October 1961
Encyclopedia
January
– February
– March
– April
– May
– June
– July
– August
– September
– October – November
– December
The following events occurred in October 1961:
arrived at Tristan da Cunha
to find a mound in height, emitting smoke and red-hot lava.
January 1961
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1961.-January 1, 1961 :...
– February
February 1961
January – February – March. – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November-DecemberThe following events occurred in February, 1961-February 1, 1961 :...
– March
March 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November - DecemberThe following events occurred in March, 1961-March 1, 1961 :...
– April
April 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in April, 1961-April 1, 1961 :...
– May
May 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in May 1961.-May 1, 1961 :...
– June
June 1961
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1961.-June 1, 1961 :...
– July
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 – 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 October 1961:
October 1, 1961 (Sunday)
- CTV Television NetworkCTV television networkCTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
was launched at 6:30 pm on eight stations across Canada, with the one hour program "Sneak Preview- glimpses of things to come", followed by 77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
at 7:30. The first Canadian program shown, after the 10:30 news and sports, was the game show Scrimmage at 10:50. - Baseball player Roger MarisRoger MarisRoger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
of the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
hit his 61st home run in the last game of the season, against the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, beating the 34-year-old record held by Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
. The homer was made at 1:46 pm at Yankee Stadium, off of Boston pitcher Tracy StallardTracy StallardEvan Tracy Stallard is a retired American professional baseball player, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1960 to 1966. He played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and St...
, in the game's fourth inning. The run won the game, 1-0. Sal Durante, a 19 year old spectator, got the baseball and won $5,000 and other prizes. - The Federal Republic of Cameroon came into existence with the merger of the French-speaking Republic of Cameroun and the former British Cameroons.
- Advertising executive Lester WundermanLester WundermanLester Wunderman is an advertising executive widely considered the creator of modern-day direct marketing. His innovations include the magazine subscription card, the toll-free 1-800 number, loyalty rewards programs, and many more...
coined the phrase "direct marketingDirect marketingDirect marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional...
" in a speech in New York to the Hundred Million Club, an organization of businesspeople using direct mail. - The first SIP1NOTS-EV-2 CalebThe NOTS-EV-2 Caleb, also known as NOTS-500, Hi-Hoe and SIP was an expendable launch system, which was later used as a sounding rocket and prototype anti-satellite weapon. It was developed by the United States Navy Naval Ordinance Test Station as a follow-up to the NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, which had been...
launch by the US Navy is successful, reaching an apogee of 20 kilometres (12.4 mi). - Tony MarshTony Marsh (racing driver)Anthony Ernest "Tony" Marsh was a British racing driver from England. His Formula One career was short and unsuccessful, but he enjoyed great success in hillclimbing, winning the British Hill Climb Championship on a record six occasions.Having begun his hillclimbing career in 1953 with a...
won the 1961 Lewis-Evans Trophy1961 Lewis-Evans TrophyThe 5th Lewis-Evans Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 1 October 1961 at Brands Hatch Circuit. The race was run over 30 laps of the circuit, and was dominated by British driver Tony Marsh in a BRM P48....
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...
. - In the UK soap Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, two major characters, Harry Hewitt and Concepta Riley, married on screen. - The Defense Intelligence AgencyDefense Intelligence AgencyThe Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
began operations with 25 employees under the direction of USAF Lt.Gen. Joseph F. Carroll. - Evangelist Pat RobertsonPat RobertsonMarion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
began religious broadcasting on WTFC Channel 27, a UHF television station 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...
. He would later beam the programming by satellite to cable systems nationwide as the Christian Broadcasting NetworkChristian Broadcasting NetworkThe Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
. - Died: Donald CookDonald Cook (actor)Donald Cook was an American stage and film actor.Born in Portland, Oregon, he originally studied farming but later started business with a lumber company. He joined the Kansas Community Players and through this received an offer of stage work...
, 60, American actor; and David Pratt, 54, South African farmer who shot and wounded South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd in April 1960, by suicide.
October 2, 1961 (Monday)
- The Shipping Corporation of IndiaShipping Corporation of IndiaThe Shipping Corporation of India is a company owned by the Government of India based out of Mumbai that operates and manages vessels that services both national and international lines.-History:...
, one of India's largest companies, was created by the merger of the Eastern Shipping Corporation and the Western Shipping Corporation. - The television show Password was first telecast, with Allen LuddenAllen LuddenAllen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
as its host. - French President Charles de GaulleCharles de GaulleCharles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
delivered a televised address in France and French Algeria, outlining his plans to allow Algerian residents to determine their own future, and pledged to work toward the creation of a "strictly Algerian" security force. He also stated that, if necessary, he would again invoke the national emergency powers that he had allowed to expire two days earlier. - WETA-TVWETA-TVWETA-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member public televisionstation for the Washington, D.C., area. Its studios are in nearby Arlington, Virginia...
, the first public television station in Washington, D.C., went on air. - Born: Mark SchauerMark SchauerMark Schauer is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party.He was previously a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives....
, American Congressman, in Howell, MichiganHowell, MichiganHowell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
; Edmond YuEdmond YuEdmond Wai-Hong Yu was a former medical student whose death at the hands of the Toronto Police Service sparked debates about the police's use of force, mental illness, and the treatment of those diagnosed with a mental illness.When young he won the Hong Kong city boxing championship.He attended...
, Chinese-born Canadian medical student killed by police in 1997
October 3, 1961 (Tuesday)
- The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, starring Dick Van DykeDick Van DykeRichard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
, Mary Tyler MooreMary Tyler MooreMary Tyler Moore is an American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show , in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as...
, Rose MarieRose MarieRose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
and Morey AmsterdamMorey AmsterdamMorey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...
, was shown for the first time, making its debut at 8:00 pm EST on CBS. Although the show would go on to become very popular, the initial telecast, competing against Bachelor Father (ABC) and Laramie (NBC) attracted so few viewers that it was not even among the Top 70 most popular programs that week. - The Motion Picture Association of AmericaMotion Picture Association of AmericaThe Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
(MPAA), which gives its stamp of approval and restrictions on American films, changed its production code, declaring that "In keeping with the culture, the mores and the values of our time, homosexualityHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and other sexual aberrations may now be treated with care, discretion and restraint," adding that such "aberrations" "could be suggested but not actually spelled out". The change was believed to have been prompted by the filming of the Allen DruryAllen DruryAllen Stuart Drury was a U.S. novelist. He wrote the 1959 novel Advise and Consent, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1960.- Early life & ancestry :...
novel Advise and ConsentAdvise and ConsentAdvise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
. - The KTVLKTVLKTVL, channel 10 is a CBS television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon and broadcasts from a transmitter high atop Mount Ashland, 15 miles south of the city. The station covers eight counties in southern Oregon and northern California. The studios are located on Rossanley Drive in northwest...
TV news channel was launched in Oregon. - Born: Vittorio ColaoVittorio ColaoVittorio Colao is an Italian businessman, the current Chief Executive of Vodafone Group.-Biography:The son of an officer in the Carabinieri, Colao was born in Brescia. After studying business at Bocconi University and holding an MBA with Honours from Harvard Business School, he spent time in...
, Italian business executive, in Brescia
October 4, 1961 (Wednesday)
- In the Irish general electionIrish general election, 1961The Irish general election of 1961 was held on 4 October 1961, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 8 September. The newly elected members of the 17th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 11 October when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.The general election took...
, Fianna FáilFianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
, led by Seán LemassSeán LemassSeán Francis Lemass was one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century. He served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966....
, lost its majority of 77 out of 144 seats, dropping to 70, but still retained the plurality and was able to form a government. Lemass continued as the TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
(Prime Minister). - Police in McComb, MississippiMcComb, MississippiMcComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States, about south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,644. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi, Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, arrested and jailed 113 African-American high school and junior high school students, after the group walked out of Burgland High School and marched to City Hall, protesting the expulsion of two students who had participated in a sit-in earlier in the year. - Died: Metropolitan Benjamin (Fedchenkov)Benjamin (Fedchenkov)Metropolitan Benjamin or Veniamin ) was a Bishop of Russian Church, Orthodox missionary and writer.- Education :Benjamin Fedchenkov was born in the village of selo Vazhki , Tambov Governorate.- 1917–1920. White movement :...
, 81, OrthodoxOrthodox ChristianityThe term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and writer, ExarchExarchIn the Byzantine Empire, an exarch was governor with extended authority of a province at some remove from the capital Constantinople. The prevailing situation frequently involved him in military operations....
of Russian ChurchRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in North America; Max WeberMax Weber (artist)For the social theorist and philosopher, see Max WeberMax Weber was a Jewish-American painter who worked in the style of cubism before migrating to Jewish themes towards the end of his life.-Biography:...
, 80, Polish-American artist
October 5, 1961 (Thursday)
- Maurice PaponMaurice PaponMaurice Papon was a French civil servant, industrial leader and Gaullist politician, who was convicted for crimes against humanity for his participation in the deportation of over 1600 Jews during World War II when he was secretary general for police of the Prefecture of Bordeaux.Papon also...
, the Paris Chief of Police, issued a religion-specific curfew against all "Muslim Algerian workers" within the jurisdiction of his prefecture, even though they were considered citizens of France. The curfew order decreed that the Muslims were "advised most urgently" to stay indoors between 8:30 pm and 5:30 am. A protest by 30,000 of the affected persons twelve days later led to the Paris massacre of 1961Paris massacre of 1961The Paris massacre of 1961 was a massacre in Paris on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War . Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the French police attacked a demonstration of some 30,000 pro-FLN Algerians...
. - The Ninth Hague Conference on Private International LawHague Conference on Private International LawThe Hague Conference on Private International Law is the preeminent organisation in the area of private international law....
concluded, with the signing of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public DocumentsHague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public DocumentsThe Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, the Apostille convention, or the Apostille treaty is an international treaty drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law...
and the Hague Convention of 1961 Concerning the Powers of Authorities and the Law Applicable in Respect of the Protection of Minors. - King Mahendra of NepalMahendra of NepalPossibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
and China's President Liu ShaoqiLiu ShaoqiLiu Shaoqi was a Chinese revolutionary, statesman, and theorist. He was Chairman of the People's Republic of China, China's head of state, from 27 April 1959 to 31 October 1968, during which he implemented policies of economic reconstruction in China...
signed an agreement in BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
defining the border between the mountain kingdom and its large Communist neighbor. - Died: Booker LittleBooker LittleBooker Little, Jr was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.-Biography:Despite his premature death from kidney failure at the age of 23, Little made an important contribution to jazz. Stylistically, his sound is rooted in the playing of Clifford Brown, featuring crisp articulation, a burnished...
, 23, jazz musician (complications resulting from uremia); and Don Barbour, 34, vocalist of the jazz vocal group "The Four Freshmen" (killed in an auto accident).
October 6, 1961 (Friday)
- The "Schießbefehl" (literally, "order to shoot") was formally issued by General Heinz HoffmannHeinz HoffmannHeinz Hoffmann was Minister of National Defense in the Council of Ministers of the German Democratic Republic, and since October 2, 1973 Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party .-Youth:Hoffmann came from a working class family...
, the Minister of National Defense for East Germany, spelling out the rules for shooting anyone who attempted to escape from the German Democratic Republic. After a shouted warning and the firing of a warning shotWarning shotA warning shot is a military term describing harmless artillery shot or gunshot intended to call attention and demand some action of compliance...
, guards were ordered to fire their weapons at persons clearly planning "to violate the state frontier". - In leadership changes in the Lagting, Nils HønsvaldNils HønsvaldNils Hønsvald was a Norwegian newspaper editor and politician for the Labour Party. He was one of the leading figures in Norwegian politics from 1945 to 1969.Hønsvald was born in Horten, Vestfold County, Norway...
became President of the Lagting (composed of the senior one-fourth of the membership and Per BortenPer Bortenwas a Norwegian politician from the Centre Party and Prime Minister of Norway from 1965 to 1971. Per Borten is credited for leading the modernization of what was then named Bondepartiet into today's Centre Party...
became President of the Odelsting for the other three-fourths.
October 7, 1961 (Saturday)
- 1961 Derby Aviation crash1961 Derby Aviation crashThe 1961 Derby Aviation crash refers to the fatal crash of a Douglas Dakota IV, registration G-AMSW, operated by Derby Aviation, a subsidiary of British Midland Airways, on the mountain of Canigou, France, on 7 October 1961...
: A Douglas C47 Dakota 4 operated by Derby Aviation, a subsidiary of British Midland Airways, crashed in the Pyrennes Mountains at Mont Canigou in France. All 34 people on board, mostly a group of British tourists who were on holiday to make a tour of Spain, were killed. - The television medical drama Ben CaseyBen CaseyBen Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
premiered on ABC and ran for five seasons. Nine days earlier, Dr. Kildare, a medical drama adapted from a radio series, began its run on NBC.
October 8, 1961 (Sunday)
- The first of at least 134 residents of 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...
escaped to the West through a manhole that led to an underground sewer that ran underneath 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...
. West German students Dieter Thieme and Detlef Girmann organized the Unternehmen Reisebüro, also called the "Girmann Group". The operation lasted for four nights until East German police learned what was happening and closed off the route. - Republican political consultant F. Clifton WhiteF. Clifton WhiteFrederick Clifton White was a U.S. political consultant and campaign manager for candidates of the Republican Party and the New York Conservative Party, as well as foreign clients...
convened the first meeting of the "Draft Goldwater CommitteeDraft Goldwater CommitteeThe Draft Goldwater Committee was the organization primarily responsible for engineering the nomination of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater for President of the United States on the 1964 Republican Party ticket....
", inviting 22 friends from across the nation to gather at the Avenue Motel in Chicago. From the gathering began a movement to united conservative Republicans in securing the nomination of Arizona U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater to run in the 1964 U.S. presidential election. - The 1961 Formula One season1961 Formula One seasonThe 1961 Formula One season was the 12th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1961 World Championship of Drivers and the 1961 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, which were contested concurrently from May 14 to October 8 over an eight race series...
concluded with the running of the 230 mile United States Grand PrixUnited States Grand PrixThe United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
in Watkins Glen, New YorkWatkins Glen, New YorkWatkins Glen is a village in Schuyler County, New York, United States. The population was 2,149 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Schuyler County.The Village of Watkins Glen lies on the border of the towns of Dix and Montour....
, won by Innes IrelandInnes IrelandRobert McGregor Innes Ireland , was a British military officer, engineer, and motor racing driver. He was a larger-than-life character who, according to a rival team boss, "lived without sense, without an analyst and provoked astonishment and affection from everyone."Ireland was born on 12 June...
. 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 had already won the Driver's Championship on points, did not participate in the race. - Died: Alphonse FournierAlphonse FournierAlphonse Fournier, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Methuen, Massachusetts, he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the Quebec riding of Hull in the 1930 federal election. A Liberal, he was re-elected in 1935, 1940, 1945, and 1949.From 1942 to 1953, he was the...
, 68, Canadian politician; Moshe SmoiraMoshe SmoiraMoshe Smoira was an Israeli jurist and the first President of the Supreme Court of Israel.-Biography:Smoira was born in 1888 in Königsberg, in the German Empire to Leiser and Perel, Hasidic immigrants from Russia. He studied Hebrew and became a Zionist...
, 72, first President of the Supreme Court of Israel
October 9, 1961 (Monday)
- The New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
won the World Series in the 5th game, defeating 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....
, 13-5, to take baseball's championship 4 games to 1. - In upholding the constitutionality of the 1950 Subversive Activites Control Act, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Communist Party of the United States of America would be required to register as an agent of the Soviet Union, and to reveal its membership list and finances. CPUSA General Secretary Gus Hall said that the Party would refuse to comply.
- SkelmersdaleSkelmersdaleSkelmersdale is a town in West Lancashire, England. It lies on high-ground on the River Tawd, to the west of Wigan, to the northeast of Liverpool, south-southwest of Preston. As of 2006, Skelmersdale had a population of 38,813, down from 41,000 in 2004. The town is known locally as Skem.The...
, Lancashire, UK, was designated a new townNew towns in the United KingdomBelow is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
. - Born: Liz SagalLiz SagalElizabeth "Liz" Sagal is an American television professional, active as an actress, screenwriter and film editor.In the 1980s, she co-starred with her twin-sister Jean Sagal in the 23-episode television series Double Trouble that ran from 1984–85, as well as the 1982 movie Grease 2, a loose sequel...
and Jean SagalJean SagalJean Sagal is an American television actress and director. In the 1980s, she co-starred with her twin-sister Liz Sagal in the 23-episode television series Double Trouble that ran from 1984-85. She has since appeared on such shows as Picket Fences, Knots Landing, Quantum Leap and 21 Jump Street...
, the "DoublemintDoublemintDoublemint is a flavor of chewing gum made by the Wrigley Company. It was launched in the United States in 1914, and has had variable market share since that time....
Twins", American actresses, in Los Angeles, California - Died: Werner JaegerWerner JaegerWerner Wilhelm Jaeger was a classicist of the 20th century.Jaeger was born in Lobberich, Rhenish Prussia. He attended school at Lobberich and at the Gymnasium Thomaeum in Kempen Jaeger studied at the University of Marburg and University of Berlin. He received a Ph.D...
, 73, German classicist
October 10, 1961 (Tuesday)
- All 260 residents of the South Atlantic island of Tristan da CunhaTristan da CunhaTristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
were evacuated by two small fishing boats, following a volcanic eruption on destroyed the crayfish canning factory that was the source of many islanders' livelihood. The group then spent the night on Nightingale IslandNightingale IslandNightingale Island is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 3 km² in area, part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. They are administered by the United Kingdom as part of the overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha....
, a 0.75 square mile patch of rock, 13 miles away, to await the arrival of the Dutch liner Tjisadane, which took them to South Africa. - The day after stockholders approved a merger of two companies, the Martin Marietta Corporation was created from the merger of aircraft manufacturer Glenn L. Martin Company, and the chemical manufacturer American-Marietta Corporation, and went on to become one of the 100 largest corporations in the United States.
- The United Kingdom began negotiations with the six-member European Economic CommunityEuropean Economic CommunityThe European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
to seek membership in the Common Market, with an opening speech in Paris by Prime Minister Edward HeathEdward HeathSir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
. - The Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the Russian Republic of the Soviet Union.
October 11, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The United States presence in South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
was increased as President Kennedy authorized the deployment of an entire U.S. Air Force unit, the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron, to fly combat missions from the Bien Hoa Air BaseBien Hoa Air BaseBien Hoa Air Base is a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield located in South-Central southern Vietnam about 20 miles from Saigon near the city of Bien Hoa within Dong Nai Province....
. - After years of atmospheric tests, the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
conducted an underground nuclear explosion for the first time. Based on the success of the test, the Soviets joined other nuclear nations four months later in doing underground tests only. - Flying an X-15, USAF Major Robert White set a record for highest flight by an airplane, reaching an altitude of 215,000 feet, more than 40 miles above the Earth, 8 miles higher than the previous record. On his descent, the outer windshield of the X-15 cracked, but White was unharmed.
- President Kennedy announced the appointment of the President's Panel on Mental Retardation, stating "We as a nation have, for too long, postponed an intensive search for solutions to the problems of the mentally retarded. That failure should be corrected." The President's Panel made 95 recommendations, many of which were passed into law, bringing to an end the common practice of institutionalizing intellectually handicapped individuals.
- The Cherry Hill Mall opened in Cherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill, New JerseyCherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
, near Philadelphia, as the first American indoor shopping mall east of the Mississippi River. - In a press conference at the Marshall Space Flight CenterMarshall Space Flight CenterThe George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
at Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, AlabamaHuntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, Future Projects Office Director H. H. KoelleHeinz-Hermann KoelleHeinz-Hermann Koelle was an aeronautical engineer who made the preliminary designs on the rocket that would emerge as the Saturn I...
delivered the Space Flight Report to the Nation, predicting that commercial space flights to and from the moon could begin as early as 1975, with a permanent moonbase by 1970 and manned expeditions to other planets beginning in 1972. - The Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart Show (1961 TV series)The Bob Newhart Show is an American comedy variety show starring comedian Bob Newhart. It originally ran from October 1961 through June 1962 on NBC, airing on Wednesday nights at 10pm Eastern time, immediately following Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall...
, a variety show not to be confused with a later sitcom of the same name, premiered on NBC. It would run for one season. - Born: Steve YoungSteve YoungSteve Young is an American football quarterback.Steve Young may also refer to:*Steve Young , country music singer, songwriter and guitarist*Steve Young , industrial rock music songwriter and guitarist...
, American NFL and USFL quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee; as Jon Steven Young in Salt Lake City - Died: Chico MarxChico MarxLeonard "Chico" Marx was an American comedian and film star as part of the Marx Brothers. His persona in the act was that of a dim-witted albeit crafty con artist, seemingly of rural Italian origin, who wore shabby clothes, and sported a curly-haired wig and Tyrolean hat.As the first-born of the...
, 74, American comedian and the oldest of the Marx BrothersMarx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
and the first to pass away; and Princess Dagmar of DenmarkPrincess Dagmar of DenmarkPrincess Dagmar of Denmark and Iceland was the youngest child and fourth daughter of Frederick VIII of Denmark and his wife, Princess Louise of Sweden and Norway....
, 71, youngest child of King Frederik VIII and the last to pass away
October 12, 1961 (Thursday)
- The National Bowling LeagueNational Bowling LeagueThe National Bowling League is a defunct professional bowling league that existed from Oct. 12, 1961 to May 6, 1962. The league as formed as an attempt to ride the popularity of bowling television shows, and also to challenge to the Professional Bowlers Association .The league was the brainchild...
, with 10 teams, made its debut as the Dallas Broncos defeated the visiting New York Gladiators, 22-2, before a crowd of 2,000. The NBL folded two months after it crowned its first and only champion, the Detroit Thunderbirds, who beat the Twin Cities Skippers on May 6, 1962. - The New Zealand House of RepresentativesNew Zealand House of RepresentativesThe New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
voted 41-30 to amend the Crimes Bill of 1961 to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except for treason. Capital punishment for murder had been abolished in 1941 and then restored in 1950, and the last hanging was carried out in 1957. The maximum penalty for aggravated murder was set at life imprisonment. - The 1961 Coppa Italia1961 Coppa ItaliaThe 1st Coppa Italia was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 12 October 1961 at Vallelunga Circuit. The race was run over two heats of 30 laps of the circuit, and was won by Italian driver Giancarlo Baghetti in a Porsche 718....
motor race was won by Giancarlo BaghettiGiancarlo BaghettiGiancarlo Baghetti was a Formula One driver who raced for the Ferrari, ATS , BRM, Brabham and Lotus teams...
. - Died: Eugene BullardEugene BullardEugene Jacques Bullard was the first black military pilot and the only black pilot in World War I along with Ahmet Ali .-Early life:...
, 67, the first African-American combat pilot, who served with the French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign LegionThe French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
during World War One, and Maria ValtortaMaria ValtortaMaria Valtorta was a Roman Catholic Italian writer and poet, considered by many to be a mystic. Her work centers on Catholic Christian themes...
, 64, Italian writer who wrote of her visions of Mary and Jesus
October 13, 1961 (Friday)
- Prince Louis RwagasoreLouis RwagasorePrince Louis Rwagasore is Burundi's national and independence hero. He was a Burundi nationalist and prime minister.- Biography :...
, the popular eldest son of King Mwambutasa and who had been selected by the new legislature to be the first Prime Minister of Burundi in advance of the African nation's independence from Belgium, was assassinated. Rwagasaore was dining with his cabinet at a restaurant on Lake Tanganyika, when he was killed by a single shot fired by Jean Kageorgis, a Greek national. "Perhaps no other event has weighed more heavily on the destinies of Burundi," noted one historian, adding that "many believe that if only fate had given him a chance, he might have spared his nation the traumas that would soon tear it apart." - After three years as part of the United Arab RepublicUnited Arab RepublicThe United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
, the nation of SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
resumed its membership in the United Nations General Assembly as the Syrian Arab Republic. - Marjorie MichelmoreHot Spot (musical)Hot Spot is a musical with the book by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, lyrics by Martin Charnin, music by Mary Rodgers, and additional lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim. It had a brief run on Broadway in 1963...
, a 26 year old volunteer for the Peace CorpsPeace CorpsThe Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
, caused an international incident when she accidentally dropped a postcard that she had intended to send to a friend back in the United States. The card, which read in part, "we were really not prepared for the squalor and absolutely primitive living conditions rampant both in the cities and the bush", was found by a student, mimeographed and distributed, and led to protests by university students against the presence of the Corps. However, another volunteer recalled later, "A dialogue began between students and the Volunteers — more valuable than if the incident had not taken place."
arrived at Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha is a remote volcanic group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying from the nearest land, South Africa, and from South America...
to find a mound in height, emitting smoke and red-hot lava.
- Died: Maya DerenMaya DerenMaya Deren , born Eleanora Derenkowsky, was an American avant-garde filmmaker and film theorist of the 1940s and 1950s...
, 44, Russian-born American filmmaker, of a cerebral hemorrhage; Zoltán KordaZoltán KordaZoltan Korda was a Hungarian-born motion picture screenwriter, director and producer.Born Zoltán Kellner, Kellner Zoltán in Hungarian name order, of Jewish heritage in Pusztatúrpásztó, Túrkeve in Hungary , he was the middle brother of filmmakers Alexander and Vincent Korda.Zoltan Korda went to...
, 66, Hungarian-born British filmmaker; and Dun Karm PsailaDun Karm PsailaDun Karm ,89, was a Maltese writer and poet, sometimes called 'the bard of Malta' He was educated at the Seminary between the years 1885 and 1894 and then proceeded to study philosophy in 1888 and theology in 1890 the University of Malta.He was ordained priest in 1894...
, 89, Maltese writer
October 14, 1961 (Saturday)
- For twelve hours, all commercial flights in the United States and Canada were grounded in order to conduct the NORAD exercise Operation Sky Shield II. Starting, as scheduled, at 1:00 pm Washington DC time, civilian airline flights were halted and military planes conducted an exercise simulating a foreign bombing attack on North American targets. Commercial flights were allowed to take off again twelve hours later. It was the longest scheduled halt of air traffic in United States history, exceeded only by the emergency grounding following September 11, 2001.
- The Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
was first performed, opening at the 46th Street Theatre and would run for 1,417 shows, winning a Pulitzer Prize and seven Tony Awards along the way. - The Town of Seabrook, New HampshireSeabrook, New HampshireSeabrook is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,693 at the 2010 census. Located at the southern end of the coast of New Hampshire on the border with Massachusetts, Seabrook is noted as the location of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, the third-most...
, which would later share its name with a nuclear power planet, was created, by a 198-13 vote of its residents. Ruth Burke and Don Holbrook, Images of America: Seabrook (Arcadia Publishing, 2010 p73 - Paul MorrisPaul Morris (PA announcer)Paul Morris is the former public address announcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs and sound engineer at Maple Leaf Gardens. He held the announcing job for 38 years, from October 14, 1961, to 1999 and was the PA announcer for 1,585 consecutive Leaf games...
became public address announcer for the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, remaining in the post for 38 years. - The Pittsburgh Hornets minor league ice hockey team returned to play after a five-year break, at the Civic Arena.
- Died: Paul RamadierPaul RamadierPaul Ramadier was a prominent French politician of the Third and Fourth Republics. Mayor of Decazeville starting in 1919, he served as the first Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic in 1947. On 10 July 1940, he voted against the granting of the full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain, who...
, 73, French politician; Harriet Shaw WeaverHarriet Shaw WeaverHarriet Shaw Weaver was a political activist and a magazine editor. She also became the patron of James Joyce....
, 85, English political activist
October 15, 1961 (Sunday)
- Turkish general election, 1961Turkish general election, 1961General elections were held in Turkey on 15 October 1961. The result was a victory for the Republican People's Party, which won 173 of the 450 seats. Voter turnout was 81.4%.-Results:...
: In democratic elections held in TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
after the 1960 military coup, the Cumhuriyet Halk PartisiRepublican People's Party (Turkey)The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
(Republic People's Party), led by İsmet İnönüIsmet InönüMustafa İsmet İnönü was a Turkish Army General, Prime Minister and the second President of Turkey. In 1938, the Republican People's Party gave him the title of "Milli Şef" .-Family and early life:...
, won 173 of the 450 seats in the Grand National AssemblyGrand National Assembly of TurkeyThe Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
, short of a majority, and was forced into forming a coalition government with the Adalet PartisiJustice Party (Turkey)The Justice Party was a Turkish political party prominent in the 1960s and 1970s. A descendant of the Democrat Party, the AP was dominated by Süleyman Demirel, who served six times as prime minister, and was in office at the time of the military coup on September 12, 1980...
(Justice Party), which won 158. - A massive search commenced for "Pogo 22", a USAF B-52G Stratofortress and its crew of eight, after the bomber failed to return from its mission as part of the Operation Sky Shield II exercise. Neither the bomber, the only one of more than 2,250 that flew that day, nor its crew, was ever found. Although the incident has been cited as "the first time a jet aircraft disappeared in the [Bermuda] Triangle", contact with the bomber was lost near Newfoundland, thousands of miles north of the Bermuda TriangleBermuda TriangleThe Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
. - The J. C. Van Horne Bridge over the Restigouche RiverRestigouche RiverThe Restigouche River is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec....
in Quebec was opened to traffic.
October 16, 1961 (Monday)
- Mastering the Art of French CookingMastering the Art of French CookingMastering the Art of French Cooking is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both of France, and Julia Child of the United States...
, the cookbook that would become a bestseller and catapult Julia ChildJulia ChildJulia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
to worldwide fame, was published for the first time. Child's co-authors on the Alfred A. KnopfAlfred A. KnopfAlfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
release were Simone BeckSimone BeckSimone "Simca" Beck was a French cookbook author and cooking teacher who, along with colleagues Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle, played a significant role in the introduction of French cooking technique and recipes into American kitchens.-Biography:Except for a few years spent learning...
and Louisette BertholleLouisette BertholleLouisette Bertholle is a French chef and author, best known as one of the three authors of the bestselling cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.- History :...
. - Cork Airport officially opened as the third international airport in Ireland, four days after "proving flights" by Aer LingusAer LingusAer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
and Cambrian AirwaysCambrian AirwaysCambrian Airways was a Welsh airline based in Cardiff, Wales, which started operations in 1935. It was incorporated into British Airways in 1976.-Company history:...
. - Born: Marc LevyMarc LevyMarc Levy is a French novelist.Levy was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine. At the age of 18, he joined the French Red Cross where he spent six years. In parallel, he studied management and computers at Paris-Dauphine University.In 1983, he created a company specializing in computer...
, French novelist, in Boulogne-Billancourt
October 17, 1961 (Tuesday)
- Paris massacre of 1961Paris massacre of 1961The Paris massacre of 1961 was a massacre in Paris on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War . Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the French police attacked a demonstration of some 30,000 pro-FLN Algerians...
: French police in Paris attacked about 30,000 protesting a curfew applied solely to Algerian MuslimsAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. The actual death toll was suppressed for more than three decades until the man who had ordered the crackdown, Police Chief Maurice PaponMaurice PaponMaurice Papon was a French civil servant, industrial leader and Gaullist politician, who was convicted for crimes against humanity for his participation in the deportation of over 1600 Jews during World War II when he was secretary general for police of the Prefecture of Bordeaux.Papon also...
, was put on trial in 1988 for collaboration with Nazi occupiers during World War II. There were 11,538 arrests, with the detainees held in stadiums on the outskirts of the city. The bodies of 74 of the victims were thrown into the Seine River and washed up on its banks later, while another 68 simply disappeared. - The 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was opened in Moscow by CPSU First Secretary Nikita KhrushchevNikita KhrushchevNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
, who made a 6 hour, 20 minute speech. Khrushchev dropped his threat to sign a separate peace treaty with East Germany before year's end, bringing an end to the 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...
. He announced that the Soviets would explode a 50 megaton bomb before the months end, and claimed that the Soviets had a 100 megaton bomb that would not be tested because "we might break our own windows". He criticized AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
's Communist leader, Enver HoxhaEnver HoxhaEnver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
of the Albanian Labor Party, for creating a personality cult, and predicted Communism's triumph by 1980; and he denounced many of the former leaders of the U.S.S.R. for furthering the terror of Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. Condemned by name were former President Kliment VoroshilovKliment VoroshilovKliment Yefremovich Voroshilov , popularly known as Klim Voroshilov was a Soviet military officer, politician, and statesman...
, former Foreign Ministers Vyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav MolotovVyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
and Dmitri ShepilovDmitri ShepilovDmitri Trofimovich Shepilov was a Soviet politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs who joined the abortive plot to oust Nikita Khrushchev from power in 1957.-Childhood:Dmitri Shepilov was born to a worker's family in Askhabad...
, former Prime Ministers Georgi Malenkov and Nikolai BulganinNikolai BulganinNikolai Alexandrovich Bulganin was a prominent Soviet politician, who served as Minister of Defense and Premier of the Soviet Union . The Bulganin beard is named after him.-Early career:...
, and former First Deputy Premiers Lazar KaganovichLazar KaganovichLazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich was a Soviet politician and administrator and one of the main associates of Joseph Stalin.-Early life:Kaganovich was born in 1893 to Jewish parents in the village of Kabany, Radomyshl uyezd, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire...
, Mikhail PervukhinMikhail PervukhinMikhail Gyeorgievich Pervukhin was a Soviet official during the Stalin Era, Khrushchev Era and the early Brezhnev Era. He served as a First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, literally First Vice-Premier of the Soviet Union, from 1955 to 1957....
and Maksim SaburovMaksim SaburovMaksim Zakharovich Saburov was a Soviet engineer, economist and politician, three-time Chairman of Gosplan and later First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union...
.
October 18, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The film West Side StoryWest Side Story (film)West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno,...
was released, with its world premiere at New York City's Rivoli Theatre. It would go on to become the highest grossing film of 1962, and would win ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. - The European Social CharterEuropean Social CharterThe European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty which was adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996. The Revised Charter came into force in 1999 and is gradually replacing the initial 1961 treaty...
was signed in TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. It would come into effect on February 26, 1965. - South African general election, 1961South African general election, 1961The 1961 South African general election was the first general election after South Africa became a republic following the 1960 South African referendum. The National Party under Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd won a majority in the House of Assembly....
: In the first parliamentary elections since South Africa became a Republic, the all-White electorate cast more than 2/3rds of its votes in favor of the National PartyNational Party (South Africa)The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
, led by apartheid proponent and Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd. The Nationalists captured 105 of the 156 seats, with the United Party (led by De Villiers Graaff getting 49. - Born: Wynton MarsalisWynton MarsalisWynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, American jazz musician, in New Orleans; and Gladstone SmallGladstone SmallGladstone Cleophas Small is an English former cricketer, who played in seventeen Tests and fifty three ODIs for England....
, England cricketer, in St George, Barbados
October 19, 1961 (Thursday)
- The Arab LeagueArab LeagueThe Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
took over protecting KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
as the last British troops left. - Died: Şemsettin GünaltaySemsettin GünaltayMehmet Şemsettin Günaltay was a Turkish historian, politician and prime minister of Turkey.-Biography:He was born 1883 in the Kemaliye town of the Vilayet of Mamuret-ul-Aziz, Ottoman Empire...
, 78, former Prime Minister of Turkey; Sergio OsmeñaSergio OsmeñaSergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...
, 83, former President of the Philippines; and Mihail SadoveanuMihail SadoveanuMihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting republican head of state under the communist regime . One of the most prolific Romanian-language writers, he is remembered mostly for his historical and adventure novels, as...
, 80, Romanian author
October 20, 1961 (Friday)
- The first launch of an armed nuclear warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missileSubmarine-launched ballistic missileA submarine-launched ballistic missile is a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead that can be launched from submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles each of which carries a warhead and allows a single launched missile to...
took place, when a Soviet Golf class submarineGolf class submarineProject 629, also known by the NATO reporting name of Golf class, were diesel electric ballistic missile submarines of the Soviet Navy. They were designed after six Zulu class submarines were successfully modified to carry and launch Scud missiles...
(Project 629) fired an R-13 (SS N-4 Sark) missile from underwater. The 1.45 megaton warhead detonated on the Novaya ZemlyaNovaya ZemlyaNovaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
Test Range in the Arctic Ocean. Although the U.S. had test-fired unarmed Polaris missiles, the first American SLBM nuclear detonation would not take place until May 6, 1962. - The mail ship MV Stirling CastleMV Stirling CastleRMMV Stirling Castle was an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line in service from the 1930s to the 1960s, primarily on the Southampton to Cape Town route....
departed South Africa for the UK with the Tristan da Cunha islanders on board.
October 21, 1961 (Saturday)
- In a speech to business executives in Hot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs, VirginiaHot Springs is a census-designated place in Bath County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 738. It is located about 5 miles southwest of Warm Springs on U.S. Route 220. Hot Springs is the site of a number of resorts that make use of the springs.The area is...
, Assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense Roswell GilpatricRoswell GilpatricRoswell Leavitt Gilpatric was a prominent New York City corporate attorney and government official who served as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1961–64, when he played a pivotal role in the high-stake strategies of the Cuban Missile Crisis, advising President John F...
revealed that there was no "missile gapMissile gapThe missile gap was the term used in the United States for the perceived disparity between the number and power of the weapons in the U.S.S.R. and U.S. ballistic missile arsenals during the Cold War. The gap only existed in exaggerated estimates made by the Gaither Committee in 1957 and United...
" between the United States and the Soviet Union, and that the U.S. actually had the superior nuclear strike force. Gilpatric was authorized by President Kennedy to make the announcement, in response to Soviet Premier Khrushchev's statements four days earlier, stating in part, "we have a second strike capability which is at least as extensive as what the Soviets can deliver by striking first," adding "their Iron Curtain is not so impenetrable as to force us to accept at face value the Kremlin's boasts." At the same time, Gilpatric's speech revealed to the Soviets that the U.S. intelligence had discovered the Soviet shortcomings, and "provoked an embarrassing defeat for Khrushchev's reform program". - Project West FordProject West FordProject West Ford was a test carried out by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory on behalf of the United States Military in 1961 and 1963 to create an artificial ionosphere above the Earth...
, a U.S. Air Force experiment in putting 480,000,000 copper dipoles into orbit around the Earth to facilitate communication, was carried out with the launch of the Midas 4 satellite. Each "needle" was 1.78 cm long and 25.4 micrometers (or 1/1000th of an inch) thick. However, the payload failed to deploy. A second experiment, launched on May 9, 1963, would succeed in dispersing the "Westford Needles". "Due to the small overall mass involved," it has been noted, "and due to the high orbit altitudes in which they reside, the effects of Westford Needle clusters on the space debris environment are of minor importance." - The Pervomayskaya Moscow Metro station opened.
- Died: John Peabody HarringtonJohn Peabody HarringtonJohn Peabody Harrington was an American linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the native peoples of California. Harrington is noted for the massive volume of his documentary output, most of which has remained unpublished: the shelf space in the Library of Congress dedicated to his work...
, 77, American linguist who gathered "the greatest collection of linguistic and ethnographic information about North American Indians ever compiled by one man"; and Karl KorschKarl Korsch-Biography:Korsch was born in Tostedt, near Hamburg, to Carl August Korsch, a secretary at the cantonal court and his wife Therese. In 1898 the family moved to Meiningen, Thuringia and Korsch senior attained the position of a managing clerk in a bank...
, 75, German Marxist theorist
October 22, 1961 (Sunday)
- Berlin Crisis: Two months after 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...
, E. Allan Lightner, Jr., Deputy Chief of the U.S. Mission in West Berlin, and his wife, were stopped when he tried to drive his car across the border at after refusing to produce identification while crossing at Checkpoint CharlieCheckpoint CharlieCheckpoint Charlie was the name given by the Western Allies to the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War....
, to attend the opera in East Berlin. General Lucius Clay dispatched troops, backed up by several tanks and military vehicles, to the Checkpoint. The Lightners were escorted into East Berlin by eight U.S. military policemen. Over the next three days, what started as a trivial incident escalated into a confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. - Presidential and legislative elections were allowed to take place in HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
by dictator Francois DuvalierFrançois DuvalierFrançois Duvalier was the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. Duvalier first won acclaim in fighting diseases, earning him the nickname "Papa Doc" . He opposed a military coup d'état in 1950, and was elected President in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform...
, but only Duvalier supporters were allowed to run for office. Duvalier had his name printed on each ballot paper, with the result that he was re-elected unanimously. - Chubby CheckerChubby CheckerChubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
performed his 1960 #1 hit, "The Twist" on the Ed Sullivan Show, reigniting the popularity of both the dance and the record. The song returned to the Top 100 three weeks later, and became the first and only hit single to reach #1 twice. - The Mizo National FrontMizo National FrontMizo National Front is a regional political party in Mizoram, India. MNF emerged out of the Mizo National Famine Front, which was formed by Pu Laldenga to protest against the inaction of the Indian central government towards the famine situation in the Mizo areas of the Assam state in 1959. It...
was founded in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by Pu LaldengaPu LaldengaPu Laldenga was Chief Minister of Mizoram state in North-eastern India from 1986 till 1988. Prior to that he had led the secessionist Mizo National Front from 1960 until its disbanding following Mizo accord with Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.-Early years:...
, converting from a famine relief organization to a political party advocating secession of the Mizo people from India. - Died: Joseph SchenckJoseph SchenckJoseph Michael Schenck was a pioneer executive who played a key role in the development of the United States film industry.Born in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia to a Jewish household, he and his family-including younger brother Nicholas- emigrated to New York City in 1893, he and Nicholas...
, 82, Russian-born film studio executive
October 23, 1961 (Monday)
- China's Prime Minister Zhou EnlaiZhou EnlaiZhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
abruptly left Moscow, a week before the conclusion of the 22nd Communist Party Congress held in Moscow, four days after bitterly criticizing Soviet First Secretary Nikita KhrushchevNikita KhrushchevNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
over the issue of Albania. Zhou's departure was seen as a sign that the rift between the two Communist superpowers was widening, and the Soviets halted delivery of exports to China soon afterward. - In New York, Thurgood MarshallThurgood MarshallThurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, an African-American attorney was the chief legal adviser to the NAACP, was sworn in as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He would become the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice in 1967. - In a speech given in Bombay, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
referred to increasing reports of "terror and torture" by the Portuguese authorities in Goa and declared that "the time has come for us to consider afresh what method should be adopted to free Goa from Portuguese rule." - Born: Donald Harris and Ronald Harris, who became famous as the Harris Brothers, American professional wrestlers; in Apopka, FloridaApopka, FloridaApopka is a city located in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato...
; and Laurie Halse AndersonLaurie Halse AndersonLaurie Halse Anderson is an American author who writes for children and young adults.-Career:...
, bestselling American children's author, in Potsdam, New YorkPotsdam, New YorkPotsdam, New York relates to two locations in Saint Lawrence County, New York:*Potsdam , New York*Potsdam , New York, in the town of Potsdam; site of the State University of New York at Potsdam...
October 24, 1961 (Tuesday)
- MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
gained a new constitutionConstitution of MaltaThe current Constitution of Malta was adopted as a legal order on September 21, 1964, and is the self-declared supreme law of the land. Therefore, any law or action in violation of the Constitution is null and void...
to support its independence. - Construction work began on the Manic-2Manic-2The Jean-Lesage generating station, formerly known as Manic-2, is a dam located 22 km from Baie-Comeau built on Manicouagan River in Quebec, Canada. It was constructed between 1961 and 1967...
dam over the Manicouagan RiverManicouagan RiverThe Manicouagan River is a river in Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. The river originates at the Daniel-Johnson Dam of the Manicouagan Reservoir and flows approximately south, emptying into the Saint Lawrence River near Baie-Comeau...
in Quebec, Canada. - A group of prominent campaigners for the preservation of the Euston ArchEuston ArchThe Euston Arch, built in 1837, was the original entrance to Euston station, facing onto Drummond Street, London. The Arch was demolished when the station was rebuilt in the 1960s, but much of the original stone was later located—principally used as fill in the Prescott Channel—and proposals have...
, including James Maude RichardsJames Maude RichardsSir James Maude Richards, FRIBA, MA, , was a leading British architectural writer.Richards was born at Epsom, Surrey. Educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and Cambridge University, he trained as an architect at the Architectural Association, but his main career was as a writer on architecture...
, went to see British prime minister Harold MacmillanHarold MacmillanMaurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
to argue for it to be dismantled and rebuilt elsewhere. Their arguments were unsuccessful, and the arch was demolished two months later. - As part of an x-ray astronomyX-ray astronomyX-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and...
experiment, The first attempt was made to detect non-solar x-ray radiation in outer space, with the launch of a rocket from White Sands by astronomer Riccardo GiacconiRiccardo GiacconiRiccardo Giacconi is an Italian/American Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who laid the foundations of X-ray astronomy. He is currently a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.- Biography :...
. The launch was successful, but no data was returned in attempting to detect x-rays reflecting from the Moon. Analogous to a lens cap remaining on a camera, the doors that protected the data recording equipment failed to open. A second attempt on June 18, 1962, proved that the Moon did not reflect x-rays. - Born: Susan Still-KilrainSusan Still-KilrainSusan Kilrain , engineer, is a former United States Naval officer, and a former NASA astronaut.-Personal and educational data:...
, American astronaut and shuttle pilot, in Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, GeorgiaAugusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County... - Died: Clem StephensonClem StephensonClement "Clem" Stephenson was an England national team captain whose 20 year career at Aston Villa and Huddersfield Town included emphatic successes in both the FA Cup and League Championships...
, 71, English international footballer
October 25, 1961 (Wednesday)
- The first edition of Private EyePrivate EyePrivate Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, the British satirical magazine, is published. - Pegasus Airlines goes out of business.
October 26, 1961 (Thursday)
- General Cemal GürselCemal GürselCemal Gürsel , was a Turkish army officer, and the fourth President of Turkey.- Early life :He was born in the city of Erzurum to the Turkish parents as the son of an Ottoman Army officer, Abidin Bey, the grandson of Ibrahim and the great-grandson of Haci Ahmad...
, who had led the military junta that had ruled since 1960, was elected in a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate as the fourth President of Turkey, as that nation made its transition to civilian rule. - Grégoire KayibandaGrégoire KayibandaGrégoire Kayibanda was the first elected and second President of the Republic of Rwanda. He led Rwanda's struggle for independence from Belgium, and replaced the Tutsi monarchy with a republican form of government. He asserted Hutu majority power.-Early life and education:Grégoire Kayibanda was...
, leader of the Hutu majority party became President of RwandaRwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, which would be granted full independence on July 1, 1962. During his presidency, repression against the Tutsi minority would continue. - The CrucibleThe Crucible (opera)The Crucible is an English language opera written by Robert Ward based on the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It won both the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the New York Music Critics Circle Citation. The libretto was lightly adapted from Miller's text by Bernard Stambler.Ward received a...
, an English language opera written by Robert Ward, and based on the 1952 play by Arthur MillerArthur MillerArthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
, was given its first performance. It would win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1962.
October 27, 1961 (Friday)
- Berlin CrisisBerlin Crisis of 1961The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
: After American diplomat Albert Hemsing approached the zonal boundary in a diplomatic vehicle, 33 Soviet tanks drove to the Brandenburg Gate to confront American tanks on the other side of the border. Ten of the tanks continued to Friedrichstraße, stopping 50 to 100 metres from the checkpoint on the Soviet side of the sector boundary. The standoff between the tanks of the two nations continued for 16 hours before both sides withdrew. - An armisticeArmisticeAn armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
between separatist rebels and U.N. Peacekeeping forces began in KatangaKatanga ProvinceKatanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
, which had seceded from the CongoRepublic of the Congo (Léopoldville)The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...
. - MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
were admitted as the 102nd and 103rd members, respectively, of the 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...
, doubling the original membership of 51. - Fahri Özdiilek became the acting Prime Minister of Turkey.
- At 10:06 am, the Saturn ISaturn IThe Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make...
rocket booster, essential for the Apollo missions to the Moon, was first tested. The 162 foot high rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral and reached an altitude of 85 miles, proving that the "clustered engine concept" (with 8 large rocket engines) could be successful. - The eight-team American Basketball League, founded by Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
owner Abe SapersteinAbe SapersteinAbraham M. Saperstein was an owner and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the Harlem Globetrotters...
after he was refused an NBA franchise, played its first game, as the San Francisco Saints defeated the visiting Los Angeles Jets, 99-96. The ABL was the first to use the three-point field goalThree-point field goalA three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
, with baskets shot from further away than 25 feet worth 3 points instead of 2. The ABL would fold partway through its second season, on December 31, 1962.
October 28, 1961 (Saturday)
- Berlin CrisisBerlin Crisis of 1961The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
: American and Soviet tanks began a gradual withdrawal from stand-off positions either side of the border. - The Scottish League Cup Final1961 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 1961 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 28 October 1961 and replayed on 18 December 1961. Both matches were played at Hampden Park in Glasgow and it was the final of the 16th Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Rangers and Heart of Midlothian. The first match ended...
between Rangers F.C.Rangers F.C.Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian F.C.Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
ended in a 1–1 draw, necessitating a replay. - Died: James Rogers, 86, Australian VC recipient
October 29, 1961 (Sunday)
- In the Greek legislative electionGreek legislative election, 1961The Greek legislative election of the 29 October 1961 resulted in the third in a row victory for Constantine Karamanlis and his National Radical Union party....
, Konstantinos Karamanlis and his National Radical UnionNational Radical UnionThe National Radical Union was a Greek political party formed in 1955 by Konstantinos Karamanlis out of the Greek Rally party....
party won a third successive victory, capturing 176 sets of the 300 seats in the Vouli ton Ellinon (Parliament). The Centre Union Party and the Progressive Party combined for 100 seats under the leadership of George PapandreouGeorge PapandreouGeorgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...
, and the United Democratic LeftUnited Democratic LeftThe United Democratic Left was a political party in Greece, active mostly before the Greek military junta of 1967-1974.-Foundation:...
won 24. - RBS Channel 7, the Philippines' third TV station, was launched.
- Pomme de Terre LakePomme de Terre LakePomme de Terre Lake is located in southwest Missouri at the confluence of Lindley Creek and the Pomme de Terre River . The lake is located in southern Hickory and northern Polk counties, about north of Springfield...
went into operation as a reservoir in Missouri.
October 30, 1961 (Monday)
- The Soviet Union detonated a 58-megaton yield hydrogen bomb known as Tsar BombaTsar BombaTsar Bomba is the nickname for the AN602 hydrogen bomb, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. It was also referred to as Kuz'kina Mat , in this usage meaning "something that has not been seen before"....
over Novaya ZemlyaNovaya ZemlyaNovaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
, in the largest man-made explosion ever. Too large to be fit inside even the largest available warplane, the weapon was suspended from a Tupolev Tu-95Tupolev Tu-95The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the former Soviet Union in 1956 and is expected to serve the Russian Air Force until at least 2040...
piloted by A.E. Durnovtsev, a Hero of the Soviet Union. A parachute slowed the bomb's descent so that the airplane could have time to climb away from the fireball, and at an altitude of four kilometers, was exploded at 8:33 AM GMT. Although the news drew protests around the world, the event was not reported in the Soviet press. - Died: Luigi EinaudiLuigi EinaudiLuigi Einaudi , Cavaliere di Gran Croce decorato di Gran Cordone OMRI was an Italian politician and economist. He served as the second President of the Italian Republic between 1948 and 1955.-Early life:...
, 87, former President of Italy; Margherita SarfattiMargherita SarfattiMargherita Sarfatti was a Jewish Italian journalist, art critic, patron, collector, socialite, and one of Benito Mussolini's mistresses.-Biography:...
, 81, Italian journalist and socialite, former mistress of Benito MussoliniBenito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
October 31, 1961 (Tuesday)
- Hurricane HattieHurricane HattieHurricane Hattie was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the strongest, reaching a peak intensity equivalent to Category 5 hurricane intensity...
devastated Belize CityBelize CityBelize City is the largest city in the Central American nation of Belize. Unofficial estimates place the population of Belize City at 70,000 or more. It is located at the mouth of the Belize River on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and...
in the British HondurasBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
(now Belize) killing 307 people. After the hurricane, the capital was moved in 1970 to the inland city of BelmopanBelmopanBelmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
. - Shortly after 10:00 pm in Moscow, Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's body was removed from the Lenin Mausoleum and reburied outside the Kremlin as part of his successor's policy of de-StalinizationDe-StalinizationDe-Stalinization refers to the process of eliminating the cult of personality, Stalinist political system and the Gulag labour-camp system created by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953...
.; - The first population census of Indonesia was taken, and recorded as 97,018,829. Country Demographic Profiles: Indonesia (United States Bureau of the Census, 1979
- Born: Peter JacksonPeter JacksonSir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
, New Zealand film director (The Lord of the Rings), in Pukerua BayPukerua BayPukerua Bay is a small seaside community at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. In local government terms it is the northernmost suburb of Porirua City...
; and Larry Mullen, Jr., Irish drummer for U2, in Artane, DublinArtane, DublinArtane, sometimes spelled Artaine , historically Tartaine is a Northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Neighbouring districts include Coolock, Beaumont, Killester, Raheny and Clontarf; to the south is a small locality, Harmonstown, straddling the Raheny-Artane border.-History:Artaine, now usually...
.