June 1961
Encyclopedia
January
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– June – July
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– December
The following events occurred in June
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 – July
July 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1961.-July 1, 1961 :...
– August
August 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1961.-August 1, 1961 :...
– September
September 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1961.-September 1, 1961 :...
– October
October 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1961:-October 1, 1961 :...
– November
November 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November-DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1961.-November 1, 1961 :...
– December
December 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1961:-December 1, 1961 :...
The following events occurred in June
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
1961.
June 1, 1961 (Thursday)
- WGFMWRVEWRVE is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley of New York. It broadcasts at 99.5 FM at 14.5 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Guilderland, New York...
of Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New YorkSchenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, became the first radio station to broadcast FM stereo, on 99.5 MHz. The station is now WRVEWRVEWRVE is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley of New York. It broadcasts at 99.5 FM at 14.5 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Guilderland, New York...
. - Capital AirlinesCapital AirlinesCapital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
, at the time the fifth largest carrier in the U.S., was acquired by United AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, making United the world's largest commercial airline. - The northern part of the British Cameroons Trust Territory was incorporated into the Federation of NigeriaFederation of NigeriaFederation of Nigeria can refer to:* Federation of Nigeria , a British autonomous territory from 1954 to 1960 formed from the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria...
in accordance with a plebiscite. - The birth control pill was introduced 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....
, as Anovlar, developed by the Berlin pharmaceutical company Schering AG, became available for prescription. - The Golden KnightsUnited States Army Parachute TeamThe United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed and commonly known as the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army...
was designated as the official demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Ellen Hopkins, The Golden Knights: The U.S. Army Parachute Team (Capstone Press, 2001) p18 - LAFTA, the Latin American Free Trade Association (known in its member nations as ALALC, the Asociacion Latino-Americana por la Libre Comerico) came into existence under the terms of the 1960 Treaty of Montevideo, and consisted of all South American and Central American nations except for PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. - Born: Pattie MaesPattie MaesPattie Maes is an associate professor in MIT's Program in Media Arts and Sciences. She founded and directed the MIT Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces group. Previously, she founded and ran the Software Agents group. She currently acts as the associate Department Head for the Media, Arts and Sciences...
, Belgian-American computer scientist and pioneer in software agentSoftware agentIn computer science, a software agent is a piece of software that acts for a user or other program in a relationship of agency, which derives from the Latin agere : an agreement to act on one's behalf...
technology; in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
June 2, 1961 (Friday)
- SS CanberraSS CanberraSS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of £17,000,000. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra...
, with room for 2,198 passengers and, at 45,270 gross tons, the largest British ocean liner to be built after World War II, departed SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on its maiden voyage, bound for Australia. - J. Millard TawesJ. Millard TawesJohn Millard Tawes , a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 54th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1959 to 1967. He remains the only Marylander to be elected to the three positions of State Treasurer, Comptroller, and Governor.-Early life and family:Tawes was born to...
, Governor of Maryland, dedicated a granite and bronze monument in the grounds of the State House at Annapolis to the memory of the USS MarylandUSS Maryland (BB-46)USS Maryland , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the seventh state.Her keel was laid down 24 April 1917 by Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 20 March 1920, and sponsored by Mrs. E. Brook Lee, wife of the...
, nicknamed the "Fighting Mary", and her crew. - Born: Liam Cunningham, Irish actor, in Dublin
- Died: George S. KaufmanGeorge S. KaufmanGeorge Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers...
, 71, American playwright; and Mikhail KhrunichevMikhail KhrunichevMikhail Vasilyevich Khrunichev was a Soviet Union statesman, lieutenant-general in the technical and engineering corps , who was awarded the title of Soviet Hero of Socialist Labour in 1945....
, 60, Soviet space program director
June 3, 1961 (Saturday)
- Vienna summitVienna summitThe Vienna summit was a summit meeting held on June 4, 1961 in Vienna, Austria between President John F. Kennedy of the United States and Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. The leaders of the two superpowers of the Cold War era discussed numerous issues in the relationship between their...
: U.S. President John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Soviet Premier 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...
began a two day summit at ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, considered a neutral site. The two world leaders opened discussions with a 75 minute meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Austria. Although described in the press as a "cordial", the first meeting between the young American president and the old Soviet leader was hostile, and Kennedy later described it to New York Times reporter James RestonJames RestonJames Barrett Reston , nicknamed "Scotty," was an American journalist whose career spanned the mid 1930s to the early 1990s. He was associated for many years with the New York Times.-Life:...
as "the worst thing in my life", as Khrushchev lectured him and demanded that Western troops leave Berlin. - Clarence Earl GideonClarence Earl GideonClarence Earl Gideon was a poor drifter accused in a Florida state court of felony theft. His case resulted in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Gideon v...
, a 50 year old drifter, was arrested in Panama City, FloridaPanama City, Florida-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
after being accused of burglary of the Bay Harbor Poolroom. Unable to afford an attorney, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, Gideon filed his own petition for review in the United States Supreme Court. The Court's ruling in the landmark case of Gideon v. WainwrightGideon v. WainwrightGideon v. Wainwright, , is a landmark case in United States Supreme Court history. In the case, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own...
established that state courts would be required to provide counsel for any criminal defendant unable to afford an attorney. - Stirling MossStirling MossSir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
won the 1961 Silver City Trophy1961 Silver City TrophyThe 2nd Silver City Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 3 June 1961 at Brands Hatch Circuit. The race was run over 76 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Stirling Moss in a Lotus 18/21....
at Brands HatchBrands HatchBrands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
. - Died: G.I. Joe (pigeon)G.I. Joe (pigeon)G.I. Joe was a pigeon noted for his service in the United States Army Pigeon Service.During World War II, G.I. Joe saved the lives of the inhabitants of the village of Calvi Vecchia, Italy, and of the British troops occupying it...
, 18. The war pigeonWar pigeonPigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers. After World War II, they ceased being used.- Nineteenth century :...
was credited with saving the lives of 1,000 soldiers of the British 56th Infantry. On October 18, 1943, the division had taken control of the village of Calvi VecchiaCalvi RisortaCalvi Risorta is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located across the Via Casilina about 40 km northwest of Naples and about 25 km northwest of Caserta....
in 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...
, shortly before the RAF was preparing to make an air strike there. The pigeon flew 20 miles to the airfield just as seven RAF bombers were preparing to depart, and the mission was aborted in time.
June 4, 1961 (Sunday)
- Berlin Crisis of 1961Berlin 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...
: On the second day of the Vienna summitVienna summitThe Vienna summit was a summit meeting held on June 4, 1961 in Vienna, Austria between President John F. Kennedy of the United States and Premier Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. The leaders of the two superpowers of the Cold War era discussed numerous issues in the relationship between their...
, Premier Khrushchev informed President Kennedy that the Soviet Union would, in December, sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany whereby "all commitments stemming from Germany's surrender will become invalid", including the stationing of occupation forces in the city. In that BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
was entirely within East Germany, all American, British and French access to the city, including the corridors across East Germany between West Germany and Berlin. Khrushchev added that "it is up to the U.S. to decide whether there will be war or peace", that the Soviet decision to sign the treaty was "firm and irrevocable", and that the treaty would be signed in December. As noted in the memorandum made at the time, and released in 1998, "The President concluded the conversation by observing that it would be a cold winter." - Died: Former General Juan Tomas Diaz, 52, who masterminded the assassination of Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo five days earlier, died in a gunbattle with security agents.
June 5, 1961 (Monday)
- In separate 5-4 rulings, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the McCarran Act, requiring the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) to register the names of all of its members with the U.S. Justice Department (Communist Party v. Subversive Activities Control Board), and the Smith ActSmith ActThe Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...
, which made active Communist Party membership a federal crime "if the individual is aware of the party's subversive goals" (Scales v. United States) - Tony Castellitto, seen as a rival to Anthony ProvenzanoAnthony ProvenzanoAnthony Provenzano also known as Tony Pro was a Caporegime in the Genovese crime family of New York City...
's leadership of the Teamsters Union Local 560 that served New York City, vanished after getting into a car with Provenzano's aide, Salvatore "Sally Bugs" Briguglio. "Tony Pro" was the chief suspect after Teamsters' Boss Jimmy HoffaJimmy HoffaJames Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
disappeared under similar circumstances on July 30, 1975. Provenzano was convicted in 1978 for Castellitto's murder, though Hoffa's killers were never found. - Muhammad Shamte HamadiMuhammad Shamte HamadiSheikh Muhammad Shamte Hamadi was Chief Minister of Zanzibar from 5 June 1961 to 24 June 1963 and Prime Minister from 24 June to 12 January 1964.-References:...
became Chief Minister of ZanzibarZanzibarZanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
. - Born: Mary Kay BergmanMary Kay BergmanMary Kay Bergman was an American voice actress and animation voice over teacher, who was the lead female voice actress on South Park from the show's 1997 debut until her death and was best known as the official voice of Snow White for the Walt Disney Company starting in 1989 with the Snow White...
, American voice actress (South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
), in Los Angeles (committed suicide, 1999)
June 6, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The decennial censusCensus in GermanyA census in Germany was held every five years from 1875 to 1910. After the World Wars, only few full population censuses were held, the last in 1987. Germany, which since has relied on population samples, will participate in the EU-wide census in 2011....
was taken 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....
, and the final tally was that 56,174,826 persons lived there. - South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's military leaders enacted the "Law Concerning Extraordinary Measures for National Reconstruction", replacing the legislative and executive branch with the "Supreme Council of National Reconstruction", consisting of 32 officers and chaired by Major General Park Chung Hee. - Air CongoAir ZaïreAir Zaïre was the national airline of the African nation of Zaire. Its head office was located on the grounds of N'djili Airport in Kinshasa.-Air Congo:...
was formed. - CUSOCUSOCUSO was founded June 6, 1961 as Canadian University Service Overseas . It was a Canadian non-profit organization that provided volunteers to aid in the development of Third World countries. In 2008, CUSO merged with VSO Canada to become CUSO-VSO...
(Canadian University Service Overseas) was founded. - In the United Kingdom, the commercial television franchise for north and west Wales was awarded to Teledu Cymru, the Wales Television Association, and would go on the air on September 14, 1962. It failed in less than three years.
- Died: Carl JungCarl JungCarl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of Analytical Psychology. Jung is considered the first modern psychiatrist to view the human psyche as "by nature religious" and make it the focus of exploration. Jung is one of the best known researchers in the field of dream analysis and...
, 85, Swiss psychiatrist, ten days after completing his work on the book Man and His Symbols.
June 7, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Corporation made its first public stock offering in the United States, with two million shares offered at $1.75 a share on Wall Street. Within two hours, all shares had been sold. - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's war against the Japanese beetleJapanese beetleThe beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about long and wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head...
(Popillia japonica) began with the discovery, by and entomologist, of one of the pests feeding on a flower on the grounds of the California State CapitolCalifornia State CapitolThe California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....
in SacramentoSacramentoSacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. It was soon discovered that an infestation was imminent. For the next four years, the state worked on preventing the beetles from becoming established, with the risk of hundreds of millions of dollars being lost if even 5% of California's fruit crops were destroyed. After four years, the beetle was declared eradicated. - United States Navy ships USS Ulysses (ARB-9)USS Ulysses (ARB-9)USS Ulysses was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Ulysses , she was the second U.S...
and USS Diomedes (ARB-11)USS Diomedes (ARB-11)USS Diomedes was an built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Diomedes , she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name....
were transferred to West German ownership were renamed the Odin and the Wotan, respectively. - Died: Harald GramHarald GramHarald Gram was a Norwegian jurist, politician and genealogist. He was secretary general for the Conservative Party of Norway for 22 years, deputy mayor of Aker, member of Parliament from 1928 to 1936, and stipendiary magistrate in Oslo from 1936 to 1957...
, 72, Norwegian politician
June 8, 1961 (Thursday)
- The results of the 1961 population census of Great Britain were delivered to Parliament, and showed the total population of the island to be 51,294,604 based on 43,430,972 in England, 5,223,000 in Scotland, and 2,640,632 in Wales.
- The Milwaukee Braves became the first team in Major League Baseball history to hit four consecutive home runHome runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in one inning, as Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron, Joe AdcockJoe AdcockJoseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...
and Frank Thomas scored four roundtrippers in four at bats in the 7th against pitcher Jim Maloney of the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. The Reds (and Maloney) won anyway, 10-8. The feat was duplicated twice in the next three years, on July 31, 1963 (Indians v. Angels) and May 2, 1964 (Twins v. A's); then not again for 40 years until September 18, 2006 (Dodgers v. Padres) and, most recently, on April 22, 2007 (Red Sox v. Yankees). - The first public demonstration of a jet pack was made by Bell Laboratories test pilot Harold Graham, who flew the Bell Rocket BeltBell Rocket BeltThe Bell Rocket Belt is a low-power rocket propulsion device that allows an individual to safely travel or leap over small distances. It is a type of rocket pack.-Overview:...
at Fort Eustis, Virginia before a crowd of several hundred military officers and their guests. - Ramón MercaderRamón MercaderJaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández was a Spanish communist who became famous as the murderer of Russian Communist ideologist Leon Trotsky in 1940, in Mexico...
, who had served a 20 year prison sentence in Mexico for the August 20, 1940, assassination of Leon TrotskyLeon TrotskyLeon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
, was awarded the honors of Hero of the Soviet UnionHero of the Soviet UnionThe title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
and the Order of LeninOrder of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
. The ceremony took place at the KremlinKremlinA kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
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...
, and the medals were bestowed by Leonid BrezhnevLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
. - Prince Edward, Duke of KentPrince Edward, Duke of KentThe Duke of Kent graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 29 July 1955 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, the beginning of a military career that would last over 20 years. He was promoted to captain on 29 July 1961. The Duke of Kent saw service in Hong Kong from 1962–63...
, the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II, married Katharine Worsley at York Minster. On the same day in London, Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich of RussiaPrince Vsevolod Ivanovich of RussiaPrince Vsevolod Ivanovich of Russia was a great-great-grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia and a nephew of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. He was the last male member of the Romanov family born in Imperial Russia...
married Valli Knust, niece of German silent film star Valli ValliValli ValliValli Valli, born Valli Knust , was a musical comedy actress and silent film performer born in Berlin, Germany. She was descended from an old English family and lived most of her life in England. Her brother was a captain in the Royal Fusiliers, who fought for the British in France in World War I...
. - A mob of 4,000 farmers seized control of the French town of MorlaixMorlaixMorlaix is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Leisure and tourism:...
at dawn, blocking the roads in and around the 13,000 population town with tractors and trucks, occupying the city hall, and defying the town's 100 member police force. The BretonBreton peopleThe Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
farmers were angry at the limits on the revenue they could receive from their products. The French Interior Ministry sent 130 riot police to disperse the group. - Plans for the establishment of Bangladesh Agricultural UniversityBangladesh Agricultural UniversityBangladesh Agricultural University or BAU was established as the only university of its kind in Bangladesh in 1961. The scheme for the establishment of BAU was finalized on 8 June 1961 and its ordinance was promulgated on 18 August 1961...
were finalized. - Died: Olav BjaalandOlav BjaalandOlav Bjaaland was a Norwegian ski champion from Telemark. In 1911, he was one of the first five men to reach the South Pole as part of an expedition led by Roald Amundsen.- His life :...
, 88, Norwegian ski champion and Antarctic explorer
June 9, 1961 (Friday)
- Bohuslav MartinůBohuslav MartinuBohuslav Martinů was a prolific Czech composer of modern classical music. He was of Czech and Rumanian ancestry. Martinů wrote six symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. Martinů became a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic...
's opera The Greek PassionThe Greek Passion (opera)The Greek Passion is an opera in four acts by Bohuslav Martinů. The libretto, by the composer, is based on the novel The Greek Passion by Nikos Kazantzakis. The opera exists in two versions. Martinů wrote the original version from 1954 to 1957...
was performed for the first time, in 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...
. Nils Holger Petersen, et al., - Jessie James Ferguson was executed in the electric chair in 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...
and on the same day, Nathaniel Lipscomb was put to death in the gas chamber in MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. These were the last executions in either state for more than 20 years until the reinstatement of capital punishment in both. Robert Wayne Williams was executed in Louisiana on December 14, 1983 and John Frederick Thanos on May 17, 1994. - United Nations Security Council Resolution 163United Nations Security Council Resolution 163United Nations Security Council Resolution 163, adopted on June 9, 1961, after General Assembly Resolution 1603 declaring Angola a Non-Self-Governing Territory the Council reaffirmed that resolution calling on Portugal to act in accordance with the terms...
was adopted, calling on Portugal to act in accordance with the terms of General Assembly Resolution 1603 which declared AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
a Non-Self-Governing Territory. - Born: Michael J. FoxMichael J. FoxMichael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
, Canadian film and television actor, in EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
; and Amy DenioAmy DenioAmy Denio is a Seattle -based multi-instrumental composer of soundtracks for modern dance, film and theater, as well as a songwriter and music improviser. Often called an unclassifiable avant-garde jazz musician, she is also deeply inspired by world music. She is probably best known as a...
, American jazz composer and musician, in Seattle - Died: Ernest BeauxErnest BeauxErnest Beaux , was a Russian and French perfumer best known for creating Chanel No. 5, perhaps the world's most famous perfume.- Family background :...
, 79, French parfumier; Jeannie GunnJeannie GunnJeannie Gunn OBE was an Australian novelist, teacher and Returned and Services League of Australia volunteer.- Life :...
, 91, Australian novelist
June 10, 1961 (Saturday)
- The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), South Korea's secret police force, was created under the leadership of Colonel Kim Jong Pil, "explicitly designed to spy on its own citizens". Within three years, it had gone from having 3,000 employees on its payroll to 370,000 officials, agents and informers throughout the nation and abroad.
- George York and James LathamGeorge York and James LathamGeorge Ronald York and James Douglas Latham were an American spree killer team who are the most recent individuals executed by the U.S. state of Kansas.-Killing spree:...
, two U.S. Army privates who had gone AWOL from Fort Hood, TexasFort Hood, TexasFort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas....
, were arrested in a roadblock west of Salt Lake City, bringing to an end a two week killing spree. They had strangled two women in Florida, shot an elderly man in Tennessee, beat two men to death the next day in Illinois, and shot a man in Kansas and a woman in Colorado before being caught. The two men were hanged on June 22, 1965, in Kansas. - The Soviet news agency TASS and the East German press service ADNAllgemeiner Deutscher NachrichtendienstThe Allgemeiner Deutscher Nachrichtendienst , German for General German News Service, was the state news agency in the German Democratic Republic...
released copies of two memoranda given by Soviet Premier Khrushchev to U.S. President Kennedy earlier in the week, confirming that the Soviets wanted all but "symbolic" troops to be withdrawn from West Berlin. - Born: Floris Nicolas Ali, Baron von Pallandt (d. 2006), first child of singing stars, Nina and FrederikFrederik, Baron van PallandtFrederik Jan Gustav Floris, Baron van Pallandt was a Dutch singer best known as the male, guitar-playing half of the singing duo Nina & Frederik, which was together from the late 1950s to the early 1960s....
; and Maxi PriestMaxi PriestMax Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
, Jamaican reggae singer, in Lewisham, London
June 11, 1961 (Sunday)
- The 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans1961 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 29th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1961. It was also the 4th round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:...
was won by Olivier GendebienOlivier GendebienOlivier Gendebien was a war hero and race car driver. He has been cited as "one of the greatest sportscar racers of all time".-Background:...
of Belgium and 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...
of the United States, who set a new event record, going almost 50 miles further in the allotted time than any previous team. Together, they drove 2,782.19 miles at an average of 115.92 miles per hour. - The amusement park Ghost Town in the SkyGhost Town in the SkyGhost Town in the Sky was a Wild West-themed amusement park in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, USA. An unusual aspect of this park is that it is located atop a mountain which can only be accessed by visitors via a chair lift or an inclined funicular railway...
was established on top of a 4,600 foot hig - Norm CashNorm CashNorman Dalton Cash was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers...
of the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
hit a home run out of the three tier high Tiger StadiumTiger StadiumTiger Stadium was a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974...
. He duplicated the feat three more times over the next two seasons, and, after retiring from baseball, admitted that he had cheated by "corking" his bat. - The 1961 Giro d'Italia1961 Giro d'ItaliaThe 1961 Giro d'Italia of cycling was held from 20 May to 11 June 1961, consisting of 21 stages. This 44th edition was won by Arnaldo Pambianco.- Final classment:- Maglia rosa holders:...
cycle race was won by Arnaldo PambiancoArnaldo PambiancoArnaldo Pambianco is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1961 Giro d'Italia...
.
June 12, 1961 (Monday)
- "Night of Fire": In the ItalianItalyItaly , 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...
province of South TyrolSouth TyrolSouth Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
, inhabited by a substantial German language speaking population, 37 electricity pylons were blown up by political protesters seeking autonomy for the region. Autonomy would be recognized in 1972 and expanded in 2001. - Born: JagadishJagadishP. V. Jagadish Kumar , popularly known as Jagadish, is a Malayalam film actor and script writer. He became popular through performances in films such as Mukhachitram, In Harihar Nagar, Godfather, Welcome to Kodaikanal, Thiruthalvaadi, Mantrikacheppu, and Hitler...
(P. V. Jagadish Kumar), Indian film actor, in ThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuramThiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, Kerala State; and Julius KariukiJulius KariukiJulius Kariuki was the winner of the 3,000 m steeplechase at the 1988 Summer Olympics.Born in Nyahururu, Kenya, Kariuki's athletic career started slowly...
, Kenyan Olympian, gold 1988 in 3000 m steeplechase
June 13, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The cornerstone of the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of CosmonauticsTsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of CosmonauticsThe Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics is the first museum in the world dedicated to the history of space exploration. It was opened on 3 October 1967 in Kaluga, and is named after Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a school master and rocket science pioneer who lived most...
was laid by Yuri GagarinYuri GagarinYuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
. The museum, located in KalugaKalugaKaluga is a city and the administrative center of Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River southwest of Moscow. Population: It is served by Grabtsevo Airport.-History:...
, opened in 1967.
June 14, 1961 (Wednesday)
- American 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...
and her brother, Sam, are involved in a head-on car collision on Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville. The impact throws Cline into the windshield, nearly killing her. - A custom-built 1961 Lincoln Continental convertibleSS-100-XSS-100-X was the U.S. Secret Service code name for the Presidential limousine used by the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. It is the car that Kennedy was riding in when he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, in 1963...
is delivered to the White House for use of President Kennedy. Kennedy would be assassinated in the car on November 22, 1963. - The British government unveils new "panda" crossings with push button controls for pedestrians. The new crossings were set to appear on British roads the following year.
- Born: Boy GeorgeBoy GeorgeBoy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, British singer, as George O'Dowd in Bexley, London - Died: Eddie PoloEddie PoloEddie Polo was an Austro-American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 77 films between 1913 and 1944. Born Edward W. Wyman in Vienna, Austria, Polo died in Hollywood, California from a heart attack....
, 86, Austrian-American dramatist
June 15, 1961 (Thursday)
- At 11:00 am, 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...
, State Council Chairman of East Germany, opened a rare press conference in East BerlinEast BerlinEast Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
for Western journalists, restating the Communist demand that Berlin should be a "Free City". Reporter Annamarie Doherr of the Frankfurter RundschauFrankfurter RundschauThe Frankfurter Rundschau is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. It is published every day but Sunday as a city, two regional and one nationwide issues and offers an online edition as well as an e-paper...
asked Ulbricht whether a boundary would be erected at the Brandenburg GateBrandenburg GateThe Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
. Ulbricht responded with the first reference to "die Mauer" (The Wall), "I understand by your question that there are men in West Germany who wish that we would mobilize the construction workers of the GDR in order to build a wall," and added, "No one has the intention of erecting a wall! ("Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!"). 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...
would begin on August 13August 1961January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1961.-August 1, 1961 :...
. - Forty-five men, Freedom Riders who had been arrested on June 2 in Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, for protesting segregation, were transferred from the crowded local jail to the Mississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State PenitentiaryMississippi State Penitentiary , also known as Parchman Farm, is the oldest prison and the only maximum security prison for men in the state of Mississippi, USA....
in Parchman. Later that morning, two of the men, Felix Singer and Terry Sullivan, both white men from Chicago, were tortured with an electric cattle prodCattle prodA cattle prod, also called a stock prod, is a handheld device commonly used to make cattle or other livestock move by striking or poking them, or in the case of a Hot-Shot-type prod, through a relatively high-voltage, low-current electric shock...
, in one of the first publicized uses of an electrified non-lethal weapon as a law enforcement device to control human beings. The 10,000 volt devices continued to be used throughout the 1960s. The story of the brutality at Parchman was reported worldwide after another of the protestors was released two weeks later. - Taunggyi UniversityTaunggyi UniversityTaunggyi University , located in Taunggyi, is the main university in Shan State, Myanmar. The university offers bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree programs in liberal arts and sciences.-History:...
at the city of TaunggyiTaunggyi-Transportation:The main access to Taunggyi is by road. A railway line that passes through Taunggyi was recently built in 1995, but at the moment it offers no passenger service. Regular railway passenger service to the rest of the country is through the town of Shwenyaung, twelve miles to the...
in Burma (now Myanmar), as Taunggyi College. - In Ethiopia, Emperor Haile SelassieHaile Selassie I of EthiopiaHaile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
inaugurated a new 226 meter-long highway bridge over the river AbayAbay-Places:*Abay District, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan**Abay the province's administrative center*Abay, Almaty, Kazakhstan*Abay, Aktobe, Kazakhstan*Abay River, also Abbay or Blue Nile, a river in Ethiopia-People:*Abay Qunanbayuli , Qazaq poet...
near Bahir Dar. - The Canadian Mathematical BulletinCanadian Mathematical SocietyThe Canadian Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and education in Canada.It was originally conceived in June 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress...
received Joachim LambekJoachim LambekJoachim Lambek is Peter Redpath Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at McGill University, where he earned his Ph.D. degree in 1950 with Hans Julius Zassenhaus as advisor. He is called Jim by his friends.- Scholarly work :...
's paper "How to Program an Infinite Abacus", representing an important development in theoretical computer science. - In fiction (Portal 2Portal 2Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
), Aperture Science's Test Shaft 09 "Zulu Bunsen" is condemned and sealed off. - Born: Anga DíazAnga DíazMiguel 'Angá' Díaz , was a Cuban percussionist. With his explosive soloing and inventive five conga patterns, Angá was widely acclaimed as one of the world's greatest congueros...
, Cuban percussionist, in Pinar del Río Province (d. 2006)
June 16, 1961 (Friday)
- The dance troupe of Russia's Kirov Ballet was at Le Bourget AirportLe Bourget AirportParis – Le Bourget Airport is an airport located in Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, and Dugny, north-northeast of Paris, France. It is now used only for general aviation as well as air shows...
and waiting to board a flight to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, when the star, dancer Rudolf NureyevRudolf NureyevRudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
, was pulled aside by KGB agents and told that he was to take a 12:25 pm flight back 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...
. Sensing that he would never be allowed to leave the Soviet Union again, Nureyev broke away from the escorts and ran over to two French airport policemen (who had been alerted by Nureyev's friend Clara Bichkova), shouting in English, "Protect me!" France granted the defecting Nureyev asylum. - English motorcycle racer Ralph RensenRalph RensenRalph Rensen was a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He finished the 1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season in sixth place in the 350cc world championship. Rensen was killed June 16, 1961 while competing in the 1961 Isle of Man TT, aged 28 years....
, 28, became the third rider in less than a week to be killed while competing in the Isle of Man TT1961 Isle of Man TT-1961 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 125cc final standings:3 Laps Mountain Course.-1961 Sidecar TT final standings:3 Laps Mountain Course.-1961 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings:...
series of races during the month. The previous Saturday, Michael Brookes was fatally injured during practice, and on Monday, Marie Lambert was killed while riding in a sidecar during a race. - Died: Marcel JunodMarcel JunodMarcel Junod was a Swiss doctor and one of the most accomplished field delegates in the history of the International Committee of the Red Cross...
, 57, Swiss physician and humanitarian
June 17, 1961 (Saturday)
- The first President's Daily BriefPresident's Daily BriefThe President's Daily Brief , sometimes incorrectly referred to as the President's Daily Briefing or the President's Daily Bulletin, is a top-secret document produced each morning for the President of the United States...
, a top secret intelligence bulletin intended only for the view of the President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was published and delivered to John F. Kennedy under the title President's Intelligence Checklist. After the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasionBay of Pigs InvasionThe Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
, Kennedy had discarded the Central Intelligence Bulletin, which was limited to CIA findings. The daily briefing, compiled by a panel of representatives from all American government intelligence agencies, was renamed the National Intelligence Daily, then the Senior Executive Intelligence Brief, before being becoming the "PDB". - The first jet airplane manufactured in India, the HF-24 MarutHAL HF-24 Marut|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Donald, David . The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London:Aerospace, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.*Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1969-70. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1969....
, was flown for the first time, by Captain Suranjan Das. - Died: Jeff ChandlerJeff Chandler (actor)Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
, 42, American film star, succumbed to complications from orthopaedic surgery. Chandler had injured his back on April 15 while filming Merrill's MaraudersMerrill's MaraudersMerrill’s Marauders or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit , was a United States Army long range penetration special operations unit in the South-East Asian Theater of World War II which fought in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, or CBI...
and was operated on on May 13. Arterial damage caused by the operation led to a massive hemorrhage, requiring additional surgery on May 18. Chandler died from blood poisoning 30 days later. His physicians were sued for malpractice, a lawsuit settled months later for $233,358.
June 18, 1961 (Sunday)
- A ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
-to-StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
express (80 mph) train derailed near Vitry-le-FrançoisVitry-le-FrançoisVitry-le-François is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It is located on the Marne River and is the western terminus of the Marne-Rhine Canal.- History :In 1142, Louis VII invaded Champagne and seized Vitry-le-François...
, killing 32 passengers and injuring 153. Ten coaches veered off the track, with several falling down a 45 foot embankment into an adjoining ravine. - The Garabandal apparitions were first reported by four young girls in the SpanishSpainSpain , 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...
village of San Sebastian de GarabandalSan Sebastian de GarabandalThe Garabandal apparitions are claimed apparitions of, firstly, Saint Michael the Archangel and then the Blessed Virgin Mary to four young schoolgirls in the village of San Sebastian de Garabandal in Cantabria, north Spain, from 1961 to 1965...
, who said that the Archangel MichaelMichael (archangel)Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
had told them that the Blessed Virgin Mary would soon appear before them (which reportedly happened a week later on June 25). Reports of sightings continued until 1965. - The last episode of the radio version of Gunsmoke was broadcast. The show, which starred William ConradWilliam ConradWilliam Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
as Marshal Matt DillonMarshal Matt DillonMarshal Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He serves as the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character was created by writer John Meston, who...
and Georgia EllisGeorgia EllisGeorgia Ellis was an American actress who is best known for her recurring role of Kitty in the popular Western radio drama Gunsmoke.-External links:...
as Miss Kitty, ran on the CBS Radio NetworkCBS Radio NetworkThe CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
on Sunday evenings at 6:30 and had debuted on April 26, 1952. The television showGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, which began three years later (with James ArnessJames ArnessJames King Arness was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series Gunsmoke for 20 years...
and Amanda BlakeAmanda BlakeAmanda Blake was an American actress known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the television western Gunsmoke.-Early life and career:...
), continued on the CBS TV network until 1974. - The Belgian Grand Prix1961 Belgian Grand PrixThe 1961 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 18 June 1961 at Spa-Francorchamps.The organizers of the race invited 25 entries, but were only going to pay starting money to 19: sixteen pre-selected cars plus the 3 fastest of the remaining 9. Three of the cars without starting money...
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...
, who finished 0.7 seconds ahead of Wolfgang von Trips. First, second and third place were taken by Ferraris. - In the Sardinian regional electionSardinian regional election, 1961The Sardinian regional election of 1961 took place on 18 June 1961.After the election Efisio Corrias, the incumbent Christian Democratic President, formed a new government that included the Sardinian Action Party, a social-democratic regionalist party. In 1963 the government was enlarged to the...
, the ruling Christian Democrat party wins 37 of the 72 seats. - Born: Alison MoyetAlison MoyetAlison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
, English singer, in BillericayBillericayBillericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces... - Born: Andrés GalarragaAndrés GalarragaAndrés José Padovani Galarraga is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels...
, Venezuelan-born Major League Baseball star, in CaracasCaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range... - Died: Eddie GaedelEddie GaedelEdward Carl Gaedel was an American with dwarfism who became famous for participating in a Major League Baseball game....
, 36, the shortest player in Major League Baseball history, after being mugged. On August 19, 1951, the 3'7", Gaedel had appeared for the St. Louis Browns in a game against the Detroit Tigers, as a stunt for Browns' owner Bill VeeckBill VeeckWilliam Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
.
June 19, 1961 (Monday)
- With the exchange of diplomatic notes between Sir William LuceSir William LuceSir William Luce GBE KCMG OBE was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden between 1956 and 1960.-Family:Luce married Margaret Napier, daughter of Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Napier KCB MVO, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station . By her he had two children:*Richard...
, the British Political Resident in the Persian GulfPersian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, and Sheikh Abdullah III Al-Salim Al-SabahAbdullah III Al-Salim Al-SabahAbdullah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah GCMG, CIE, KStJ was the last Sheikh and first Emir of Kuwait from 29 January 1950 until his death, and the eldest son of Salem Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. As the eleventh ruler of the al-Sabah dynasty in Kuwait, he took power after the death of his cousin Sheikh Ahmad...
, the Anglo-Kuwaiti Treaty of January 23, 1899, was termianated, the British protectorateProtectorateIn history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
over 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...
(which provided for control of Kuwait's foreign affairs) came to an end, and Kuwait became an independent nation. Less than a week later, the existence of the State of Kuwait would be threatened by Iraq. - By a 5-4 margin, the United States Supreme Court rendered the landmark decision of Mapp v. OhioMapp v. OhioMapp v. Ohio, , was a landmark case in criminal procedure, in which the United States Supreme Court decided that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures," may not be used in criminal prosecutions in state courts, as well as...
, holding that the admission, in a state criminal trial, of evidence obtained in an illegal search was a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionFourth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
. Dollree Mapp had been arrested at her home in Shaker Heights, OhioShaker Heights, OhioShaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
, on May 23, 1957, based on materials found without a warrant or probable cause. The decision resulted in the prospective exclusion of improperly obtained evidence from trials in the United States thereafter.
June 20, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The Political Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' PartyHungarian Socialist Workers' PartyThe Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party was the ruling Marxist–Leninist party of Hungary between 1956 and 1989. It was organised from elements of the Hungarian Working People's Party during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution...
, lone party in the Communist HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, adopted a resolution that put into effect a government policy for the assimilation of the nation's growing Gypsy minority (properly, the Roma people, which constituted 2% of the population. The program was aimed at improved housing and education for the impoverished Gypsies, while discouraging a separate Roma culture, and continued in effect until 1989. - Ten weeks into his war crimes trial in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the prosecution having rested, Adolf EichmannAdolf EichmannAdolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
took the witness stand in his own defense. - Japan adopted the 1959 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral AwardsConvention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral AwardsThe Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Convention, was adopted by a United Nations diplomatic conference on 10 June 1958 and entered into force on 7 June 1959...
(known as the New York Convention).
June 21, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The first seawater desalinization plant in the United States, located near Freeport, TexasFreeport, TexasFreeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S...
, was opened. At the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, President Kennedy pushed a button to set in motion the process to convert salt water from the Gulf of Mexico into fresh water. - The ATL-98 Carvair, created by Aviation TradersAviation Traderswas a war-surplus aircraft and spares trader formed in 1947. In 1949, it began maintaining aircraft used by some of Britain's contemporary independent airlines on the Berlin Airlift. In the early 1950s, it branched out into aircraft conversions and manufacturing. During that period it also became a...
, made its first flight. Each of the 21 Carvairs, converted from a DC-4 airplane, were designed to carry up to five cars and 20 passengers by air. - Syiah Kuala University was founded in Banda AcehBanda AcehBanda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, by decree of the Indonesian Ministry of Education. "Welcome to Syiah Kuala University" - Born: Manu ChaoManu ChaoManu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
, French folk singer, in Paris
June 22, 1961 (Thursday)
- Meeting together in SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the three rival princes of LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
reached an agreement to avoid further civil war and to create a representative government "of national union". Prime Minister Boun OumBoun OumPrince Boun Oum was the son of King Ratsadanay, and was the hereditary prince of Champassack and also Prime Minister of Laos.-Early life:...
, former premier Souvanna PhoumaSouvanna PhoumaPrince Souvanna Phouma was the leader of the neutralist faction and prime minister of the Kingdom of Laos several times, from 1951–1952, 1956–1958, 1960 and 1962-1975.-Early life:...
, and Pathet LaoPathet LaoThe Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
leader (and future President) Prince SouphanouvongSouphanouvongPrince Souphanouvong was, along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the “Three Princes” who represented respectively the communist , neutralist, and royalist political factions in Laos...
agreed in 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...
to ask King Savang VatthanaSavang VatthanaSavang or Sisavang Vatthana was the last king of the Kingdom of Laos. He ruled from 1959 after his father's death, until his forced abdication in 1975...
to select a new government. - 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...
's Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
, a religious institution in operation since 970970Year 970 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* A devastating decade-long famine begins in France....
AD, was nationalized by the terms of Law 103, approved by the National Assembly at the request of President 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...
. - Moise TshombeMoise TshombeMoïse Kapenda Tshombe was a Congolese politician.- Biography :He was the son of a successful Congolese businessman and was born in Musumba, Congo. He received his education from an American missionary school and later trained as an accountant...
was released for lack of evidence of connection to the murder of Patrice LumumbaPatrice LumumbaPatrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
. - Born: Stephen BatchelorStephen BatchelorStephen Batchelor is a British author, teacher, and scholar, writing books and articles on Buddhist topics and leading meditation retreats throughout the world. He is a noted proponent of agnostic or secular Buddhism....
, British field hockey player (1988 Olympic gold medalist); in Beare GreenBeare GreenBeare Green is a small village in Surrey, England. It is located about south of Dorking on the A24, Beare Green's roundabout is the start of the A29 road to Worthing. Holmwood railway station is on the Mole Valley Line....
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
June 23, 1961 (Friday)
- USAF Major Robert M. WhiteRobert M. WhiteMajor General Robert Michael "Bob" White was a military aircraft test pilot and a major general in the United States Air Force...
became the first person to fly an airplane faster than one mile per second (3,600 miles per hour) and the first to pass Mach 5Mach numberMach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
. White was piloting an X-15 over California after taking off from Edwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force BaseEdwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
, and attained a maximum speed of 3,690 mph. - The Antarctic Treaty came into effect, after being ratified simultaneously by 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...
, ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Those nations and nine others had signed the treaty on December 1, 1959. - Born: Ian DuncanIan DuncanIan Duncan is one of Kenya's most successful rally drivers. He was Kenyan Rally Champion six times , and achieved outright victory in a World Rally Championship round when he won the 42nd Trustbank Safari Rally in 1994...
, Kenyan rally driver, in Limuru
June 24, 1961 (Saturday)
- Twenty-seven years after it had first been introduced, in Europe, the Henry MillerHenry MillerHenry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
novel Tropic of CancerTropic of Cancer (novel)Tropic of Cancer is a novel by Henry Miller which has been described as "notorious for its candid sexuality" and as responsible for the "free speech that we now take for granted in literature." It was first published in 1934 by the Obelisk Press in Paris, France, but this edition was banned in the...
was released in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the first time, and distributed through Grove PressGrove PressGrove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
. Although the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Post Office had cleared the book (which included graphic descriptions of sexual intercourse) for sale, booksellers across the United States were threatened with prosecution for violating anti-obscenity laws. The U.S. Supreme Court would settle the issue in the 1964 case of Grove Press v. Gerstein. - Born: Frédéric BamvuginyumviraFrédéric BamvuginyumviraFrédéric Bamvuginyumvira was 1st Vice-President of Burundi from 11 June 1998 to 1 November 2001. He is a member of the Hutu ethnic group....
, first Vice-President of Burundi; Konstantine GamsakhurdiaKonstantine Gamsakhurdia (politician)Konstantine "Koko" Gamsakhurdia is a Georgian politician and an Iranist. He is the leader of the political party Tavisupleba.- Biography :...
, Georgian politician, in Tbilisi; Iain GlenIain GlenIain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay...
, Scottish actor in Edinburgh; and Ralph E. Reed, Jr.Ralph E. Reed, Jr.Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
, American Christian political activist, in Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
. - Died: George Washington Vanderbilt IIIGeorge Washington Vanderbilt IIIGeorge Washington Vanderbilt III was a yachtsman and a scientific explorer who was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Early life:...
, 47, American philanthropist and heir to a $40,000,000 fortune, jumped to his death from the 10th floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.
June 25, 1961 (Sunday)
- 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....
i president Abdul Karim Kassem announced at a press conference his nation's intention to annex the tiny, but oil rich, kingdom of 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...
, which had become an independent nation the previous week. Kassem told reporters that the takeover would be peaceful and that the Emir of Kuwait would be permitted to become the administrator of Iraq's new province. The basis of Iraq's claim was that both Iraq and Kuwait had both been part of the Ottoman Empire province of Basra, which had been partitioned in 1918. British troops moved into the area to defend against the chance of an Iraqi invasion, and Kassem rescinded his position on July 8. - The Bill Evans TrioBill EvansWilliam John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
completed a two-week booking at The Village Vanguard in New York, with a live performance that was recorded for later release. This was the last time the trio would play together; virtuoso bassist Scott LaFaroScott LaFaroRocco Scott LaFaro was an influential jazz bassist, perhaps best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio.-Biography:...
's was killed in an auto accident 10 days later. - White supremacist George Lincoln RockwellGeorge Lincoln RockwellGeorge Lincoln Rockwell was the founder of the American Nazi Party. Rockwell was a major figure in the neo-Nazi movement in the United States, and his beliefs and writings have continued to be influential among white nationalists and neo-Nazis.-Early life:Rockwell was born in Bloomington,...
, accompanied by 20 of his followers in the American Nazi PartyAmerican Nazi PartyThe American Nazi Party was an American political party founded by discharged U.S. Navy Commander George Lincoln Rockwell. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Rockwell initially called it the World Union of Free Enterprise National Socialists , but later renamed it the American Nazi Party in...
, appeared for "the first and last event to which [he] was invited as a speaker". Rockwell had been invited as a guest of black supremacist Elijah MuhammadElijah MuhammadElijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
to address a Chicago rally of the Nation of IslamNation of IslamThe Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
, more commonly known as the Black Muslims. Malcolm XMalcolm XMalcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
appeared as a speaker later in the program. The common link for both groups was a belief in separation of races. - Died: Douglas McCurdyJohn Alexander Douglas McCurdyJohn Alexander Douglas McCurdy was a Canadian aviation pioneer and the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952. -Early years:...
, 74, Canadian aviator and Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia; and Miriam 'Ma' Ferguson, 86, second woman in history to be inaugurated (in 1925) as Governor of an American state; Governor of Texas, 1925–27 and 1933–35
June 26, 1961 (Monday)
- After having gone into hiding in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to avoid arrest, African National CongressAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
leader Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
issued the manifesto "The Struggle Is My Life", signaling that the ANC leaders had not fled the country, and changing tactics from passive resistance to armed struggle. A militant wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we SizweUmkhonto we SizweUmkhonto we Sizwe , translated "Spear of the Nation," was the armed wing of the African National Congress which fought against the South African apartheid government. MK launched its first guerrilla attacks against government installations on 16 December 1961...
("Spear of the Nation") was founded as part of the new direction. - 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...
was released from hospitalization for the last time, after spending two months at the psychiatric hospital 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...
for suicidal behavior. The renowned author would shoot himself six days later. - Died: Hélène DutrieuHélène DutrieuHélène Dutrieu , was a cycling world champion, stunt cyclist, stunt motorcyclist, automobile racer, stunt driver, pioneer aviator, wartime ambulance driver, and director of a military hospital.-Biography:...
, 83, Belgian aviatrix who set several records in the early days of airplane flying.
June 27, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The Reverend Arthur Michael Ramsey was enthroned as the 100th Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and Primate of All England, the highest ranking prelate in the Church of EnglandChurch of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. After taking the oath of office at the Cathedral in Canterbury, Ramsey took his seat in the Ancient Throne of St. Augustine, a marble chair constructed in the year 1205, and named for St. Augustine of Canterbury, who is considered to have been the first Archbishop, serving from 598598Year 598 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 598 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- British Isles :* Battle of Catraeth at Catterick,...
to 601601Year 601 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 601 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Arts and sciences :* The earliest dated English words...
. - Born: Meera SyalMeera SyalMeera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
, British-Indian actress and comedienne, in Wolverhampton - Died: Mukhtar AuezovMukhtar AuezovMukhtar Omarkhanuli Auezov was a prominent Kazakh writer, known best for his work as a playwright.-Life:...
, 63, Kazakh dramatist
June 28, 1961 (Wednesday)
- President Kennedy issued National Security Action MemorandumPresidential directivePresidential Directives, better known as Presidential Decision Directives or PDD are a form of an executive order issued by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the National Security Council...
(NSAM) 55, entitled "Relations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the President in Cold War Operations". NSAM-55, along with memoranda #56 and #57, transferred responsibility for planning of U.S. paramilitary operations in peacetime from the CIA to the Joint Chiefs of StaffJoint Chiefs of StaffThe Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
. The directives, proposed by General Maxwell D. TaylorMaxwell D. TaylorGeneral Maxwell Davenport "Max" Taylor was an United States Army four star general and diplomat of the mid-20th century, who served as the fifth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after having been appointed by the President of the United States John F...
following the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, were so secret that copies were not released to either the CIA or to the U.S. Department of State. - In the Bulgarian CupBulgarian CupThe Bulgarian Cup is a Bulgarian annual football competition. It is the country's main cup competition and all officially registered Bulgarian football teams take part in it. It is sponsored by the Bulgarian Corporate Commercial Bank....
final, CSKA Sofia defeated Spartak Varna 3–0. - Born: Kurt EichenwaldKurt EichenwaldKurt Alexander Eichenwald , an American writer and investigative reporter formerly with The New York Times and later with Condé Nast's business magazine, Portfolio...
, American investigative reporter; Mark GoodierMark Goodier-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
, BBC Radio DJ, in Zimbabwe - Died: Huw MenaiHuw MenaiHuw Owen Williams , who wrote as Huw Menai, was a Welsh poet, a Welsh-language speaker who nevertheless wrote only in the English language. His poems were among the first classic works to be republished as a result of a 2004 incentive on the part of the Welsh Assembly Government.Huw Menai was...
, 74, Welsh poet
June 29, 1961 (Thursday)
- The "first in-orbit break-up event in space history" took place at 06:08:10 UTC, when the upper stage of an American Thor-AbleThor-AbleThe Thor-Able was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket used for a series of re-entry vehicle tests and satellite launches between 1958 and 1960. It was a two stage rocket, consisting of a Thor IRBM as a first stage, and a Vanguard-derived Able second stage. On some flights, an...
rocket exploded into 298 fragments at an orbital altitude of roughly 600 miles. The launch marked the first three-satellite payload lifted into space: the Transit 4A navigational satellite, which was the first nuclear powered device in orbit, with energy supplied by the Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) system, powered by the isotopeIsotopeIsotopes are variants of atoms of a particular chemical element, which have differing numbers of neutrons. Atoms of a particular element by definition must contain the same number of protons but may have a distinct number of neutrons which differs from atom to atom, without changing the designation...
plutonium-238Plutonium-238-External links:**...
; the Injun IInjun (satellite)The Injun program was a series of six satellites designed and built by researchers at the University of Iowa. They were intended to observe various radiation and magnetic phenomena in the ionosphere and beyond....
"the first university-built satellite", designed to gather information on the Earths' radiation belts; and the second Galactic Radiation and BackgroundGalactic Radiation and BackgroundGalactic Radiation and Background was the covername for Project Dyno ELINT intelligence satellites operated by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory shortly after the Cold War U-2 incident of 1960...
satellite (GRAB 2), which measured stellar radiation, but also served as a spy satellite. - You Bet Your LifeYou Bet Your LifeYou Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
, a thirty-minute game show hosted by comedian Groucho MarxGroucho MarxJulius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
, was broadcast for the last time on television, at 10:00 pm. After starting on CBS Radio in 1947, it had an eleven season run on NBC from 1950 onward.
June 30, 1961 (Friday)
- In a pivotal event in the history of professional wrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, a record crowd of 38,622 fans turned out to Chicago's Comiskey ParkComiskey ParkComiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
. Buddy Rogers defeated reigning National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
champion Pat O'ConnorPat O'Connor (wrestler)Patrick John "Pat" O'Connor , was a professional wrestler from New Zealand. O'Connor was regarded as one of the premier workers of his era...
for the NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
. - The 1961 Australian CensusCensus in AustraliaThe Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
was taken. The final results showed a population that day of 5,333,179. - The Value Line Composite IndexValue Line Composite IndexThe Value Line Composite Index is composed of all of the companies that are included in the Value Line Investment Survey.There are currently 1,626 companies included in the index that are publicly listed on the following exchanges:...
, a weighted measure of the value of individual stocks traded on the various exchanges in the United States, was inaugurated. - 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...
requested the assistance of British forces to protect it from possible invasion by Iraq. The next day, an initial contingent of 600 soldiers was dispatched. Kuwait applied for United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
membership on the same day. - 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...
returned to his home in Ketchum, Idaho, after treatment 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...
; two days later, he committed suicide. - Born: Ralph CarterRalph CarterRalph Carter is an American actor, and singerCarter is best known for his work as a child and teenager, both in the Broadway musical Raisin and as the character Michael Evans, the youngest member of the Evans family, on the 1970s sitcom Good Times...
, American stage and television (Good Times) actor; in New York City - Died: Lee DeForest, 87, American inventor whose creation of the AudionAudionAn Audion is a wireless signal detector device invented by Lee De Forest in 1906.Audion may also refer to:* Audion , an electronic music album by Larry Fast* Audion , a media player for Apple Macintosh created by Panic...
vacuum tubeVacuum tubeIn electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
in 1908 revolutionized electronics and radio broadcasting. Despite patenting over 300 inventions, DeForest did not attempt to recover royalties, and left an estate of only $1,250.