-played streak
  • 24 Jun 1961 Happiest Girl in the World closes at Martin Beck NYC after 97 performances
  • 25 Jun 1961 Baltimore Orioles and California Angels use a record 16 pitchers in a game (8 each) in 14 innings.
  • 27 Jun 1961 Kuwait requests British help the United Kingdom sends in troops.
  • 28 Jun 1961 Phils and SF set then record longest night game (5h11m) 7-7 15 inn tie
  • 29 Jun 1961 Launch of Transit 4a, with first nuclear power supply (SNAP-3).
  • 30 Jun 1961 Explorer 12 fails to reach Earth orbit.
  • 01 Jul 1961 KNDU TV channel 25 in Richland-Pasco-Kennew, WA (NBC) 1st broadcast
  • 02 Jul 1961 Maris hits 29th and 30th en route to 61 homers
  • 04 Jul 1961 Walt Disney is one of the two main speakers on the Independence Day in The Rebuild Hills at Sk?rping in Denmark.
  • 05 Jul 1961 80 die in collisions in Algiers
  • 06 Jul 1961 Portuguese ship explode near Mozambique, kills 300
  • 07 Jul 1961 75th Wimbledon Mens Tennis: Rod Laver beats Chuck McKinley (63 61 64)
  • 08 Jul 1961 Fred Trueman takes 5-0 in 24 balls to rip through Aussies
  • 11 Jul 1961 30th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 5-4 in 10 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
  • 12 Jul 1961 Pune floods due to failure of the Khadakwasla and Panshet dams. Half of Pune is submerged, more than 100,000 families need to be relocated and the death tally exceeds 2,000.
  • 13 Jul 1961 Arnold Schoenberg, Austrian-US composer (Second Quartet), dies at age 86.
  • 14 Jul 1961 Pope John XXIII publishes encyclical Mater et magistrate
  • 15 Jul 1961 Donnybrook! closes at 46th St. Theater NYC after 68 performances
  • 16 Jul 1961 Kathy Cornelius wins LPGA Tippecanoe Golf Open
  • 17 Jul 1961 Ford Frick rules that if anyone breaks Babe Ruth 60 HR record, it must be done in 1st 154 games
  • 19 Jul 1961 First in-flight movie shown (TWA).
  • 20 Jul 1961 French military forces break the Tunisian siege of Bizerte.
  • 21 Jul 1961 Launch of Mercury 4 (Liberty Bell) with Grissom.
  • 22 Jul 1961 WBNB TV channel 10 in Charlotte Amaile, VI (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • 23 Jul 1961 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Cosmopolitan Golf Open
  • 24 Jul 1961 Edwin Newman becomes news anchor of Today Show
  • 25 Jul 1961 In a speech John F. Kennedy emphasizes that any attack on Berlin is an attack on NATO.
  • 29 Jul 1961 Bob Dylan injured in car accident
  • 30 Jul 1961 43rd PGA Championship: Jerry Barber shoots a 277 at Olympia Fields, Illinois
  • 31 Jul 1961 31st All Star Baseball Game: 1-1 tie ends by rain at Fenway, Boston
  • 01 Aug 1961 Benaud rips through England team for Aussie win at Old Trafford
  • 02 Aug 1961 Cyrille Adula becomes Premier of Congo
  • 04 Aug 1961 28th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Philadelphia 28, All-Stars 14
  • 05 Aug 1961 Chicago Bears (NFL) beat Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League) 34-16 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  • 06 Aug 1961 1st case of motion sickness in space reported
  • 07 Aug 1961 Cosmonaut Gherman Titov circles Earth for a full day in Vostok 2
  • 08 Aug 1961 Ham Tigercats (CFL) beat the Buffalo Bills (NFL) 38-21 in Hamilton, Ontario
  • 09 Aug 1961 James B Parsons is 1st black appointed to Federal District Court
  • 10 Aug 1961 England applies for membership in the European Common Market.
  • 11 Aug 1961 Warren Spahn records victory number 300, beats Chicago Cubs 2-1.
  • 13 Aug 1961 Construction on Berlin Wall begins in East Germany
  • 14 Aug 1961 Philadelphia Phillies lose 17th straight game
  • 15 Aug 1961 Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall.
  • 16 Aug 1961 250,000 West Berliners demonstrate against East Berlin
  • 17 Aug 1961 Kennedy administration establishes Alliance for Progress
  • 18 Aug 1961 Construction on Berlin Wall completed.
  • 19 Aug 1961 US Vice President Lyndon B Johnson visits West Berlin
  • 20 Aug 1961 Phillies set then dubious record of 23 straight loses, beat Braves
  • 21 Aug 1961 Jomo Kenyatta freed in Kenya
  • 22 Aug 1961 Maris hits his 50th of 61 homers
  • 23 Aug 1961 Belgium sends troops to Rwanda-Urundi
  • 25 Aug 1961 Brazilian President Janio Quadros, resigns
  • 26 Aug 1961 Official International Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  • 28 Aug 1961 Motown releases what would be its first #1 hit, ''Please Mr. Postman'' by The Marvelettes.
  • 30 Aug 1961 1st Negro judge of a US District Court confirmed-JB Parsons
  • 31 Aug 1961 Amsterdam National Ballet forms
  • 01 Sep 1961 1st conference of neutral countries held in Belgrade
  • 04 Sep 1961 Carol Burnette-Richard Hayes Show premieres on CBS radio
  • 05 Sep 1961 JFK begins underground nuclear testing
  • 06 Sep 1961 USSR performs nuclear test at Kapustin Yar USSR
  • 07 Sep 1961 Tom and Jerry make a return with their first episode since 1957, Switchin' Kitten. The new creator, Gene Deitch makes 12 more Tom and Jerry episodes until 1962.
  • 09 Sep 1961 Maria Beale Fletcher (NC), 19, crowned 34th Miss America 1962
  • 10 Sep 1961 75th US Womens Tennis: Darlene R Hard beats Ann Haydon Jones
  • 11 Sep 1961 Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state.
  • 12 Sep 1961 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to 34,840 m
  • 13 Sep 1961 Car 54 Where are You? premieres on TV
  • 14 Sep 1961 Dmitri Shostakovitch becomes member of CP of the USSR
  • 15 Sep 1961 61st US Golf Amateur Championship won by Jack Nicklaus
  • 16 Sep 1961 CDU loses West German election
  • 17 Sep 1961 The world's first retractable-dome stadium, the Civic Arena, opens in Pittsburgh.
  • 18 Sep 1961 U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold dies in a plane crash while attempting to negotiate peace in the war-torn Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • 19 Sep 1961 Betty and Barney Hill claim that they saw a mysterious craft in the sky and that it tried to abduct them.
  • 20 Sep 1961 After 84 1 / 3 innings Bill Fischer gives up a base on balls
  • 21 Sep 1961 Antonio Abertondo swims English Channel round trip
  • 22 Sep 1961 Antonio Albertondo (Argentina) at age 42, completes the first round trip crossing swim of the English Channel in 43 hours, 10 minutes.
  • 23 Sep 1961 1st movie to become a TV series-How to Marry a Millionaire
  • 24 Sep 1961 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Sacramento Valley Golf Open
  • 25 Sep 1961 KTPS TV channel 62 in Tacoma, WA (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 26 Sep 1961 From the Second City opens at Royale Theater NYC for 87 performances
  • 27 Sep 1961 Sandy Koufax sets NL strikeout season record at 269
  • 28 Sep 1961 Doctor Kildare, debuts on NBC-TV
  • 29 Sep 1961 Detectives, TV Crime Drama
  • 30 Sep 1961 Bill for Boston Tea Party is paid by Mayor Snyder of Oregon who wrote a check for $196, the total cost of all tea lost
  • 01 Oct 1961 KGIN TV channel 11 in Grand Island, NB (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • 02 Oct 1961 Ben Casey premieres on NBC-TV
  • 03 Oct 1961 Dick Van Dyke Show premieres on CBS-TV
  • 05 Oct 1961 China and Nepal sign treaty
  • 06 Oct 1961 JFK advises Americans to build fallout shelters
  • 07 Oct 1961 Bye Bye Birdie closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 607 performances
  • 08 Oct 1961 US Constellation crashes at Richmond Virginia, 74 die
  • 09 Oct 1961 US members of communist party obliged to report themselves to Police
  • 10 Oct 1961 Milk & Honey opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 543 performances
  • 11 Oct 1961 US Air Force Major Robert M White takes X-15 to 66,100m.
  • 12 Oct 1961 The death penalty is abolished in New Zealand.
  • 14 Oct 1961 How to Succeed in Business opens at 46th St. NYC for 1415 performances
  • 17 Oct 1961 22nd Congress of CPSU opens in Moscow
  • 18 Oct 1961 Emergency crisis proclaimed in South Vietnam due to commun attack
  • 19 Oct 1961 The Arab League takes over protecting Kuwait the last British troops leave.
  • 21 Oct 1961 Barbra Striesand opens in Another Evening with Harry Stones
  • 22 Oct 1961 75,000 Flemings demand equal rights and Flemish language in Belgium
  • 23 Oct 1961 Kwamina opens at 54th St. Theater NYC for 32 performances
  • 24 Oct 1961 Evening with Yves Montand opens at John Golden NYC for 55 performances
  • 25 Oct 1961 The first edition of ''Private Eye'', the British satirical magazine, is published.
  • 26 Oct 1961 1st Saturn launch vehicle made a flight test
  • 27 Oct 1961 USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya and Sary Shagan USSR
  • 28 Oct 1961 Fiorello! closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 796 performances
  • 29 Oct 1961 Syria exits from the United Arab Republic.
  • 30 Oct 1961 Soviet Union tests a 58 megaton hydrogen bomb
  • 31 Oct 1961 Federal judge rules that Birmingham, Alabama, laws against integrated playing fields are illegal
  • 01 Nov 1961 50,000 women in 60 cities participate in the inaugural Women Strike for Peace (WSP) against nuclear proliferation.
  • 02 Nov 1961 Kean opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 92 performances
  • 03 Nov 1961 General Assembly unanimously elects U Thant acting secretary general
  • 04 Nov 1961 Karamanlis becomes Premier of Greece
  • 06 Nov 1961 The U.S. government issues a stamp honoring the 100th birthday of James Naismith.
  • 08 Nov 1961 Whitey Ford is voted Cy Young Award winner over Warren Spahn
  • 09 Nov 1961 USAF Major Robert M White takes X-15 to 30,970m
  • 10 Nov 1961 ''Catch-22'' is first published by Joseph Heller.
  • 11 Nov 1961 Adulterous couple up mestkar through Staphorst riding
  • 13 Nov 1961 WCBB TV channel 10 in Augusta, ME (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 15 Nov 1961 Comet C / 1961 T1 (Seki) approaches within 0.1019 AUs of Earth
  • 16 Nov 1961 Great Britain limits immigration from Commonwealth countries
  • 17 Nov 1961 Michael Rockefeller, son of New York Governor and later Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, disappears in the jungles of New Guinea.
  • 18 Nov 1961 Gay Life opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 113 performances
  • 20 Nov 1961 WPLG TV channel 10 in Miami, Florida (ABC) begins broadcasting
  • 22 Nov 1961 Frank Robinson is 1st to win MVPs in both major leagues
  • 24 Nov 1961 World Food Program (WFP) formed as a temporary UN program.
  • 26 Nov 1961 Pro Baseball Rules Committee votes 8-1 against legalizing the spitball
  • 27 Nov 1961 KHAW TV channel 11 in Hilo, HI (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • 28 Nov 1961 Ernest Davis is 1st black to win Heisman Trophy
  • 29 Nov 1961 John A McCone replaces Allen W Dulles as 6th Director of CIA
  • 30 Nov 1961 Billy Williams of the Cubs is voted NL Rookie of Year
  • 01 Dec 1961 The independent Republic of West Papua is proclaimed in modern-day Western New Guinea.
  • 02 Dec 1961 Wind Bell, journal of SF Zen Center, begins publishing
  • 03 Dec 1961 Beatles meet future manager Brian Epstein
  • 04 Dec 1961 WXGA TV channel 8 in Waycross, Georgia (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 05 Dec 1961 U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives support to the Volta Dam project in Ghana.
  • 06 Dec 1961 27th Heisman Trophy Award: Ernie Davis, Syracuse (HB).
  • 08 Dec 1961 Antwerp Belgium diocese forms
  • 09 Dec 1961 From the Second City closes at Royale Theater NYC after 87 performances
  • 10 Dec 1961 Dr Ruth marries Fred Westheimer
  • 11 Dec 1961 Please, Mr. Postman by Marvelettes, released
  • 12 Dec 1961 Ham radio satellite Oscar 1 launched with military Discoverer 36.
  • 13 Dec 1961 Beatles sign a formal agreement to be managed by Brian Epstein
  • 14 Dec 1961 The United Republic of Tanzania joins the United Nations.
  • 15 Dec 1961 Adolf Eichmann convicted of crimes against humanity in Israel
  • 16 Dec 1961 Evening with Yves Montand opens at John Golden NYC after 55 performances
  • 17 Dec 1961 India seizes Goa and 2 other Portuguese colonies
  • 18 Dec 1961 KAIL TV channel 53 in Fresno, CA (IND) begins broadcasting
  • 19 Dec 1961 Indonesian President Sukarno proclaims general mobilization.
  • 20 Dec 1961 Moss Heart, US dramatist (You can't take it with you), dies at age 57.
  • 21 Dec 1961 Beatles record Sweet Georgia Brown andReady Teddy
  • 22 Dec 1961 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
  • 23 Dec 1961 KICU TV channel 43 in Visalia-Fresno, CA (IND) begins broadcasting
  • 24 Dec 1961 Houston Oilers beat San Diego Chargers 10-3 in AFL championship game.
  • 27 Dec 1961 Subways Are for Sleeping opens at St. James Theater NYC for 205 performances
  • 30 Dec 1961 Congolese troops capture Albert Kalonji of South Kasai (who soon escapes).
  • 31 Dec 1961 lrma La Douce closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 527 performances