July 1961
Encyclopedia
January
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The following events occurred in July
1961.
January 1961
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1961.-January 1, 1961 :...
– February
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 – 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 July
July
July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. It is, on average, the warmest month in most of the Northern hemisphere and the coldest month in much of the Southern hemisphere...
1961.
July 1, 1961 (Saturday)
- At the request of the Emir of Kuwait, 7,000 British troops and 1,200 Saudi troops arrived to protect the small nation against a possible invasion by Iraq.
- The Dowry Prohibition Act went into effect in India, prohibiting the solicitation or payment of money from one family to another as consideration for a marriage.
- Martin's Fantasy IslandMartin's Fantasy IslandMartin's Fantasy Island is an amusement park located in Grand Island, New York.- History :Fantasy Island opened in 1961 and went bankrupt in 1982. It was acquired out of bankruptcy by Charles Wood, the original owner of Storytown USA. He sold the park to International Broadcasting Corporation in...
, a theme park on Grand IslandGrand Island, New YorkGrand Island is a town and an island in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the town population is 20,374. This represents an increase of 9.41% from the 2000 census figure . The current town name derives from the French name La Grande Île, as Grand Island is the largest island in...
near near Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, opened as "Fantasy Island". Jim Futrell, Amusement Parks of New York (Stackpole Books, 2006) p157 - Ana Griselda VegasAna Griselda VegasAnasaria “Ana Griselda” Vegas Albornoz is a pageant titleholder, was born in La Azulita, Mérida, Venezuela on July 26, 1941. She is the Miss Venezuela titleholder for 1961, and was the official representative of Venezuela to the Miss Universe 1961 pageant held in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, on July...
of Caracas was crowned Miss Venezuela 1961Miss Venezuela 1961Miss Venezuela 1961 was held in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 1, 1961. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, outgoing titleholder Gladys Ascanio, crowned Ana Griselda Vegas of Caracas as the new Miss Venezuela...
. - Martha Helen Kostyra, 19, married Andrew Stewart in New York City. Although the two divorced in 1989, she kept her married name as Martha StewartMartha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
as she built her fortune. - Born: Diana Spencer, later Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, at Sandringham, NorfolkSandringham, NorfolkSandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some south of the village of Dersingham, north of the town of King's Lynn and north-west of the city of Norwich....
, England, at 7:45 pm GMT (killed in auto accident, 1997); Carl LewisCarl LewisFrederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
, American track athlete, in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
; and Kalpana ChawlaKalpana ChawlaKalpana Chawla was an Indian-American astronaut with NASA. She was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.-Early life:...
, Indian-born American astronaut, in KarnalKarnalKarnal is an important city and the headquarters of Karnal District in the Indian state of Haryana.Karnal is said to have been founded by the Kauravas in the Mahabharata era for the king Karna, a mythological hero and a key figure in the epic tale...
, Haryana State, India (killed in Columbia shuttle disaster, 2003) - Died: Louis-Ferdinand CélineLouis-Ferdinand CélineLouis-Ferdinand Céline was the pen name of French writer and physician Louis-Ferdinand Destouches . Céline was chosen after his grandmother's first name. He is considered one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century, developing a new style of writing that modernized both French and...
, 67, French doctor and writer
July 2, 1961 (Sunday)
- Shortly after 7:30 am, American novelist Ernest HemingwayErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
committed suicide at his home in Ketchum, IdahoKetchum, IdahoKetchum is a city in Blaine County, Idaho, United States, in the central part of the state. The population was 3,003 at the 2000 census. It is in the Wood River Valley, adjacent to Sun Valley; the two communities share many resources and both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its...
two days after returning home to Idaho from a course of treatment for depression at the Mayo ClinicMayo ClinicMayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
. His wife, Mary, told reporters initially that the renowned author had accidentally died while cleaning a double barrelled shotgun. - In a meeting at the Kremlin, Soviet leader 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...
warned Sir Frank RobertsFrank Roberts (diplomat)Sir Frank Kenyon Roberts, GCMG, GCVO was a British diplomat. He played a key role in British diplomacy in the early years of the Cold War, and in developing Anglo-German relations in the 1960s....
, the British Ambassador, that Britain and France should avoid joining the United States in going to war over West BerlinWest BerlinWest Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, telling him "Six hydrogen bombs would be quite enough to annihilate the British Isles, and nine would take care of France." - Mexican legislative election, 1961Mexican legislative election, 1961Legislative elections were held in Mexico on 2 July 1961. The Institutional Revolutionary Party won 172 of the 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.-Results:...
: Voters went to the polls to elect 178 members to serve for a three-year term in the Chamber of Deputies. The ruling PRI party won a majority of the seats. "Incumbents Win Mexican Election", Miami News, July 3, 1961, p2
July 3, 1961 (Monday)
- General Douglas MacArthurDouglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, 81, returned to the Philippines for the first time since the end of World War II, and received a tumultuous welcome. MacArthur, who had led the liberation of the islands from the Japanese, had been given honorary citizenship, and declared, "You have no more loyal and devoted a Filipino." - Major General Park Chung Hee forced the resignation of Korean leader Chang Do-Young and became chief of the military junta that had taken over in May. Chang's job of Prime Minister of South Korea was assigned to Lt. Gen. Song Yo ChanSong Yo ChanSong Yo Chan was prime minister of South Korea from 3 July 1961 to 16 June 1962. Previously, he had been the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 22 July 1961 - 10 October 1961 and was a Lieutenant General. He ordered the arrest of corrupt officers in the army...
. - As a result of the lobbying of Dr. Harold GriffithHarold GriffithHarold Randall Griffith was a Canadian anesthesiologist and a leader in the fields of anesthesiology.He was born in Montreal, the son of Alexander Randall Griffith, a medical doctor and homeopathic practitioner. His own medical studies at McGill University were interrupted by World War I, when he...
, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital of Montreal opened the first intensive care unitIntensive Care Unitthumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
in Canada. - The Stage première of the opera Krapp, ou, La dernière bande (Krapp's Last Tape) by Marcel MihaloviciMarcel MihaloviciMarcel Mihalovici was a French composer born in Romania. He was discovered by George Enescu in Bucharest. He moved to Paris in 1919 to study under Vincent d'Indy...
with libretto by Samuel BeckettSamuel BeckettSamuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
, took place at the Théâtre des Nations in Paris. - Malcolm ArnoldMalcolm ArnoldSir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
conducted the first performance of his Symphony No. 5Symphony No. 5 (Arnold)The Symphony No. 5, Op. 74 by Malcolm Arnold was finished in 1961. It is in four movements:*Tempestuoso*Andante con moto - Adagio*Con fuoco*Risoluto - LentoThe work was commissioned by the Cheltenham Festival Society...
at the Cheltenham Music FestivalCheltenham Music FestivalThe Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
. - Invoking the Taft-Hartley ActTaft-Hartley ActThe Labor–Management Relations Act is a United States federal law that monitors the activities and power of labor unions. The act, still effective, was sponsored by Senator Robert Taft and Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. and became law by overriding U.S. President Harry S...
, an U.S. federal court ordered a temporary halt to the 19-day old, nationwide maritime strike that had held up freight shipping. - Died: Edwin PerkinsEdwin PerkinsEdwin Elijah Perkins , born in Lewis, Iowa, U.S., invented the powder drink mix Kool-Aid in 1927 in Hastings, Nebraska after his family had moved there from Iowa in 1893....
, 72, American inventor of Kool-AidKool-AidKool-Aid is a brand of flavored drink mix owned by the Kraft Foods Company.-History:Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, United States. All of his experiments took place in his mother's kitchen. Its predecessor was a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack...
July 4, 1961 (Tuesday)
- At 4:15 am, the Soviet submarine K-19Soviet submarine K-19K-19, KS-19, BS_19 was one of the first two Soviet submarines of the 658, 658м, 658с class , the first generation nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear ballistic missiles, specifically the R-13 . Its keel was laid down on 17 October 1958, christened on 8 April 1959 and launched on 11 October 1959...
developed a leak in its nuclear reactor, while conducting exercises in the North Atlantic near the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen. The rupture of the primary coolant system caused the water pressure in the aft reactor to drop to zero and causing failure of the coolant pumps. Eight crew members died within three weeks of the accident, and others were successfully treated for deadly doses of radiation. - La notteLa NotteLa Notte is a 1961 Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. It is considered the central film of a trilogy beginning with L'avventura and ending with L'Eclisse.- Plot :...
by Michelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
won the Golden BearGolden BearAccording to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
Award for Best Film at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival11th Berlin International Film FestivalThe 11th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 23 to July 4, 1961.-Jury:* James Quinn * France Roche* Marc Turfkruyer* Satyajit Ray* Gian Luigi Rondi* Hirosugu Ozaki* Nicholas Ray* Falk Harnack* Hans Schaarwächter...
. - Born: Hesham Mohamed HadayetHesham Mohamed HadayetHesham Mohamed Hadayet was an Egyptian-American terrorist who on July 4, 2002, murdered 2 people and wounded 4 others at Los Angeles International Airport in the 2002 Los Angeles Airport shooting. The two people murdered were Israelis at the El Al ticket counter at the airport, identified as a...
, Egyptian-American terrorist involved in the 2002 Los Angeles Airport shooting2002 Los Angeles Airport shootingThe 2002 Los Angeles Airport shooting was a terrorist attack by a lone gunman on an airline ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California....
.
July 5, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The first Israeli rocket, Shavit 2Shavit 2Shavit 2 was the first sounding rocket which Israel launched on 5 July 1961 for meteorological research. Full details of the rocket are still classified. It was a two stages Solid-fuel rocket, built by RAFAEL Armament Development Authority. The weight of Shavit 2 was 250 kilogram and its height...
, was launched. At 4:41 am, the rocket was launched "from a secret installation on the Mediterranean". - Bizerte crisisBizerte crisisThe Bizerte Crisis occurred in July 1961 when Tunisia imposed a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte, Tunisia, hoping to force its evacuation...
: TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
announced that it was claiming the French military base located at BizerteBizerteBizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, which had been the only base remaining after France had withdrawn all of its forces in 1958. Chris Cook and John Stevenson, The Routledge Companion to World History since 1914 (Routledge, 2005) p283 - Died: Ludwik FleckLudwik FleckLudwik Fleck was a Polish Israeli medical doctor and biologist who developed in the 1930s the concept of Denkkollektiv...
, 64, Polish doctor and biologist, developer of the concept of Denkkollektiv (thought collectives); and David Kingscote, 32, British-born big game hunterBig game huntingBig game hunting is the hunting of large game. The term is historically associated with the hunting of Africa's Big Five game , and with tigers and rhinos on the Indian subcontinent. In North America, animals such as bears and bison were hunted...
, of injuries received when a lion attacked him at his tent while he was in Tanganyika.
July 6, 1961 (Thursday)
- In Moscow, North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
signed a "Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance", providing that if one of the nations was in a state of war, the other one would extend military assistance. Five days later, North Korea signed a similar treaty with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. - 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...
signed a treaty with Algerian rebels led by Ferhat AbbasFerhat AbbasFerhat Abbas Kabyle: Ferḥat Σabbas, was an Algerian political leader and briefly acted in a provisional capacity as the yet-to-become independent country's President from 1958 to 1961.- Background :...
, pledging support for the independence movement against France, and agreeing that any further negotiations on the border between the two nations would be made after independence. - Born: Benita Fitzgerald-BrownBenita Fitzgerald-BrownBenita Fitzgerald-Brown is a retired American athlete, who mainly competed in the women's 100 metres hurdles event....
, American track athlete and 1984 Olympic gold medalist, in Warrenton, VirginiaWarrenton, VirginiaWarrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two... - Died: Scott LaFaroScott LaFaroRocco Scott LaFaro was an influential jazz bassist, perhaps best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio.-Biography:...
, 25, American jazz bassist who was 1/3rd of the Bill Evans Trio, in an auto accident near Avon, New YorkAvon, New YorkAvon, New York is the name of two places located in Livingston County in the State of New York in the United States of America.*Avon , New York*Avon , New York...
; and Edwin BushEdwin BushEdwin Bush was 21 when he was executed at Pentonville Prison in London on July 6, 1961. He was the first British criminal to be caught through the use of a facial recognition system called the Identikit system....
, 21, British murderer who had been the first to be convicted based on the identikitIdentikitIdentikit is a 1974 film directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi.Based on the novella The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark, it is a psychological drama starring Elizabeth Taylor, Ian Bannen and featuring Andy Warhol.-Cast:* Elizabeth Taylor as Lise* Ian Bannen as Bill* Guido Mannari as Carlo* Mona...
system, by hanging at Pentonville (HM Prison)Pentonville (HM Prison)HM Prison Pentonville is a Category B/C men's prison, operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. Pentonville Prison is not actually within Pentonville itself, but is located further north, on the Caledonian Road in the Barnsbury area of the London Borough of Islington, in inner-North London,...
in London.
July 7, 1961 (Friday)
- A mine explosion in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
killed 108 coal miners. The blast, which happened at the Dulka mine at Dolná SúčaDolná SúcaDolná Súča is a village and municipality in Trenčín District in the Trenčín Region of north-western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 285 metres and covers an area of 26.319 km². It has a population of about 2917 people....
, SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, caused an underground fire that prevented rescuers from reaching the trapped men. - Rod LaverRod LaverRodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
of Australia defeated American Chuck McKinleyChuck McKinleyCharles Robert "Chuck" McKinley Jr. was an American men’s amateur tennis player of the 1960s. He is remembered as an undersized, hard working dynamo, whose relentless effort and competitive spirit led American tennis to the top of the sport during a period heavily dominated by Australians.McKinley...
in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1 and 6-4 to win the tennis championship at Wimbledon. - Born: Michael Kieran HarveyMichael Kieran HarveyMichael Kieran Harvey is an Australian pianist whose career has been notable for its diversity and wide repertoire. He is renowned for commissioning and performing new music. He has especially promoted the works of Australian composers, such as Carl Vine, all of whose piano music he has recorded...
, Australian pianist, in Sydney; Welshman NcubeWelshman NcubeWelshman Ncube is a Zimbabwean politician. He is the President of the Movement for Democratic Change – Mutambara, and since February 2009 has been the Minister of Industry and Commerce. He was elected as a member of the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe for Bulawayo North East in the 2000 election and...
, Zimbabwean politician; and Eric Jerome DickeyEric Jerome DickeyEric Jerome Dickey is a New York Times best-selling American author best known for his novels about contemporary African-American life...
, African-American author, in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... - Died: Cuno AmietCuno AmietCuno Amiet was a Swiss painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor. As the first Swiss painter to give precedence to colour in composition, he was a pioneer of modern art in Switzerland.-Biography:...
, 92, Swiss artist; and Georgy AleksandrovGeorgy AleksandrovGeorgy Fedorovich Aleksandrov Georgy Fedorovich Aleksandrov Georgy Fedorovich Aleksandrov (22 March 1908 (Old Style), Saint Petersburg - 7 July 1961 (New Style, Moscow) was a Marxist philosopher and a Soviet politician.-Childhood and education:...
, 53, Soviet Marxist philosopher
July 8, 1961 (Saturday)
- Profumo AffairProfumo AffairThe Profumo Affair was a 1963 British political scandal named after John Profumo, Secretary of State for War. His affair with Christine Keeler, the reputed mistress of an alleged Russian spy, followed by lying in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it, forced the resignation of...
: John ProfumoJohn ProfumoBrigadier John Dennis Profumo, 5th Baron Profumo CBE , informally known as Jack Profumo , was a British politician. His title, 5th Baron, which he did not use, was Italian. Although Profumo held an increasingly responsible series of political posts in the 1950s, he is best known today for his...
, the British Secretary of State for WarSecretary of State for WarThe position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, was introduced to Christine KeelerChristine KeelerChristine Margaret Keeler is an English former model and showgirl. Her involvement with a British government minister discredited the Conservative government of Harold Macmillan in 1963, in what is known as the Profumo Affair....
at a party. The extramarital affair that followed, and Profumo's false statements about it to Parliament, caused a scandal in 1963 that led to his resignation; and may have been a factor in the retirement later that year of Prime Minister Harold MacmillanHarold MacmillanMaurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
and the defeat of the Conservative Party in the 1964 elections. - A series of explosions of the Portuguese ship Save killed 237 people on board, after running aground on a sandbar in MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. - The United Klans of AmericaUnited Klans of AmericaUnited Klans of America Inc. was one of the largest Ku Klux Klan organizations in the United States. Led by Robert Shelton, the UKA peaked in popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s, and was the most violent Klan organization of its time. Its headquarters were the Anglo-Saxon Club outside...
was created by the merger of several different racist groups meeting at Indian Springs, GeorgiaIndian Springs, GeorgiaIndian Springs is a census-designated place in Catoosa County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,982 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, seeking a revival of the 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...
. Alabama Knights leader Robert Shelton became the first Grand Wizard of the new UKA. - No Briton had won the women's championship at Wimbledon in 24 years, but in an all-British final, Angela MortimerAngela MortimerFlorence Angela Margaret Mortimer Barrett is a former World No. 1 British female tennis player. She was born in Plymouth, Devon, England...
beat Christine TrumanChristine TrumanChristine Truman Janes, MBE, , is a female former tennis player from the United Kingdom....
, 4-6, 6-4 and 7-5. - Dissatisfied with life in the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, 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...
flew from MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
to MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, then went to the American Embassy to ask for the return of his U.S. Passport, #1733242. His passport was returned, and he, his wife, and his daughter departed for the United States the following year. - Born: Toby KeithToby KeithToby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
, American country music singer, as Toby Keith Covel in Clinton, OklahomaClinton, OklahomaClinton is a city in Custer and Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 9,033 at the 2010 census.-History:The community began in 1899 when two men, J.L. Avant and E.E...
; and Kelly KryczkaKelly KryczkaKelly Kryczka is a Canadian competitor in synchronized swimming, world champion and Olympic medalist.She received a silver medal in duet at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles....
, Canadian synchronized swimmer; gold medalist, 1982 World Aquatic Championships - Died: Julián BautistaJulián BautistaJulián Bautista was a Spanish composer and conductor. He was a member of Generation of '27 and the Group of Eight, the latter of which also included composers Jesús Bal y Gay, Ernesto Halffter and his brother Rodolfo, Juan José Mantecón, Fernando Remacha, Rosa García Ascot, Salvador Bacarisse and...
, 60, Spanish classical music composer
July 9, 1961 (Sunday)
- GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, represented by Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis KanellopoulosPanagiotis KanellopoulosPanagiotis Kanellopoulos or Panayotis Kanellopoulos was a distinguished Greek politician and Prime Minister of Greece. He was the Prime Minister of Greece deposed by the Greek military junta of 1967-1974....
, and the European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
, represented by German Vice-Chancellor Ludwig ErhardLudwig ErhardLudwig Wilhelm Erhard was a German politician affiliated with the CDU and Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 until 1966. He is notable for his leading role in German postwar economic reform and economic recovery , particularly in his role as Minister of Economics under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer...
signed a treaty making Greece the first nation to become an associate member of the Common Market, effective November 1, 1962. Similar agreements followed between the EEC and Turkey, Malta and Cyprus. - The Turkish Constitution of 1961Turkish Constitution of 1961The Constitution of 1961 was the fundamental law of Turkey from 1961 to 1982. It was introduced following the 1960 coup d'état, replacing the earlier Constitution of 1924. It was approved in a referendum held on 9 July 1961, with 61.7% of the nation voting in favor...
was approved by voters in a referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. With an 81% turnout rate, there were 6,348,191 votes in favor and 3,934,370 against. - Died: Whittaker ChambersWhittaker ChambersWhittaker Chambers was born Jay Vivian Chambers and also known as David Whittaker Chambers , was an American writer and editor. After being a Communist Party USA member and Soviet spy, he later renounced communism and became an outspoken opponent later testifying in the perjury and espionage trial...
, 60, former American Communist who later became a staunch anti-Communist after testifying against Alger HissAlger HissAlger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
July 10, 1961 (Monday)
- In a secret meeting with Soviet nuclear scientists, 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...
announced his decision to resume nuclear testing and to end the moratoriumMoratoriumMoratorium may refer to:*Moratorium *Moratorium *Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam*UN moratorium on the death penalty*2010 U.S. Deepwater Drilling Moratorium...
that the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had observed since 1958. Khrushchev gave the go-ahead for physicists Andrei SakharovAndrei SakharovAndrei Dmitrievich Sakharov was a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident and human rights activist. He earned renown as the designer of the Soviet Union's Third Idea, a codename for Soviet development of thermonuclear weapons. Sakharov was an advocate of civil liberties and civil reforms in the...
and Yakov Zeldovich to test a 100 megaton hydrogen bomb, the largest up to that time, which, Sakharov would say later, Khrushchev would call a device that would "hang over capitalists like the sword of Damocles". - Mildred Gillars, nicknamed "Axis SallyAxis SallyAxis Sally can refer to:*Mildred Gillars, German-American female radio personality during World War II, best known for her propaganda broadcasts for Nazi Germany...
", was released from the women's federal prison in Alderson, West VirginiaAlderson, West VirginiaAlderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government...
, after serving 12 years of a sentence for treason. An American citizen, she moved to Berlin in 1934; during World War II, she was "the starring voice of Nazi propaganda" in English-language radio broadcasts aimed at American troops in Europe. - The German Banking Act was passed, creating a federal bank regulating agency, the Bundesaufsichtsamt für das Kreditwesen (Federal Bank Supervisory Office).
- Born: Liyel ImokeLiyel ImokeLiyel was elected governor of Cross River State in Nigeria in April 2007, taking office on 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party .-Background:...
, Nigerian politician, in Ibadan
July 11, 1961 (Tuesday)
- Five days after signing a friendship and military assistance treaty with the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, North KoreaNorth KoreaThe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
signed a similar agreement with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Together, the two treaties established a balance of power at the 38th parallel, between the northern allies (North Korea, the USSR and China) and the southern allies (South Korea and the USA) - Following a contest to come up with a name for an artificial lake, near Mount Isa, QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, created in 1958 by a dam on the Leichardt River, the winning entry was selected from 471 suggested names. Lake MoondarraLake MoondarraLake Moondarra is an artificial lake on the Leichhardt River, 16 km downstream from the town of Mount Isa. It provides water supply to the town and the adjacent Mount Isa Mines mining lease....
, the entry suggested by 9 year old Danny Driscoll, is said to have been an Australian aboriginal (Murri language) name that means, "plenty of rain, also thunder". - Born: Ophir Pines-PazOphir Pines-PazOphir Pines-Paz is an Israeli former politician who served as Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Science, Culture & Sport and as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party from 1996 until 2010.-Biography:...
, Israeli politician, in Rishon LeZion
July 12, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The TIROS-3 satellite was launched from Florida, and the MIDAS-3Missile Defense Alarm SystemThe Missile Defense Alarm System was an American system of 12 early-warning satellites that provided limited notice of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile launches between 1960 and 1966...
satellite was fired into orbit from California. TIROS-3 would become the first satellite to photograph storms during the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season1961 Atlantic hurricane seasonThe 1961 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 15, 1961, and lasted until November 15, 1961. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. The season had seven major hurricanes, the second highest number on...
. The MIDAS-3 spy satellite reached orbit, but ran out of power after only five orbits when its solar power arrays failed to completely deploy. - A Czechoslovakian Airlines Ilyushin-18 turboprop airplane crashed while attempting to make a landing 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...
, 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...
, killing all 72 persons on board. The flight had originated in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and stopped at ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
before continuing to Africa. The accident came one day after United Airlines Flight 859, a DC-8 jet, crashed while landing in Denver, killing 17 people on board. - Identical StrangersIdentical StrangersIdentical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited is a 2007 memoir written by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein and published by Random House. The twins were given up by their mentally ill mother and separated as infants, in part, to participate in a twin study. They were adopted by...
: Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland and David Kellman were born at Long Island Jewish Hospital and put up for adoption to three separate families, each unaware of the multiple birth. By chance, the identical triplets discovered each other in 1980, and found out that the Louise Wise Agency had secretly studied them to gather data on separation of twins and triplets. - Lech Walesa, 17, began working at the Lenin Shipyard in GdańskGdanskGdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1980, he would lead a strike there and help form the Solidarność (Solidarity) trade union, a key moment in the downfall of Communism. - Mario JascalevichMario JascalevichThe "Dr. X" killings were a series of suspicious deaths, by curare poisoning, in 1966 at a Bergen County, New Jersey hospital. A newspaper investigation during the mid-1960s led to the indictment of an Argentina-born physician, Mario Enrique Jascalevich , in 1976...
was granted his medical license by the state of New Jersey. He later would be indicted for homicide in the multiple deaths of patients at the Riverdell HospitalRiverdell HospitalRiverdell Hospital was an 80-bed hospital at 576 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, New Jersey in the United States. The hospital was established in 1959 and thrived for many years until it became associated with the "Dr. X" murder trial of former chief surgeon Dr. Mario Jascalevich...
in Oradell, New JerseyOradell, New JerseyOradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
. - A dam at PanshetPanshetPanshet Dam, also called Tanajisagar Dam, is a dam on the Ambi river about 50 km southwest of the city of Pune in western India. The dam was constructed in late 1950s for irrigation and, along with three other dams nearby, Varasgaon, Temghar and Khadakwasla, it supplies drinking water to Pune...
in India the burst, causing massive flooding in the city of PunePunePune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. Although there was significant damage to property, there was little to no loss of human life. - Eight people were killed when lightning struck a tobacco curing barn in Clinton, North CarolinaClinton, North CarolinaClinton is the county seat of Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population of Clinton is 8,639 according to the 2010 US Census. Clinton is named for American Revolution General Richard Clinton.-History:...
, where they had taken shelter from a storm. Although they were inside, the victims had been sitting on metal surfaces when the bolt hit. - An alleged "unexplained incident" is said to have occurred in Shreveport, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, when peachesPeachesA peach is a type of fruit that is different shades of orange in color and fuzzy. Peaches contain a pit at their core, which is a seed for a peach tree.Peaches may refer to:See Nectarines-People:* Lori Fullington, who wrestled as "Peaches"...
"fell from the sky" on a group of carpenters roofing a house. Though oft-repeated, there were no contemporary accounts of such an occurrence http://news.google.com/archivesearch?as_q=shreveport+peaches&num=10&hl=en&btnG=Search+Archives&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_user_ldate=07%2F01%2F1961&as_user_hdate=07%2F31%2F1961&lr=&as_src=&as_price=p0&as_scoring=a and the earliest mention appears to have been in a 1978 book. - The first Ohrid Summer FestivalOhrid Summer FestivalThe Ohrid summer Festival is a festival founded on 4 August 1961, always taking place between 12 July and 20 August in the city of Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia. It is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia and sponsors. The President of the Republic of Macedonia is the...
opened in Macedonia. - The Voynich manuscriptVoynich manuscriptThe Voynich manuscript, described as "the world's most mysterious manuscript", is a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy. It is named after the book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912....
was sold for the last time, to bookdealer Hans Kraus for $24,500. Although the undeciphered medieval book had been the subject of much study, and Kraus asked as much as $160,000 for it, he had no takers, and finally donated it to Yale University in 1969. - Died: Mazo de la RocheMazo de la RocheMazo de la Roche , born Mazo Louise Roche in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, was the author of the Jalna novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time.-Early life:...
, 82, Canadian novelist; Roger TredwellRoger TredwellRoger Culver Tredwell was an American diplomat. He received international attention when he was imprisoned in Russian Central Asia by Bolshevik forces shortly after the Russian Revolution.-Diplomatic career:...
, 76, American diplomat, best known for his imprisonment during the Russian Revolution in 1918
July 13, 1961 (Thursday)
- In "the last of the early Cold War spy cases", Robert SoblenRobert SoblenDr. Robert Soblen , was a prominent member of the pro-Trotsky Left Opposition in Germany in the 1930s. He moved to the United States in 1941 with his brother Jack Soble, and was arrested in 1960 as a Soviet spy. Convicted and sentenced to life in prison, he fled the U.S...
was convicted of espionage for the Soviet Union against the United States. Sentenced to life imprisonment, but allowed to post bail while the conviction was on appeal, Soblen fled to Israel. He took an overdose of barbiturates while awaiting deportation back to the U.S. and died on September 11, 1962. - Born: Anders JärrydAnders JärrydAnders Per Järryd is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won eight Grand Slam doubles titles , reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5.Järryd was born in Lidköping, Västra Götaland...
, Swedish tennis player, in Lidköping
July 14, 1961 (Friday)
- Martti MiettunenMartti MiettunenMartti Johannes Miettunen , was a politician in Finland. He was prime minister in 1961–1962 and 1975–1977.Miettunen was born in Simo...
, the Governor of Lapland, replaced Vieno Johannes Sukselainen as Prime Minister of Finland. Sukselainen had been forced to resign after being convicted of abusing public funds. - Born: Unsuk ChinUnsuk ChinUnsuk Chin , is a South Korean composer of classical music, based in Berlin, Germany. She was awarded the Grawemeyer Award in 2004 and the Arnold Schönberg Prize in 2005.- Biography :...
, Korean composer, in
July 15, 1961 (Saturday)
- In PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, President Ayub Khan promulgated the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961 to supersede traditional Sunni and Shia Muslim law practices concerning marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Under the unpopular MFLO, divorces, remairrages, and polygamous marriages had to be approved by a local Arbitration Council, and violations of the law were punishable by jail. - William A. Fitzgerald, alias Nathan Boya, became the fifth person known to have ridden over Niagara Falls and survived. Fitzgerald, an African-American, encased himself in a six foot diameter "rubber-coated steel ball", and said, "I have integrated Niagara Falls."
- ElectionsVictorian state election, 1961Elections were held in the Australian state of Victoria on 15 July 1961 to elect the 66 members of the state's Legislative Assembly and 17 members of the 34-member Legislative Council. The Liberal and Country Party government of Premier Henry Bolte won a third term in office...
were held in the Australian state of Victoria to elect the 66 members of the state's Legislative Assembly and 17 members of the 34-member Legislative Council. The Liberal and Country Party (LCP) government of Premier Henry BolteHenry BolteSir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
won a third term in office. - The 1961 British Grand Prix1961 British Grand PrixThe 1961 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race, held on 15 July 1961 at the Aintree Circuit, near Liverpool. It was the fifth race of eight in the 1961 World Championship season...
at Aintree was won by Phil HillPhil HillPhilip Toll Hill, Jr., was a United States automobile racer and the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. Hill was described as a "thoughtful, gentle man" and once said, "I'm in the wrong business. I don't want to beat anybody, I don't want to be the big hero...
. - Born: Forest WhitakerForest WhitakerForest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
, African-American film actor, and winner of 2002 Academy Award for Best Actor; in Longview, TexasLongview, TexasLongview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is... - Died: Anselmo Alliegro y Milá, 61, former acting President of Cuba
July 16, 1961 (Sunday)
- The Singleton Bank rail crashSingleton Bank rail crashThe Singleton Bank rail crash occurred on 16 July 1961 near Weeton, Lancashire, England. Seven were killed and 116 were injured.The 8:50 diesel multiple unit train from to collided with the rear of a ballast train at about...
occurred in Lancashire, England, when the 8:50 diesel multiple unitDiesel multiple unitA diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
passenger train from } to collided with the rear of a ballast train at about 45 miles per hour (72.4 km/h). Seven people, including the driver, were killed, and another 116 were injured. - In one of the bloodiest battles up to that time in fighting in Vietnam, 187 Viet Cong and 12 South Vietnamese troops were killed in a clash at the Plain of Reeds. "200 Red Guerillas Killed In Viet Trap", Miami News, July 17, 1961, p1
- Died: George Jivajirao Scindia of Gwalior, 45, last Maharaja of Gwalior state in central India
July 17, 1961 (Monday)
- Valery Brumel of the Soviet Union broke the world record for the high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
with a leap of 2.24 meters. On June 18, Brumel had reached 2.23 meters, appearing to have bested the record set in 1960 by American John Thomas, until Thomas's 1960 record of 7 feet, 3¾ inches, was recalculated from 2.22 to 2.23 When Brumel and Thomas competed against each other at the USA-USSR dual track and field meet in MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Brumel set a new mark of 2.24 m or 7'4". At the same meet, Ralph BostonRalph BostonRalph Harold Boston is an American athlete. He was an all around athletic star, but he is best remembered for his successes in the long jump during the 1960s....
broke his own record in the long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, reaching 8.28 m or 27'2". - Born: Jeremy HardyJeremy HardyJeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...
, English comedian and broadcaster, in Farnborough, Hampshire; Veton SurroiVeton SurroiVeton Surroi is a popular Kosovo Albanian publicist and politician. Surroi is the founder and former leader of the ORA reformist political party, and was a member of Kosovo assembly from 2004 to 2008...
, Kosovo Albanian newspaper publisher and politician - Died: Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, 74, American baseball player;
July 18, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The Basque separatist group ETAETAETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
(Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) carried out its first act of terrorism on the 25th anniverary of the 1936 uprising that brought Francisco FrancoFrancisco FrancoFrancisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
to power in SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, by sabotaging a train carrying hundreds of veterans to San SebastiánSan SebastiánDonostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
. Whether it was a plan "to derail the trains without harming any of the passengers, or an action which, "had it not been discovered.. might well have caused injuries or even deaths" no trains were derailed, but the Franco government arrested more than 100 Basque activists and sentenced many of them to long prison terms. The ETA responded by stepping up its attacks. - Meeting at Bad GodesbergBad GodesbergBad Godesberg is a municipal district of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 till 1990 , the majority of foreign embassies to Germany were located in Bad Godesberg...
in West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, the leaders of the six European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
nations (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany) agreed to a plan to hold regular summits, and to further the goals of "political unification" of the Common Market nations, a forerunner of the European Community. - At a soborSoborA sobor is a council of bishops together with other clerical and lay delegates representing the church as a whole in matters of importance...
(council) in Zagorsk of bishops of the Russian Orthodox ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, Alexy I, the Patriarch of Moscow, pressured the assembled group to approve changes in the laws of the church. The new rules, demanded by 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...
in a meeting with Alexy, transferred control of affairs in the various parishes, from the local priests, to committees of three laymen who would follow the guidance of the Soviet Communist Party. - Born: Elizabeth McGovernElizabeth McGovern-Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat...
, American actress, in Evanston, Illinois - Died: Alfréd DeésyAlfréd DeésyAlfréd Deésy was a Hungarian film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 77 films between 1915 and 1947...
, 73, Hungarian actor and film director; and Hod EllerHod EllerHorace Owen Eller was a pitcher in Major League Baseball.Eller started his minor league career in 1913 and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds after the 1916 season. He pitched five years for the Reds, going 60-40 with a 2.62 earned run average .Eller peaked in the Reds' pennant-winning 1919 season...
, 67, American baseball player
July 19, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The first regularly scheduled in-flight movie service began, as a TWATrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
flight from New York to Los Angeles showed By Love PossessedBy Love Possessed (film)By Love Possessed is a 1961 drama film distributed by United Artists. The movie was directed by John Sturges, and written by Charles Schnee, based on the novel by James Gould Cozzens...
to its first class customers. - Bizerte crisisBizerte crisisThe Bizerte Crisis occurred in July 1961 when Tunisia imposed a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte, Tunisia, hoping to force its evacuation...
: TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
sent troops to surround the French naval base at BizerteBizerteBizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, beginning a standoff between the two nations. The demonstration started out peacefully until 2:15 pm, when a French Army helicopter was fired at by ground forces while flying supplies into the base. France responded by bombing and strafing the Tunisian positions as the two sides exchanged gunfire. Two days later, France attacked the city of Bizerte. French losses were 13 dead and 35 wounded. The Tunisians suffered 670 dead and 1,555 wounded. - An Aerolíneas ArgentinasAerolíneas ArgentinasAerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
DC-6 airplane crashed while flying from Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to Comodoro RivadaviaComodoro RivadaviaComodoro Rivadavia is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of the Chenque Hill. Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San Jorge Basin....
, killing all 67 persons on board. The plane had been attempting to make an emergency landing at Azul and burst into flames after crashing near Chachari. - The USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600)USS Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600)USS Theodore Roosevelt , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for President Theodore Roosevelt . Initially unnamed and assigned hull classification symbol SSGN-600 as a guided missile submarine, her keel was laid down on 20 May 1958 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard using...
began its first deterrent patrol, loaded with PolarisPolarisPolaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
missiles. - The first moves were made in the formation of the NATO Tiger AssociationNATO Tiger AssociationThe NATO Tiger Association or the Association of Tiger Squadrons was established in 1961. Promoted by French Defence minister Pierre Messmer, its role is to promote solidarity between NATO air forces...
. - Born: Harsha BhogleHarsha BhogleHarsha Bhogle is an Indian cricket commentator and journalist. He was born in a Marathi speaking family in Hyderabad.-Early life:...
, Indian cricket commentator and journalist, in Hyderabad - Died: Hjalmar GullbergHjalmar GullbergHjalmar Gullberg was a Swedish writer, poet and translator of Greek drama into Swedish.Gullberg was born in Malmö, Skåne. As a student at Lund University, he was the editor of the student magazine Lundagård. He was the manager of the Swedish Radio Theatre 1936-1950...
, 63, Swedish poet (suicide)
July 20, 1961 (Thursday)
- Meeting in Cairo, the Council of the Arab LeagueArab LeagueThe Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
voted to admit KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
as its 11th member nation, and to send troops to replace the British in protecting the newly independent state from annexation by IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Admission of new members required unanimous approval by the representatives present, but Iraq's Foreign Minister, Hashim Jawad, had made the mistake of boycotting the meeting in protest. - Three years after EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
had merged their governments to form 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...
, with Egypt's Gamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel NasserGamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
as President, Nasser nationalized Syria's banks, insurance companies, and other private businesses. Nasser's moves to put Syria's economy under his control would prompt the breakup of the UAR two months later. - After two years of living and working in MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, 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...
applied to the Soviet Union for an exit visa so that he could return to the United States. He, his wife and daughter were finally granted permission to leave on May 30, 1962. - What is now the Barzilai Medical CenterBarzilai Medical CenterBarzilai Medical Center is a 490-bed hospital in Ashkelon in southern Israel. The Hospital serves a population of 500,000, including a large number of Ethiopian and Russian immigrants. It has 100,000 admissions annually.-History:...
opened at AshkelonAshkelonAshkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, Israel, and is named for Yisrael BarzilaiYisrael BarzilaiYisrael Barzilai was an Israeli politician who served as a government minister during the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Biography:Born in an area that was later to become part of Poland), Barzilai joined Hashomer Hatzair at the age of 11. In 1932 he moved to Paris to study, before making aliyah to...
. - Hurricane AnnaHurricane Anna (1961)Hurricane Anna was the first named storm and hurricane of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season. Anna formed on July 20 and moved westward on a path similar to Hurricane Abby in 1960, where it reached Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...
formed in the Atlantic.
July 21, 1961 (Friday)
- Mercury programMercury programMercury Program might refer to:*the first successful American manned spaceflight program, Project Mercury*an American post-rock band, The Mercury Program...
: Gus GrissomGus GrissomVirgil Ivan Grissom , , better known as Gus Grissom, was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and a United States Air Force pilot...
, piloting the Mercury-Redstone 4Mercury-Redstone 4Mercury-Redstone 4 was the second United States manned space mission, launched on July 21, 1961. The Mercury program suborbital flight used a Redstone rocket. The spacecraft was named Liberty Bell 7 piloted by astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom. It reached an altitude of more than 118.26 mi ...
capsule Liberty Bell 7, became the second American astronaut to go into space. Grissom lifted off at 7:20 am, reached an altitude of 118 miles without attaining orbit, then descended in his capsule by parachute, with splashdownSplashdownSplashdown may refer to:* Splashdown , the landing of spacecraft or satellites in a body of water* Splashdown , the second season finale of "seaQuest DSV"...
at 7:36. The hatch opened prematurely, and Grissom escaped and swam to safety as the capsule filled with water. Although a helicopter managed to secure the capsule and attempted to lift it, weight of the water added 4,000 pounds to the load. The $5,000,000 spacecraft was cut loose and sank to the bottom of the oceana, and would not be found until May 1999. Grissom almost drowned when water filled his suit, and a 10-foot long shark was observed in the water soon after his rescue. Grissom would die in 1967, unable to escape the capsule of Apollo 1Apollo 1Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"...
when it caught fire. An unidentified NASA official commented, "We've got only one Gus, but we've got plenty of space capsules." - DominicaDominicaDominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
adopted a new coat of armsCoat of arms of DominicaThe coat of arms of Dominica was adopted on July 21, 1961. It consists of a shield with two guardian Sisserou Parrots bracing the shield atop of which is a raging lion. The quadrants of the shield depict a canoe, a banana tree, a palm and a frog of the native species known as the mountain chicken...
, consisting of a shield with two guardian Sisserou Parrots bracing the shield atop of which is a raging lion. - Alaska Airlines Flight 779Alaska Airlines Flight 779Alaska Airlines Flight 779 was a Douglas DC-6 operating under contract to the United States Air Force's Military Air Transport Service. On July 21, 1961, it crashed at Shemya, Alaska, killing all six on board.-Synopsis:...
crashed at Shemya, Alaska, killing all six people on board. - Born: Sergiy BychkovSergiy BychkovSergiy Anatoliyovych Bychkov , is a Ukrainian politician, civil engineer and lawyer. He is a leader of the “Strong Ukraine” all-Ukrainian non-governmental organization.-Biography:...
, Ukrainian politician, in Dnipropetrovsk; Amar Singh ChamkilaAmar Singh ChamkilaAmar Singh Chamkila was a controversial Punjabi singer, songwriter, and musician. His detractors lamented the vulgarity in his songs while his fans relished their sensual appeal. He was also among the major Punjabi live stage performers or Akhara singers...
, Punjabi musician, in Dugri (died 1988); Morris IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
, Australian politician, in Sydney - Died: Sérvulo GutiérrezSérvulo GutiérrezSérvulo Gutiérrez Alarcón was a Peruvian artist, described by The Times as "Peru’s most celebrated painter". He was initially untaught and self-educated, but then trained under the artist Emilio Pettoruti. Gutiérrez had a relationship with Doris Gibson.- Life :Sérvulo Gutiérrez was born in Ica...
, 47, Peruvian artist
July 22, 1961 (Saturday)
- The Economic Planning Board (EPB) was created by order of South Korean dictator Park Chung Hee, to implement the goals of the Comprehensive Economic Development Five-Year Plan, drafted by three young economists (Kim Song Bom, 37; Paek Yong Chan, 32; and Chong So Yong, 29). South Korea went from being a poor nation to an economic powerhouse; per capita incomeEconomy of South KoreaSouth Korea has a market economy which ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP and 12th by purchasing power parity , identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. It is a high-income developed country, with a developed market, and is a member of OECD...
rose from $80 to $1,000 during Park's 18 years in office. The gross national product, only $2.7 billion when Park took office, is now more than one trillion dollars. - The British government agreed to pay the government of San Marino the sum of 732,000,000 Italian lira (80,000 British pounds, or at the time US $224,000) as compensation for the erroneous bombing of the republic on June 26, 1944, during a British raid on ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The attack on the small (38 square miles) republic had killed 59 people and caused extensive damage. San Marino's Grand Council had refused the £80,000 offer in 1946. - The Roman Catholic Diocese of TilaránRoman Catholic Diocese of TilaránThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Tilarán is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San José de Costa Rica.-Ordinaries:*Román Arrieta Villalobos *Héctor Morera Vega - Bishop Emeritus...
and the Roman Catholic Diocese of HuehuetenangoRoman Catholic Diocese of HuehuetenangoThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Huehuetenango is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán. It was elevated on 23 December 1967.-Ordinaries:...
were erected.
July 23, 1961 (Sunday)
- The Sandinistas were created by Nicaraguan leftists Carlos FonsecaCarlos FonsecaFor the Brazilian boxer with the same name see Carlos Fonseca .Carlos Fonseca Amador was a Nicaraguan teacher and librarian who founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front...
, Silvio Mayorga, and Tomas Borge, while they were living in the HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Fonseca had included the name of Augusto Sandino in the name of the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN, the Sandinista National Liberation Front). The FSLN would topple the government of Anastasio Somoza in 1979 and win control of Nicaragua. - Bizerte crisisBizerte crisisThe Bizerte Crisis occurred in July 1961 when Tunisia imposed a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte, Tunisia, hoping to force its evacuation...
: French troops overran the town near their naval base, killing 630 deaths and wounding 1,555. - Born: Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, American actor, in Midland, TexasMidland, TexasMidland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
;Michael DurantMichael DurantMichael J. "Mike" Durant is an American pilot and author who was held prisoner for eleven days in 1993 after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a Chief Warrant Officer 3...
, American pilot held hostage in Somalia during 1993, in Berlin, New HampshireBerlin, New HampshireBerlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest...
; and Vikram ChandraVikram ChandraVikram Chandra is an Indian writer. His first novel, Red Earth and Pouring Rain, won the 1996 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Best First Book....
, Indian novelist, in New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is... - Died: Shigeko HigashikuniShigeko Higashikuniwas the wife of Prince Higashikuni Morihiro and eldest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun. As such, she was the elder sister to the present Emperor of Japan, Emperor Akihito.-Biography:...
, 35, Princess of Japan and daughter of the Emperor HirohitoHirohito, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
July 24, 1961 (Monday)
- Eastern Airlines Flight 202 was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Miami, en route to Tampa. Wilfred Roman Oquendo, a Cuban-born American citizen, who had boarded as "J. Marin" and carried a pistol onboard, entered the cockpit and forced the pilot to fly to Cuba. The crew of 5 and the other 32 passengers were allowed to fly back to Miami the next day, while Fidel Castro did not allow the release of the Lockheed L-188 ElectraLockheed L-188 ElectraThe Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design...
until August 15. Oquendo was indicted for 37 counts of kidnapping by a federal grand jury on August 23, and never returned to the United States. - Born: Michael DonaldMichael DonaldMichael Donald was a young African American man who was murdered by two Ku Klux Klan members in Mobile, Alabama, in 1981. The murder is sometimes referred to as the last recorded lynching in the United States.-Lynching:...
, American victim of a Ku Klux Klan lynching in 1981
July 25, 1961 (Tuesday)
- Berlin CrisisBerlin Crisis of 1961The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
: President Kennedy delivered a nationwide address on American television and radio, making clear that if the Soviet Union attempted to take control of West Berlin, then the United States would be prepared to go to war, even at the risk of nuclear annihilation. "We must have sea and air lift capable of moving our forces quickly and in large numbers to any part of the world," said Kennedy, and announced that he was "ordering that our draft calls be doubled and tripled" to increase the U.S. Army from 875,000 to one million men. Kennedy then announced, "We have another sober responsibility. To recognize the possibilities of nuclear war in the missile age, without our citizens knowing what they should do and where they should go if bombs begin to fall, would be a failure of responsibility." To that end, he would ask Congress for funding to identify and stock "fallout shelters in case of attack" and upgrade an emergency warning system, adding that "In the event of an attack, the lives of those families which are not hit in a nuclear blast and fire can still be saved--if they can be warned to take shelter and if that shelter is available." "It was nearly a presidential proclamation of a national emergency," one author would note later, "with the unmistakable implication that nuclear war might be imminent." - The very last Convair B-36Convair B-36The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built , although there have...
Peacemaker strategic bomber was dismantled at AMARC the aircraft boneyardAircraft boneyardAircraft boneyard is a term for a storage area for aircraft that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage or turned into scrap metal...
at Davis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis-Monthan Air Force BaseDavis–Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located within the city limits, and approximately south-southeast of downtown, Tucson, Arizona....
at Tucson, Arizona. - The Secular Institute of the Scalabrinian Missionary Women was founded by the Missionaries of St. Charles BorromeoMissionaries of St. Charles BorromeoThe Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo or Scalabrinian Missionaries are a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers and priests founded by Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza in Italy, in 1887...
. - Born: Johan H. Andresen jr.Johan H. Andresen jr.Johan H. Andresen jr. is a Norwegian businessman and investor. According to the 2008 tax records, he is one of the wealthiest people in Norway, with a net worth of more than $2 billion. Much of his fortune stems from a tobacco factory, Tiedemanns.Andresen was born in 1961 in Oslo, the son of...
, richest man in Norway (2008 figures), in Oslo; Jerry Hill, American racing driver, in Brandywine, Maryland
July 26, 1961 (Wednesday)
- Voters in Southern RhodesiaZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(now ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
), mostly white, approved a new Constitution guaranteeing some representation to the black majority. The results were 41,949 to 21,846 in favor, with the Parliament of Rhodesia having 50 seats for Whites, and 15 for Blacks. - On a visit to East Germany, Soviet leader 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...
agreed to let DDR leader Walter UlbrichtWalter UlbrichtWalter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
order construction of the Berlin WallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
.
July 27, 1961 (Thursday)
- Cyril I was recognized as the first Patriarch of All BulgariaPatriarch of All BulgariaThe Patriarch of All Bulgaria is the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The Bulgarian patriarchate was re-established in 1953.-History:...
since the 14th Century14th centuryAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1301 to December 31, 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age....
, after the Ecumenical Patriarchate of ConstantinopleEcumenical Patriarchate of ConstantinopleThe Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , part of the wider Orthodox Church, is one of the fourteen autocephalous churches within the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
decreed the restoration of the office, and declared Cyril (Konstantin Konstantinov) to be patriarch. - In the UK, the Mock Auctions Act 1961Mock Auctions Act 1961The Mock Auctions Act 1961 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that regulated mock auctions. It was repealed by the Statutory Instrument "Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008" .-Background:...
received royal assent.
July 28, 1961 (Friday)
- The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
informed its six partners in the European Free Trade AssociationEuropean Free Trade AssociationThe European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,...
(EFTA) that it intended to file an application to join the six-member European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(also known as the EEC or the Common Market). A formal announcement was not made until July 31. - The first wristwatch made in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, manufactured by Hindustan Machine ToolsHindustan Machine ToolsHindustan Machine Tools was incorporated in 1953 by the Government of India as a machine tool manufacturing company.Over the years diversified into watches, tractors, printing machinery, metal forming presses, die casting & plastic processing machinery, CNC systems & bearings...
(HMT), was presented to Prime Minister Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
in BangaloreBangaloreBengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
. The company had been set up in collaboration with the Japanese manufacturer Citizen Holdings, maker of the Citizen watch. - Died: Shigeru TonomuraShigeru Tonomurawas a Japanese author of I novels. Kanji of his real name was 外村 茂, but it was same reading as the pen name.Tonomura was born into a conservative merchant's family in Shiga Prefecture and raised by devout parents who believed in Pure Land Buddhism. After graduation from the University of Tokyo with...
, 58, Japanese novelist
July 29, 1961 (Saturday)
- The islands of Wallis and FutunaWallis and FutunaWallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
, located in the South Pacific Ocean, were accepted as "an integral part of the French Republic" in the form of a single French overseas territoryOverseas departments and territories of FranceThe French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
. - Using an IBM 7090 computer, researchers Daniel Shanks and John W. Wrench, Jr., were able to calculate the value of piPi' is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter. is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formulae in mathematics, science, and engineering involve , which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants...
to 100,000 digits for the first time. In 1949, prior to the use of computers, the first 1,120 digits had been found "by hand". The same year, the ENIAC computer took 70 hours to reach 2,037 decimal places. The 10,000 mark had been broken in 1957 on an IBM 704 in 100 minutes. The IBM 7090 operation took 8 hours and 43 minutes. - Country music singer Patsy ClinePatsy ClinePatsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
sang at a concert in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a recording was made of the live performance. Thirty years after Cline's death in 1963, the tape was purchased at a yard sale. MCA Records bought the rights, enhanced the sound quality, and on July 29, 1997, released it in CD form as Live at the Cimarron BallroomLive at the Cimarron BallroomLive At the Cimarron Ballroom is a live album released by MCA Records to promote a concert by legendary Country singer Patsy Cline performing live in 1961....
.
- KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
Director Alexander ShelepinAlexander ShelepinAlexander Nikolayevich Shelepin was a Soviet state security officer and party statesman. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and its Politburo and was the head of the KGB from 25 December 1958 to 13 November 1961.Shelepin was born in Voronezh...
presented to Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev the outline for a plan to combat "The Main Adversary", the euphemism for the United States. The Shelepin recommendation, accepted by the Politburo three days later, was to finance popular uprisings in Central American nations and to spread disinformation in the NATO nations. After the end of the Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, when secret American and Russian documents were finally declassified, the Shelepin plan was revealed by retired KGB archivist Vasili MitrokhinVasili MitrokhinVasili Nikitich Mitrokhin was a Major and senior archivist for the Soviet Union's foreign intelligence service, the First Chief Directorate of the KGB, and co-author with Christopher Andrew of The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in Europe and the West, a massive account of Soviet intelligence...
. - Born: Dimitris SaravakosDimitris SaravakosDimitrios "Dimitris" Saravakos , nicknamed O Μικρός is a Greek former football player, considered to be one of the best Greek football players of all time. He started his career in Panionios and later he moved on to Panathinaikos FC, where Saravakos gained fame and matured as a footballer,...
, Greek footballer
July 30, 1961 (Sunday)
- The Communist Party of the Soviet UnionCommunist Party of the Soviet UnionThe Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
unveiled First Secretary Khrushchev's twenty-year program for reform, with 47,000 words printed in nine of the ten pages of the newspaper PravdaPravdaPravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
and broadcast in a six hour program on Radio Moscow. Among the promises were that by 1970, the workday would be reduced to six hours, and the USSR would surpass the United States in industrial and agricultural production. By 1980, Soviet workers would enjoy free housing and public utilities, free public transportation, and free meals at schools and at the workplace.
- The first NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
race (referred to at the time as the Volunteer 500) at Bristol Motor SpeedwayBristol Motor SpeedwayBristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
, the shortest track on the circuit, was won by Jack Smith (who started the race) and Johnny Allen, who finished after Smith's foot was burned by his car. A.R. Schaefer, Bristol Motor Speedway (Capstone Press, 2006) p10 - Born: Laurence FishburneLaurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
, American stage, film and TV actor; in Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, GeorgiaAugusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
; and Víctor TrujilloVíctor TrujilloVíctor Trujillo , is a Mexican host, comedian and political commentator. He is best known for his character Brozo el Payaso Tenebroso , a green-haired, unkempt, obscene and aggressive clown ....
, Mexican TV and film comedian, in Mexico City - Died: Mamin KolyuMamin KolyuNikola Koev Nikolov , known as Mamin Kolyu was a Bulgarian revolutionary of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Revolutionary Organization who fought for the liberation of Macedonia and Thrace from Ottoman rule.Mamin Kolyu was born on 20 March 1880 in Haskovo as...
, 81, Bulgarian revolutionary; and Domenico Tardini, 73, Vatican Secretary of State since 1958
July 31, 1961 (Monday)
- The IBM Selectric typewriterIBM Selectric typewriterThe IBM Selectric typewriter was a highly successful model line of electric typewriters introduced by IBM on July 31, 1961.Instead of the "basket" of individual typebars that swung up to strike the ribbon and page in a traditional typewriter, the Selectric had a type element that rotated and...
was placed on the market by International Business Machines. The "typeball", a sphere with the characters on it, replaced the individual "typebars", and moved along the paper while the carriage stood still, and could be switched out to accommodate different fonts. Initially selling at $395, the Selectric soon became the most popular typewriter in the world, until superseded by the word processor. - At Fenway ParkFenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
in Boston, Massachusetts, the first All-Star GameAll-star gameAn all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
tie in Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history occurred. The game was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain, with the score tied 1-1. Not until 2002 would another MLB All-Star Game end in a tie. "All-Stars Duel to 1-1 Draw", Milwaukee Sentinel, August 1, 1961, p2-2 - IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
submitted its first ever application to join the then European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
. - Jerry BarberJerry BarberCarl Jerome "Jerry" Barber was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour.Barber was born in Woodson, Illinois, and was one of nine children raised on a Jacksonville, Illinois farm. He turned professional in 1942. Among his seven tour victories, was the 1961 PGA Championship at...
won the 1961 PGA Championship1961 PGA ChampionshipThe 1961 PGA Championship was the 43rd PGA Championship played July 27–31 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Jerry Barber won the championship in an 18-hole playoff over Don January .-Final leaderboard:...
at Olympia Fields near Chicago, beating Don JanuaryDon JanuaryDonald Ray January is an American professional golfer.January was born in Plainview, Texas, and graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas...
by a single stroke (67 to 68) after the two were forced into a playoff.