January 1961
Encyclopedia
January – February
– March
. – April
– May
– June
– July
– August
– September
– October
– November
– December
The following events occurred in January 1961.
February 1961
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November-DecemberThe following events occurred in February, 1961-February 1, 1961 :...
– March
March 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November - DecemberThe following events occurred in March, 1961-March 1, 1961 :...
. – April
April 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in April, 1961-April 1, 1961 :...
– May
May 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in May 1961.-May 1, 1961 :...
– June
June 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1961.-June 1, 1961 :...
– July
July 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1961.-July 1, 1961 :...
– August
August 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1961.-August 1, 1961 :...
– September
September 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1961.-September 1, 1961 :...
– October
October 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1961:-October 1, 1961 :...
– November
November 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November-DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1961.-November 1, 1961 :...
– December
December 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1961:-December 1, 1961 :...
The following events occurred in January 1961.
January 1, 1961 (Sunday)
- The British farthing coinBritish Farthing coinA farthing was a coin of England, Great Britain, and finally of the United Kingdom, worth one quarter of a penny, 1/960th of a pound sterling...
, used since the 13th century, and worth 1/4 of a penny, ceased to be legal tenderLegal tenderLegal tender is a medium of payment allowed by law or recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency is a common form of legal tender in many countries....
. - Australia became the second nation to permit the sale of the birth control pill, and the first to allow the SchererSchererScherer, Schierer and Scherrer is a Christian, Swiss/German and Ashkenazic Jewish surname, and may refer to:- People :* Alfredo Scherer , Brazilian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church* Axel Scherer American physicist...
oral contraceptive, with brand name of Anovlar. The G.D. Searle pill Enovid had been permitted in the United States in May 1960.
January 2, 1961 (Monday)
- CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
's Prime Minister, Fidel CastroFidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, demanded that the United States Embassy in HavanaHavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
reduce its staff from 87 to no more than 11 no later than Wednesday. U.S. President Eisenhower ended diplomatic relations with Cuba the next day. - In the Rose BowlRose Bowl GameThe Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
, the #1 ranked University of Minnesota Gophers were upset by the #6 ranked University of Washington HuskiesWashington Huskies footballCollege football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
, 17-7, before a crowd of 97,314 fans in Pasadena.
January 3, 1961 (Tuesday)
- At the United States National Reactor Testing Station near Idaho Falls, IdahoIdaho Falls, IdahoIdaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813, with a metro population of 130,374....
, the atomic reactor SL-1SL-1The SL-1, or Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One, was a United States Army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on January 3, 1961, killing its three operators. The direct cause was the improper withdrawal of the central control rod, responsible for...
exploded, killing three military technicians. - Koivulahti air disasterAero Flight 311Aero Flight 311 , often referred to as the Koivulahti air disaster, was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Aero O/Y between Kronoby , Finland and Vaasa. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-3C, crashed near Kvevlax on January 3, 1961, killing all twenty-five people on board...
: A DC-3 flying to KronobyKronobyKronoby is a municipality of Finland.Kruunupyy is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
crashed shortly after takeoff from VaasaVaasaVaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
, in the woods at nearby Koivulahti, killing the 22 passengers and 3 crewmembers aboard. A subsequent investigation concluded that both the pilot and co-pilot had been drinking as recently as five hours before takeoff. This remains the worst accident in Finnish aviation history. - The 87th United States Congress87th United States Congress-House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Richard Nixon , until January 20, 1961** Lyndon Johnson , from January 20, 1961* President pro tempore: Carl Hayden -House of Representatives:...
began.
January 5, 1961 (Thursday)
- Italian sculptor Alfredo FioravantiAlfredo FioravantiAlfredo Adolfo Fioravanti was an Italian sculptor, who was part of the team that forged the Etruscan terracotta warriors in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.-Reference:...
went to the U.S. Consulate in Rome and signed a confession, stating that he had been part of a team that forged the Etruscan terracotta warriorsEtruscan terracotta warriorsThe three Etruscan terracotta warriors are art forgeries, statues made to resemble work of ancient Etruscans. The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art bought them between 1915 and 1921...
in the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
.
January 6, 1961 (Friday)
- John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was formally elected as the 35th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, as a joint session of the U.S. Congress witnessed the counting of the electoral vote. U.S. Vice-President Richard NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, who had opposeded Kennedy in the 1960 election, formally announced the result, saying, "I now declare John F. Kennedy elected president." The results were 303 votes for Kennedy, 219 for Nixon, and 15 for U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr.Harry F. Byrd, Jr.Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. is a retired American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an Independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F....
. - Blamed on a person smoking in bed, a fire at a San Francisco hotel for the elderly killed 20 of the 135 residents. Police charged the smoker, who escaped unhurt, with manslaughter. He was released for lack of evidence, and died of cirrhosis four months later.
- Born: Georges JobéGeorges JobéGeorges Jobé is a former five-time FIM motocross world champion from Belgium. In addition, Jobé also won several Belgian national motocross championships in a professional motocross career that spanned from 1979 to 1992....
, Belgian motocross rider, and five-time world champion between 1980 and 1992.
January 7, 1961 (Saturday)
- In the first round of the Los Angeles Open golf tournament, golfing legend Arnold PalmerArnold PalmerArnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...
took 12 strokes to complete the 18th hole. The defending Masters and U.S. Open champion hit his first four shots at the green out of bounds, for four penalties; it took two more strokes to reach the green, and, once there, two more to sink the ball. - After leading Duke 36-33 at halftime, North Carolina State's basketball team lost 81-67. Months later, it was revealed that two N.C. State players had been paid $1,250 each by gamblers for point shavingPoint shavingIn organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
. The two were paid $2,500 each in the Wolfpack's 62-56 loss, on February 15, to North Carolina. - Following a four-day conference in CasablancaCasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, five African chiefs of state announced plans for a NATO-type African organization to ensure common defense. From the Charter of Casablanca emerged the Casablanca GroupCasablanca groupThe Casablanca Group was an organization of "progressive states" founded in 1961. It gathered Gamal Abdel-Nasser's Egypt, Ghana — led by Kwame Nkrumah, leading proponent of Pan-Africanism —, Sékou Touré's Guinea, Mali, Libya or Morocco for a short period — left-wing Moroccan prime...
, consisting of MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, the United Arab RepublicUnited Arab RepublicThe United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
, GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
.
January 8, 1961 (Sunday)
- In France, a referendumFrench referendum on Algerian self-determination, 1961A referendum on self-determination for Algeria was held in France on 8 January 1961. It was approved by 75.0% of voters overall and 69.5% in Algeria. Voter turnout was 92.2%.-Results:-Algeria:...
supported Charles de GaulleCharles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
's policies on independence for AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
with a majority of 75% (17,447,669 to 5,817,775) in favor.
January 9, 1961 (Monday)
- Portland Spy RingPortland Spy RingThe Portland Spy Ring was a Soviet spy ring that operated in England from the late 1950s till 1961 when the core of the network was arrested by the British security services. It is one of the most famous examples of the use of illegal residents — spies who operate in a foreign country but...
: British authorities announced that they had discovered a large Soviet spySPYSPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
ring in London. Arrested were Harry HoughtonHarry HoughtonHarry Houghton was a spy for the People's Republic of Poland and the USSR during the Cold War. He was a member of the Portland Spy Ring.-Early life:...
, Ethel GeeEthel GeeEthel Elizabeth Gee , nicknamed "Bunty", was an Englishwoman who helped her lover spy on their country for the Soviet Union. She was a minor member of the Portland Spy Ring.-Early life:...
and Gordon Lonsdale. - In the former Belgian CongoBelgian CongoThe Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, aides of jailed premier Patrice LumumbaPatrice LumumbaPatrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
formed the "Republic of Lualaba", in the valley of the Lualaba RiverLualaba RiverThe Lualaba River is the greatest headstream of the Congo River by volume of water. However, by length the Chambeshi River is the farthest headstream. The Lualaba is 1800 km long, running from near Musofi in the vicinity of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province. The whole of its length lies within the...
.
January 11, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
admitted African-American students for the first time, five days after a federal judge ordered integration. Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne HunterCharlayne Hunter-GaultCharlayne Hunter-Gault is an American journalist and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, and the Public Broadcasting Service....
were the first to begin classes in Athens. - The Pisces, a yacht carrying Moroccan Jews to Israel, capsized off the coast of Algericas, Spain, drowning the 40 passengers and all but 3 of the crew. The ship's captain survived.
- Ukrainian SSR Communist Party Chief Nikolai PodgornyNikolai PodgornyNikolai Viktorovich Podgorny was a Soviet Ukrainian statesman during the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, or leader of the Ukrainian SSR, from 1957 to 1963 and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1965 to 1977...
was berated by Soviet First Secretary Nikita KhrushchevNikita KhrushchevNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
after corn production fell short of goals set for 1960. In a session of the party's Central Committee in Moscow, Khrushchev accused Podgorny of lying to conceal theft and warned, "You will pay for this lack of leadership." Podgorny, along with Leonid BrezhnevLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
and Alexei Kosygin, would be part of the troika that would overthrow Khrushchev in 1964. - The name Grampian TelevisionGrampian TelevisionGrampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
was selected for independent television's new service covering the north of Scotland, replacing the name North of Scotland Television. The Grampian Mountains are one of three mountain ranges in Scotland. - The Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente IslandNaval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente IslandNaval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island , also known as Frederick Sherman Field, is a military airport located on San Clemente Island, in Los Angeles County, California, USA. It has been owned by the United States Navy since 1937, but came into its current importance during the past...
was renamed "Frederick Sherman Field" in honor of Vice Admiral Frederick C. ShermanFrederick C. ShermanFrederick Carl Sherman was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War II.Sherman was born in Port Huron, Michigan in 1888. His grandfather, Loren Sherman, was the longtime editor and publisher of The Daily Times in Port Huron...
, a US naval commander of World War I and World War II. - Born: Jasper FfordeJasper FfordeJasper Fforde is a British novelist. Fforde's first novel, The Eyre Affair, was published in 2001. Fforde is mainly known for his Thursday Next novels, although he has written several books in the loosely connected Nursery Crime series and begun two more independent series: The Last Dragonslayer...
, English novelist, in London; Lars-Erik TorphLars-Erik TorphLars-Erik Torph was a Swedish rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1980 and took his first points at his home event, the Swedish Rally, in 1984. Driving a Toyota Celica TCT, a Toyota Supra 3.0i and an Audi Coupé Quattro, he went on to finish on the podium four times...
, Swedish rally driver (died 1989)
January 12, 1961 (Thursday)
- Norwegian Olympic sailing champion Johan FernerJohan FernerJohan Martin Ferner is a Norwegian sailor and Olympic medalist. He was born in Asker. He received a silver medal in the 6 metre class with the boat Elisabeth X at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, together with Finn Ferner, Erik Heiberg, Tor Arneberg and Carl Mortensen...
married Princess Astrid of NorwayPrincess Astrid of NorwayPrincess Astrid of Norway, Mrs. Ferner, is the second daughter of King Olav V of Norway and his wife, Princess Märtha of Sweden...
at AskerAskerAsker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
church near Oslo. - Born: Simon Russell BealeSimon Russell BealeSimon Russell Beale, CBE is an English actor. He has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation."-Early years:...
, English actor, in Penang, Malaya.
January 13, 1961 (Friday)
- Died: Henry Morton RobinsonHenry Morton RobinsonHenry Morton Robinson was an American novelist, best known for A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake written with Joseph Campbell and his 1950 novel The Cardinal, which Time magazine reported was "The year's most popular book, fiction or nonfiction."-Biography:Robinson was born in Boston and graduated...
, 62, American novelist; from second-degree burns he had sustained on December 23 while taking a bath.
January 14, 1961 (Saturday)
- Born: VissarionVissarionSergey Anatolyevitch Torop , known by his followers as Vissarion , is a Russian mystic. He founded and heads a religious movement known as the Church of the Last Testament with its head church in the Siberian Taiga in the Minusinsk Depression east of Abakan, in the southern Siberia Kuraginsk...
, Russian mystic who claims to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ - Died: Barry FitzgeraldBarry FitzgeraldBarry Fitzgerald was an Irish stage, film and television actor.-Life:He was born William Joseph Shields in Walworth Road, Portobello, Dublin, Ireland. He is the older brother of Irish actor Arthur Shields. He went to Skerry's College, Dublin, before going on to work in the civil service, while...
, 72, Irish actor
January 15, 1961 (Sunday)
- The collapse of an offshore radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
tower off the coast of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
killed all 28 men on board. Rescuers heard tapping from within the wreckage in the first day after the disaster, but were unable to reach the survivors. At 7:33 pm, the 185 feet (56.4 m) tall tower, nicknamed "Old Shaky", vanished from radar screens at Otis Air Force Base. Only two bodies were found. Three U.S. Air Force officers were later charged with neglect of duty in connection with the accident. - Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
signed The SupremesThe SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
to their first recording contract.
January 16, 1961 (Monday)
- The United States banned travel by its citizens to CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, except in cases where a special endorsement was included on a passport. - In Sheldon, IowaSheldon, IowaSheldon is a city in O'Brien and Sioux Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, along the Floyd River. The population was 4,914 at the 2000 census; it is the largest city in O'Brien County.- History and culture :...
, bank teller Burnice Geiger was arrested after federal bank examiners discovered that she had embezzled money from the Sheldon National Bank. Initially, audits showed more than $120,000 missing over a three year period. Mrs. Geiger admitted to stealing a total of $2,126,859.10 — an American record to that time, equivalent to $14 million fifty years later. Sentenced to 15 years in prison, she served five, and lived until 1981. - The Festival de Télévision de Monte-CarloFestival de Télévision de Monte-CarloThe Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
was launched by Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.
January 17, 1961 (Tuesday)
- President Dwight Eisenhower gave his farewell address on nationwide television, with the warning, "We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complexMilitary-industrial complexMilitary–industrial complex , or Military–industrial-congressional complex is a concept commonly used to refer to policy and monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the industrial sector that supports them...
"..We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes." - Died: Patrice LumumbaPatrice LumumbaPatrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
, 35, former leader of Republic of Congo, secretly executed by firing squad.
January 18, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The Chaplain's Medal for HeroismChaplain's Medal for HeroismThe Chaplain's Medal for Heroism is a decoration of the United States Congress which was authorized by an act of Congress on July 14, 1960. Also known as the Chaplain's Medal of Honor and the Four Chaplains' Medal, the decoration commemorates the actions of the Four Chaplains who gave their lives...
, created especially for George D. Fox, Alexander D. Goode, Clark V. Poling, and John P., Washington, was awarded to them posthumously and presented to their next of kin by Wilber M. Brucker, U.S. Secretary of the Army, at a ceremony at Fort Meyer. On February 3, 1943, the "Four ChaplainsFour ChaplainsThe Four Chaplains, also sometimes referred to as the "Immortal Chaplains," were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats...
" had given up their own lifejackets to save the lives of four soldiers on the army transport USAT DorchesterUSAT DorchesterUSAT Dorchester was a United States Army Transport ship that was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat on February 3, 1943, during World War II...
, and then went down with the ship. - Born: Mark MessierMark MessierMark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, Canadian NHL player, in EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census... - Died: Thomas Anthony Dooley III, 34, American physician and humanitarian
January 19, 1961 (Thursday)
- In New Zealand, the filling of Lake OhakuriLake OhakuriLake Ohakuri, at 12 km², is the largest artificial lake of the Waikato river system in New Zealand. It forms the reservoir for the Ohakuri hydroelectric power station. Construction of the dam, approved in 1955, began in 1956 and was completed in 1960. The lake was filled over 14 days in January and...
began. Within two weeks, a reservoir of nearly five square miles was created and a supply of hydroelectric power was created. At the same time, two of the world's largest geysers-- the 295 foot high Minquini and the 180 foot high Orakeikorako-- were covered over and made extinct. - An Aeronaves de MéxicoAeroméxicoAirways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
DC-8B airline flight, bound for Mexico City, crashed shortly after taking off in a blizzard from New York's Idlewild Airport. Although the plane fell from an altitude of 50 feet and burst into flames, 102 of the 106 people on board, including all of the passengers, survived.
January 20, 1961 (Friday)
- John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
took the oath of office as the 35th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. For the first time, the event was shown on color televisionColor televisionColor television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
, pioneered by the NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network.
January 21, 1961 (Saturday)
- Loaded with 16 nuclear tipped Polaris A-1 missiles, the submarine completed its first "deterrent patrol", after having remained submerged for a record 66 consecutive days.
- Hours after a speedy confirmation in a special session of the United States Senate, all ten members of President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's cabinet were sworn in to office in a ceremony at the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, including the President's younger brother, Robert F. KennedyRobert F. KennedyRobert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
, who became the new Attorney General. - The first Cosquín FestivalCosquín FestivalThe Cosquín Folk Festival is one of the most important folk music festivals of Argentina, and most important in Latin America....
, Argentina's major folk music festival, began.
January 22, 1961 (Sunday)
- The American Ballet Center Company dance troupe, formed on October 1, 1956, began a 47 city tour with its new name, the Robert Joffrey Ballet, now known as the Joffrey BalletJoffrey BalletThe Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
. - The international Masonic organization CLIPSAS (Centre of Liaison and Information of Masonic Powers, Signatories of Appeal of S'trasbourg) was formed in StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. - The first Coronda River Aquatic Marathon, a 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) swimming endurance race, took place in Argentina. Santa Fe-Coronda history
- Born: Luba OrgonasovaLuba OrgonasovaL'ubica Orgonášová is a Slovak operatic soprano, who is particularly known for her interpretation of Mozart roles....
, Slovak operatic soprano, in BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
January 23, 1961 (Monday)
- Santa Maria hijackingSanta Maria hijackingContrary to popular belief, the Santa Maria hijacking is not "piracy" because it does not fit the international definition of piracy involving an attack of one vessel on another for private ends...
: A group of 29 men, led by Portuguese politician Henrique Malta Galvao, seized control of the cruise ship Santa Maria which was carrying 580 passengers and a crew of 360. The group had boarded with tickets at La GuairaLa GuairaLa Guaira is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Vargas and the country's chief port. It was founded in 1577 as an outlet for Caracas, to the southeast. The town and the port were badly damaged during the December 1999 floods and mudslides that affected much of the region...
, VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and then executed the attack at 1:30 am. One member of the crew was killed and several wounded. After putting the wounded ashore, the ship sailed with other ships trying to locate it. Galvao threatened to scuttle the ship if it was attacked. The crisis ended on February 2, as Galvao surrendered the ship at RecifeRecifeRecife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Brazil. - In LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, the Political Bureau dissolved the militants' organization; William HawiWilliam HawiWilliam Amine Hawi , — , William Hawi joined the Kataeb Social Democratic Party in 1937 better known in English as the Phalangist party organization, a right-wing political party in Lebanon....
created the Regulatory Forces
January 24, 1961 (Tuesday)
- 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash1961 Goldsboro B-52 crashThe 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash refers to an accident that occurred near Goldsboro, North Carolina, on 24 January 1961 when a B-52 Stratofortress carrying two Mark 39 nuclear bombs broke up in mid-air, dropping its nuclear payload in the process.-Accident:...
: A B-52 StratofortressB-52 StratofortressThe Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, with two Mark 39 hydrogen bombsW39The Mark 39 nuclear bomb and W39 nuclear warhead were versions of an American thermonuclear weapon, which were in service from 1957 to 1966....
, crashed on a farm at the community of Faro, 12 miles (19.3 km) north of near Goldsboro, North CarolinaGoldsboro, North CarolinaGoldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
. Three USAF officers were killed. One of the bombs went partially through its arming sequence, as five of its six safety switches failed. The one remaining switch prevented a 24 megaton nuclear explosion. - Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
, the voice of Bugs Bunny and many other cartoon characters, was seriously injured in a head-on collision while driving in Los Angeles. Blanc was in a coma for three weeks and was reported as killed in at least one newspaper (possibly the Hilo Tribune-Herald), but his versatile voice was unaffected, and he continued working until his death in 1989.
January 25, 1961 (Wednesday)
- In Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
began a tradition by holding the first live presidential press conference. Broadcast on all 3 TV networks at 6:00 pm EST, the event was attended by 418 reporters and watched by an estimated 60,000,000 viewers. Kennedy announced that the Soviet Union had freed the two surviving crewmen of a USAF RB-47 reconnaissance plane shot down over the Barents SeaBarents SeaThe Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
on July 1, 1960July 1960January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1960.-July 1, 1960 :*Ghana became a republic, with Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah as its first President...
. - One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
, the 17th full-length animated film by Walt DisneyWalt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
, had its world premiere, at 8:00 pm the Florida Theatre in St. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg, FloridaSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. - Acting to halt 'leftist excesses,' a six member junta, headed by Colonel Julio Adalberto Rivera composed of 2 army officers and four civilians took over El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, ousting another military junta that had ruled for three months.
January 26, 1961 (Thursday)
- John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
appointed Janet G. TravellJanet G. TravellDr. Janet Graeme Travell, M.D. was an American physician and medical researcher. She was born in 1901 to Willard and Janet Davidson Travell. Heavily influenced by her father's profession of physician, Travell made the decision to pursue a career in the medical field. In 1929, Janet married John...
as his physician, the first woman to hold this appointment. - Born: Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Canadian NHL star, in Brantford, OntarioBrantford, OntarioBrantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent... - Died: Blaise CendrarsBlaise CendrarsFrédéric Louis Sauser , better known as Blaise Cendrars, was a Swiss novelist and poet naturalized French in 1916. He was a writer of considerable influence in the modernist movement.-Early years:...
, 73, French poet
January 27, 1961 (Friday)
- The Soviet submarine S-80Soviet submarine S-80S-80 was a diesel-electric submarine of the Soviet Navy.Her keel was laid down on 13 March 1950 at Krasnoye Sormovo as a Project 613 unit . She was launched on 21 October, and delivered to Baku on the Caspian Sea on 1 November for tests, then transferred north via inland waterways in December...
, with a crew of 68, vanished in the Barents SeaBarents SeaThe Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
. The wreckage of the S-80 was not discovered until more than seven years later. - The television show Sing Along with Mitch debuted on NBC and ran for six seasons. As Mitch MillerMitch MillerMitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
sang, the lyrics would appear in subtitles on the screen. - Leontyne PriceLeontyne PriceMary Violet Leontyne Price is an American soprano. Born and raised in the Deep South, she rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was one of the first African Americans to become a leading artist at the Metropolitan Opera.One critic characterized Price's voice as "vibrant",...
became the first African-American woman to perform at the Metropolitan Opera HouseMetropolitan Opera House (39th St)The Metropolitan Opera House was an opera house located at 1411 Broadway in New York City. Opened in 1883 and demolished in 1967, it was the first home of the Metropolitan Opera Company.-History:...
in New York. Her performance as Leonora in Il trovatore was given a 42-minute ovation. - Closure of the Bala and Festiniog Railway in North Wales.
January 28, 1961 (Saturday)
- In Atlanta, Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
and Jeremiah ShabazzJeremiah ShabazzJeremiah Shabazz was born into a poor family in Philadelphia, Pa. during the Great Depression. He attended the Benjamin Franklin High School graduating with honors and subsequently drafted into the US Army. Jeremiah served 18 months in Japan and Korea...
of the black supremacist Nation of IslamNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
met secretly with representatives of the white supremacist Ku Klux KlanKu Klux KlanKu Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
to discuss common interests, including preventing integration of the races. NOI leader Elijah MuhammadElijah MuhammadElijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
and KKK leader J.B. Stoner had arranged the meeting, with the Klan agreeing to help the "Black Muslims" acquire land for resettlement. - In Gitarama, in the Belgian colony of RwandaRwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, a group of HutuHutuThe Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
politicians declared an end to the TutsiTutsiThe Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
monarchy and the creation of a republic, with Dominique MbonyumutwaDominique MbonyumutwaDominique Mbonyumutwa was a Rwandan politician who served as the first and President of Rwanda, from January 28 to October 26, 1961, immediately following the abolition of the Rwandan monarchy. He took over the country after King Kigeri V of Rwanda was overthrown following the 1961 referendum...
as its first President. Mbonyumutwa was replaced by Grégoire KayibandaGrégoire KayibandaGrégoire Kayibanda was the first elected and second President of the Republic of Rwanda. He led Rwanda's struggle for independence from Belgium, and replaced the Tutsi monarchy with a republican form of government. He asserted Hutu majority power.-Early life and education:Grégoire Kayibanda was...
before Rwanda was granted independence in 1962. - The Smothers BrothersSmothers BrothersThe Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
, comedians Tom and Dick Smothers, first appeared on national television, as guests on the Tonight show, hosted by Jack PaarJack PaarJack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
. - Bobo BrazilBobo BrazilHouston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
became the first African American to win a National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
title, pinning Dick the Bruiser in the heavyweight pro wrestling match at Detroit. - An indoor high school basketball game in Pennsylvania, USA, was "rained out". Cold air from an open window combined with heat in a gymnasium to create puddles of condensation on the floor. The game was called with West Hazleton High leading McAdoo High, 31-29.
January 29, 1961 (Sunday)
- Five days after arriving in New York after hitchhiking from Madison, WisconsinMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, 21 year old musician Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
met his idol Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
. After hearing Dylan sing, Guthrie is said to have remarked "He's a talented boy. Gonna go far." Dylan settled in Greenwich VillageGreenwich VillageGreenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
and found fame in the protest folk music. - The Irvine CompanyIrvine CompanyThe Irvine Company is a privately held real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. The corporate center of the company lies in Newport Center. A large portion of its operations are centered in and around the City of Irvine, a planned city of 250,000...
deeded 1,000 acres of land in Orange County to the regents of the University of CaliforniaUniversity of CaliforniaThe University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, creating the campus upon which University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, IrvineThe University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
would be built, and around which the city of Irvine, CaliforniaIrvine, CaliforniaIrvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
would be formed. - Radio HanoiRadio HanoiRadio Hanoi was a propaganda radio station run by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War.In September 1967, Radio Hanoi transmitted a message by General Võ Nguyên Giáp entitled "The Big Victory, The Great Task". Unbenknownst to Americans listening to the message, it was actually an...
announced in an English language broadcast that the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, popularly known as the Viet Cong, had been formed to overthrow the government there and to establish a regime similar to that in Communist North VietnamNorth VietnamThe Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
. - In the finals of the 1961 European Figure Skating Championships1961 European Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion....
, Sjoukje DijkstraSjoukje DijkstraSjoukje Rosalinde Dijkstra is a Dutch figure skater. She is the 1964 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles, the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion , five-time European champion , and the six-time Dutch national champion .Following the retirement of Carol Heiss in 1960, who...
won gold for the second year in succession. Dijkstra went on to win World Championship and Olympic gold, becoming one of the best-known female figure skaters of all time. - Died: Sir Geoffrey JeffersonGeoffrey JeffersonSir Geoffrey Jefferson FRS was a British neurologist and pioneering neurosurgeon. He was educated in Manchester, England, obtaining his medical degree in 1909. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons two years later. He married in 1914, and moved to Canada...
, 84, British neurosurgeon
January 30, 1961 (Monday)
- President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
delivered his first State of the Union AddressState of the Union AddressThe State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
, a pessimistic outlook of the challenges posed in the Cold War. - President Kennedy approved a $41 million counterinsurgency plan, drawn up for President Eisenhower by General Edward LansdaleEdward LansdaleEdward Geary Lansdale was a United States Air Force officer who served in the Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency. He rose to the rank of Major General and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1963. He was an early proponent of more aggressive US actions in...
, to help the government of South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
resist communist aggression. Designed to add 52,000 men to that nation's army and civil guards, the plan included provisions for American soldiers and military advisers to assist in the effort. - Disenchanted with life in the Soviet Union, American defector Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
wrote to President Kennedy's newly appointed U.S. Secretary of the Navy, John ConnallyJohn ConnallyJohn Bowden Connally, Jr. , was an influential American politician, serving as the 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in...
, to ask for a reversal of Oswald's dishonorable discharge from the United States Marines. The letter was never acted upon, and on November 22, 1963, Oswald would shoot both Kennedy and Connally. - Born: Dexter Scott KingDexter Scott KingDexter Scott King is the second son of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Martin Luther King III, the Reverend Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise King....
, African-American activist, in Atlanta - Died: Dorothy ThompsonDorothy ThompsonDorothy Thompson was an American journalist and radio broadcaster, who in 1939 was recognized by Time magazine as the second most influential women in America next to Eleanor Roosevelt...
, 66, American journalist; and Arthur MilgramArthur MilgramArthur Norton Milgram was an American mathematician. He made contributions in functional analysis, combinatorics, differential geometry, topology, partial differential equations, and Galois theory...
, 47, American mathematician
January 31, 1961 (Tuesday)
- Ham the ChimpHam the ChimpHam , also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first chimpanzee launched into outer space in the American space program...
, a 37-pound (17 kg) male, was rocketed into space aboard Mercury-Redstone 2Mercury-Redstone 2Mercury-Redstone 2 was an American space mission, launched at 16:55 UTC on January 31, 1961 from LC-5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Mercury spacecraft No...
, in a test of the Project MercuryProject MercuryIn January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,...
capsule. His successful 16 1/2 minute flight demonstrated to American NASA officials that the capsule could safely carry human astronauts into space. - The American State of GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, with the support of most its residents, repealed its longstanding laws requiring segregation by race in its public schools. Governor S. Ernest Vandiver, in signing the "open schools package" of legislation, declared "These are the four most important bills to be signed in this century in Georgia". - James MeredithJames MeredithJames H. Meredith is an American civil rights movement figure, a writer, and a political adviser. In 1962, he was the first African American student admitted to the segregated University of Mississippi, an event that was a flashpoint in the American civil rights movement. Motivated by President...
, an African-American, applied for admission to the all-white University of MississippiUniversity of MississippiThe University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, beginning a legal action that would result in the desegregation of the university. - Died: Eugene DennisEugene DennisFrancis Xavier Waldron , best known by the pseudonym Eugene Dennis was an American communist politician and union organizer, best remembered as the long-time leader of the Communist Party USA and as named party in Dennis v...
, 55, General Secretary of the Communist Party (USA) from 1945 to 1959, of cancer