Events in year of 1961
- 01-01Briggs Stadium is renamed Tigers Stadium
- 01-01Houston Oilers beat LA Chargers 24-16 in AFL championship game
- 01-01Largest check issued, National Bank of Chicago to Sears ($960.242 billion)
- 01-01Russia introduces a new ruble worth $1.11
- 01-021st AFL Championship Game, Houston Oilers beat LA Chargers 24-16
- 01-03Adam Clayton Powell elected Chairman of House Education and Labor
- 01-071st NFL Playoff Bowl (runner-up bowl) - Detroit beats Cleveland 17-16
- 01-07Trucial States (now UAE) issue their 1st postage stamps
- 01-08Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Yvor Winters
- 01-09Twins agree on $500,000 payment to AA for Minn / St. Paul territory
- 01-11Racial riot at University of Georgia
- 01-12UN genocide pact goes into effect
- 01-14Chicago Bear Willard Dewveall becomes 1st NFLer to join AFL
- 01-15NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 35-31
- 01-15Supremes signed with Motown Records
- 01-16"Conquering Hero" opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 8 performances
- 01-16Russian espionage ring detected in Great Britain
- 01-191st episode for "Dick Van Dyke Show" is filmed
- 01-20Arthur M Ramsay becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
- 01-20Yugoslav ex-Vice President Milovan Djilas flees
- 01-21"Conquering Hero" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 8 performances
- 01-21KIFI TV channel 8 in Idaho Falls, ID (NBC) begins broadcasting
- 01-21Portuguese rebels seize cruise ship Santa Maria
- 01-23Supreme Court rules cities and states have right to censor films
- 01-23Venezuela adopts constitution
- 01-24Lazard Brothers Ltd draw a check for $334,867,807.68
- 01-251st live, nationally televised presidential news conference (JFK)
- 01-25Louise Suggs wins LPGA Naples Pro-Am Golf Tournament
- 01-25Military coup in El Salvador
- 01-26"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley peaks to #1
People born in year of 1961
- 01-01Irv Eatman: NFL tackle (Houston Oilers)
- 01-01Marcia Cross: Actress (Melrose Place)
- 01-03Erwin Blom: Dutch singer / guitarist (Eton Crop)
- 01-04Lee Curreri: NYC, New York -- Actor (Bruno Martelli-Fame)
- 01-05Curt Bader: Bloomfield, Iowa -- Sprint kayak (1996 Olympics)
- 01-06Dirk de Vries: Dutch pop bassist (Kong-Slauerhoff)
- 01-10Evan Handler: NYC, New York -- Actor (Dear Mr Wonderful)
- 01-10Nadja Salerni-Sonnenberg: Rome, Italy -- Concert violinist
- 01-11Paul Skansi: NFL wide receiver (Seattle Seahawk)
- 01-12Andrea Carnevale: Soccer player (Napoli)
- 01-13Kelly Hrudey: Edmonton, Alberta -- NHL goalie (LA Kings)
- 01-14Robert Edwin Hall: Mountaineer / businessman
- 01-15Iris DeMent: Paragould, Arkansas -- Country singer (Our Town)
- 01-18Mark D Messier: Edmonton, Alberta -- NHL Center (Edmonton, New York Rangers)
- 01-21Sherry Ramsay: Stauton, Virginia -- Actress (Trish Mason-As the World Turns)
- 01-22Barb Thomas Whitehead: Sibley, Iowa -- LPGA golfer (1995 Hawaiian Open)
- 01-23Trey Junkin: Tight end (Arizona Cardinals)
- 01-24Krasimir Mikhailov Stoyanov: Bulgaria -- Cosmonaut
- 01-25Michele Tobin: Chicago, Illinois -- Actress (Fitzpatricks)
- 01-27Charlotte Kemp: Omaha, Nebraska -- Playmate (Dec, 1982)
- 01-27Gillian Gilbert: Manchester, England -- Rocker (New Order-Round & Round)
- 01-27Jean-Paul Banos: Lavelanet, France -- Canada sabre (Olympics 9 / 10-88, 92, 96)
- 01-27Karen Velez: Rockville Centre, New York -- Playmate (December, 1984)
- 01-27Margo Timmins: Singer (Cowboy Junkies)
- 01-27Martin Degville: Rocker (Sigue Sigue Sputnik-Love Missile F-111)
- 01-27Rudi Mauger: Rocker (Crew Cuts)
- 01-28Luann L Lee: Santa Monica, California -- Playmate (Jan, 1987)
- 01-29Mike Aldrete: US baseball infielder (Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees)
- 02-01Daniel M Tani: Ridley Park, Maryland -- Astronaut
- 02-01Gina Hull: Jacksonville, Florida -- LPGA golfer (1989 USX Golf Classic-8th)
People died in year of 1961
- 01-04Barry Fitzgerald: Actor (Going My Way), dies at 72
- 01-06Regina Ullmann: Writer, dies at 76
- 01-07Clarice Baright: 1st woman admitted to American Bar Association, dies at 74
- 01-10Dashiell Hammett: US detective writer (Thin Man), dies at 66
- 01-14Ernest Thesiger: Actor (Brass Monkey, Ghoul), dies at 81
- 01-14Henry Geehl: Composer, dies at 79
- 01-15Francesco Maria Saraceni: Composer, dies at 49
- 01-16Janos Viski: Composer, dies at 54
- 01-17Patrice Lumumba: African revolutionary, murdered at 36
- 01-21John Joseph Becker: Composer, dies a day before 75th birthday
- 01-24Willem J M van Eysinga: People rights scholar, dies at 82
- 02-02Adolf Vogl: Composer, dies at 87
- 02-02Anna May Wong: Actress (Thief of Baghdad), dies at about 56
- 02-03Viscount Dunrossil: Governor-General of Australia (1959-61), dies at 67
- 02-05Anthony G de Rothschild: British philanthropist, dies at 73
- 02-06Archibald T Davison: Composer, dies at 77
- 02-08William Duncan: Actor (Hopalong Rides Again), dies at 81
- 02-09Grigory Levenfish: International Chess Grandmaster from Russia, dies at 70
- 02-11Eduard R Verkade: Dutch actor / director (Pygmalion), dies at 82
- 02-14Wallis Clark: Actress (Easy Money), dies at 78
- 02-15Jack Whiting: Actor (Top Speed, Life of the Party), dies at 59
- 02-15Marubel Vinaon Owen: Figure skater (1932 Olympics - Silver Medalist)
- 02-17Nita Naldi: Actress (Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde), dies of heart attack at 63
- 02-20Otto E Huiswoud [Frank Billings]: Editor (Negro Worker), dies at 67
- 02-20Percy Aldridge Grainger: Australian / US Composer / pianist, dies at 78
- 02-22George de las Cuevas Bustillo y Teheran: Chilean Marquis, dies at 75
- 02-26Karl Albiker: German Sculptor (Problem of the Plastic), dies at 83
- 02-26Mohammed V: Ibn Yusuf, Sultan / King of Morocco, dies at 51
- 02-27Platt Adams: High jumper (1912 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 02-28Joris Vriamont: Flemish writer / music publisher, dies at 64
Events in year of 1962
- 01-01Rwanda granted internal self-government by Belgium
- 01-01Western Samoa gains independence from New Zealand Susuga Malietoa Tanumafili II becomes co-chief of Western Samoa
- 01-02Nighttime version of "Password" with Allen Ludden premieres on CBS
- 01-03Ground is broken for the Houston Astrodome
- 01-03Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro
- 01-041st automated (unmanned) subway train (NYC)
- 01-05Tony Sheridan and beatles produce "My Bonnie" and"The Saints"
- 01-07AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 47-27
- 01-07Assassination attempt on Indonesian President Sukarno, fails
- 01-07Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Hall Wheelock
- 01-08Dutch express train crashes into slow commuter train, 93 die (Neth)
- 01-08Golfer Jack Nicklaus, 21, 1st pro appearance, he came in 50th
- 01-09Mister M (Dr X) beats Verne Gagne in Minn, to become NWA champ
- 01-09NFL prohibits grabbing of face masks
- 01-10Eruptions on Mount Huascaran in Peru destroy 7 villages and kill 3,500
- 01-11Volcano Huascaran in Peru, erupts; 4,000 die
- 01-13"Do Re Mi" closes at St. James Theater NYC after 400 performances
- 01-13Wilt Chamberlain of Warriors scores then NBA-record 73 pts vs. Chicago
- 01-14NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 31-30
- 01-1550th Australian Mens Tennis: Rod Laver beats R Emerson (86 06 64 64)
- 01-15Dutch and Indonesian navy encounter in Etna Bay New Guinea
- 01-16Shooting begins on "Dr No"
- 01-16Suit accuses NYC Board of Education uses "racial quotas"
- 01-17A NASA civilian pilot Neil A Armstrong takes X-15 to 40,690 m
- 01-18Southern University closed due to demonstrations
- 01-18US begins spraying foliage in Vietnam to reveal Viet Cong guerrillas
- 01-20"Kean" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 92 performances
- 01-21JFK arrives in Uruguay
- 01-21Snow falls in San Francisco
- 01-23Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
People born in year of 1962
- 01-01Ravshanbek Aliyev: Kirgiz -- Cosmonaut
- 01-03Darren Daulton: US baseball catcher (Philadelphia Phillies)
- 01-03Gavin Hastings: WLAF kicker (Scottish Claymores)
- 01-03Ulrike Lang: Writer
- 01-04Joe Kleine: NBA center (Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls)
- 01-04Martin McAloon: Rocker (Prefab Sprout-2 Wheels Good)
- 01-04Patrick Cassidy: Los Angeles, California -- Actor / composer (Fever Pitch, Off the Wall)
- 01-05Danny Jackson: US baseball pitcher (Royals / Phillies / Cardinals)
- 01-05Donald John Cowie: Auckland, New Zealand -- Yachting Star class (1996 Olympics)
- 01-05Joel Wyner: Actor / director (Lyle Springer-Sirens, Listen, Club)
- 01-06Philip Brown: Birmingham, England -- 4x400m runner (1984 Olympics - Silver Medalist)
- 01-06Sean Landeta: NFL place kicker (New York Giants)
- 01-07Hallie Todd: Actress (Check is in the Mail)
- 01-07Jeff Montgomery: Wellston, Ohio -- Pitcher (KC Royals)
- 01-10Jim Lindeman: US baseball outfielder (NY Mets)
- 01-11Donn Pall: Evergreen Park, Illinois -- Pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies, Florida Marlins)
- 01-11Kim Coles: Brooklyn, New York -- Actress (Synclaire-Living Single)
- 01-13Brett Maxie: NFL safety (Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers)
- 01-13Kevin Mitchell: US baseball outfielder (NY Met, SF Giants, Cin Reds)
- 01-14Patrica Morrison: Rocker (Sisters of Mercy-Walk Away, Black Planet)
- 01-16Jan Koster: Dutch drummer (Sleeze Beez-Powertool)
- 01-16Kevin Ross: NFL safety (Atlanta Falcons, KC Chiefs)
- 01-16Paul Webb: Rocker (TalkTalk)
- 01-18Alison Arngrim: Actress (Nellie-Little House of the Prairie)
- 01-19Chris Sabo: Detroit, Michigan -- Pitcher (Cin Reds, Baltimore Orioles)
- 01-22Robert Mailhouse: New Haven, Connecticut -- Actor (Brian-Days of our Life)
- 01-25Chris Chelios: Chicago, Illinois -- NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks, Team USA)
- 01-26Tom Keifer: Rock guitarist / vocalist (Cinderella-Heartbreak Station)
- 01-27James F Doehring: Santa Barbara, California -- Shot putter (1992 Olympics - Silver Medalist)
- 01-27Michael Collins: Clarinettist
People died in year of 1962
- 01-06Jacob "Jaap" Nanninga: Dutch Painter (France, N Africa), dies at 57
- 01-09LeRoy B Shield: US pianist / Composer (Union Pacific Suite), dies at 68
- 01-12Richard de Guide: Composer, dies at 52
- 01-13Ernie Kovacs: Comedian, dies in a car crash in West LA, at 42
- 01-15Kenneth MacKenna: Actor (Men Without Women), dies of cancer at 62
- 01-16Emanuel Stickelberger: Swiss writer (Holbein in England), dies at 77
- 01-17Gerrit Achterberg: Dutch Poet (Dead End), dies at 56
- 01-18Raymond Moulaert: Composer, dies at 86
- 01-19Snub Pollard: Actor (Limelight, Arizona Days), dies of cancer at 72
- 01-20Robinson Jeffers: Poet / playwright (Dear Judas), dies at 75
- 01-26Charles "Lucky" Luciano: NYC Mafia gangster, dies at 65
- 01-26Fran Lhotka: Composer, dies at 78
- 01-29Fritz Kreisler: Austria / US violinist / composer, dies at 86
- 02-03Werner Bock: Writer
- 02-05Jacques Ibert: French Composer (Escales), dies at 71
- 02-10Willem Paerels: Neth / Belgian Painter / graphic artist, dies at 83
- 02-15Vladimir Sokoloff: Actor (Road to Morocco, Cloak & Dagger), dies at 72
- 02-17Bruno Walter: Symphony conductor (NY Philharmonic), dies at 85
- 02-17Joseph Kearns: Actor (George-Dennis the Menace), dies at 55
- 02-19Albert Israel Elkus: Composer, dies at 77
- 02-20Halliwell Hobbes: Dies at 64
- 02-25Wilhelm Pessler: German sociologist, dies at 81
- 02-26Carl Emil Theodor Ehrenberg: Composer, dies at 83
- 02-27Willie Best: Actor (Charlie-My Little Margie), dies at 45
- 02-28Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson: Comedian (Olsen & Johnson), dies at 70
- 03-01Roscoe Ates: Actor (Dep Roscoe-Marshal of Gunsight Pass), dies at 70
- 03-04Cairine R Wilson: 1st Canadian female senator (appointed), dies at 77
- 03-05Anne C Veth: Dutch cartoonist / art critic, dies at 82
- 03-05Otakar Jeremias: Composer, dies at 69
- 03-06Rezso Kokai: Composer, dies at 56
Events in year of 1963
- 01-01G Woods succeeds Eugene Black as President of the World Bank
- 01-01WTEV (now WLNE) TV channel 6 in Providence RI begins broadcasting
- 01-03WOUB TV channel 20 in Athens, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting
- 01-04Soviet Luna (4) reaches Earth orbit but fails to reach Moon
- 01-05"Camelot" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 873 performances
- 01-05"Carnival!" closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 719 performances
- 01-05San Diego beats Boston 51-10 in AFL championship game
- 01-06"Oliver!" opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 774 performances
- 01-071st class postage raised from 4 cents to 5 cents
- 01-09Mao Tse-tung writes his poem "Reply to Comrade Kuo Mo-jo"
- 01-111st discotheque opens, Whiskey-a-go-go in LA
- 01-11Beatles release "Please Please Me" and"Ask Me Why"
- 01-12"Go Away Little Girl" by Steve Lawrence peaks at #1
- 01-12Spin bowler Bobby Simpson takes 5-57 for Australia vs. England
- 01-13AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 21-14
- 01-13NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 30-20
- 01-14George C Wallace sworn in as Governor of Alabama, his address states "segregation now; segregation tomorrow; segregation forever!"
- 01-16Khrushchev claims to have a 100-megaton nuclear bomb
- 01-17Joe Walker takes X-15 to altitude of 82 km
- 01-17Wilt Chamberlain of NBA SF Warriors scores 67 points vs. LA
- 01-18Reinier Paping wins Dutch 11-Cities Skating Race (10:59)
- 01-22Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Naples Professional Golf Tournament
- 01-24Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz wrestle in Toronto, Rogers becomes WWF wrestling champ and Thesz becomes NWA champ
- 01-26"Milk & Honey" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 543 performances
- 01-26Major League Rules Committee votes to expand strike zone
- 01-27Jevgeni Grishin skates world record 500m in 39.6 sec
- 01-27Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick, and John Clarkson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- 01-29Jim Thorpe, Red Grange and George Halas elected to football hall of fame
- 02-01Nyasaland (now Malawi) becomes self-governing under Hastings Banda
- 02-02Helen Shapiro begins tour (Beatles are part of undercard)
People born in year of 1963
- 01-01Lance Smith: NFL guard (New York Giants)
- 01-02David Cone: Kansas City, Missouri -- Baseball pitcher (NY Mets / Tor Blue Jays / New York Yankees)
- 01-02Edgar Martinez: NYC, New York -- Baseball 1st baseman (Seattle Mariners)
- 01-03Ashley Chinner: Cape Town, South Africa -- Golfer (1992 CGIA Canadian Tour)
- 01-03Jim Everett: NFL quarterback (LA Raiders, NO Saints, SD Chargers)
- 01-04Linda Muri: Killingly, Connecticut -- Rower (1996 Olympics)
- 01-05Jeff Fassero: Springfield, Illinois -- Pitcher (Montreal Expos)
- 01-05Rick Ambrose: Singer (Jewel)
- 01-06Norm Charlton: Fort Polk, Louisiana -- Pitcher (Seattle Mariners)
- 01-06Philippe Perrin: Meknes, Morocco -- Lt Colonel FAF / Astronaut
- 01-07Craig Shipley: Australian / US baseball infielder (San Diego Padres)
- 01-08Hiromi Kobayashi: Fukushima, Japan -- LPGA golfer (1993 JAL Big Apple)
- 01-10Frank Wijnhoven: Dutch soccer player (NEC, Treffers)
- 01-11Kate Gompert: Ames, Louisiana -- Tennis star
- 01-11Petra Schneider: E German swimming star (world record 400m)
- 01-11Tracy Caulkins: Winona, Minnesota -- Swimmer (1984 Olympics - 3 Gold Medals)
- 01-13Felita Carr: Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- Dance skater (Komarov - 1995 Pacific Champ)
- 01-13Tim Patrick Kelly: Trenton, New Jersey -- Guitarist (Slaughter-Stick it Live)
- 01-15Erling Kagge: Norway -- Explorer (South Pole)
- 01-15Lijuan Geng: Hebei, China -- Canadian tennis player (1996 Olympics)
- 01-15Richard Nasheim: Hockey forward (Team Austria 1998)
- 01-15Yaro Dachniwsky: Chicago, Illinois -- Team handball goalie (1996 Olympics)
- 01-18Jane Horrocks: Lancashire, England -- Actress (Absolutely Fabulous)
- 01-19Adele Peterson: LPGA golfer
- 01-19Michael Adams: NBA guard (Charlotte Hornets)
- 01-20Scott Fisher: San Jose, California -- Australian basketball forward (1996 Olympics)
- 01-21Cindy Schreyer: Forest Park, Georgia -- LPGA golfer (1993 Sun-Times Challenge)
- 01-21Detlef Schrempf: Germany -- NBA forward (Mavericks, Pacers, Supersonics)
- 01-21Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon: Nigeria -- NBA center (Rockets, Olympics - Gold - 1996)
- 01-21Jessie Hester: NFL player (St. Louis Rams)
People died in year of 1963
- 01-02Dick Powell: Actor / director (Dick Powell Theater), dies at 58
- 01-02Jack Carson: Actor (Star is Born, Mildred Pierce), dies at 52
- 01-03Oscar Backing: Austria / Netherlands viola player, dies at 83
- 01-05Rogers Hornsby: Baseball player, dies of a heart ailment at 66
- 01-06Lourens GM Baas Becking: Dutch Botanist / resistance fighter, dies at 68
- 01-08Stark Young: US writer (So Red the Rose), dies at 81
- 01-10Tadeusz Szeligowski: Composer, dies at 66
- 01-11Arthur D Nock: English / Americans Historian (St Paul), dies at 60
- 01-13Leonardus G Kortenhorst: Dutch MP (KVP), dies at 76
- 01-14Gustav Regler: Writer, dies at 64
- 01-16Gilardo Gilardi: Composer, dies at 73
- 01-21Al St John: Actor (Law & Order, Devil Riders), dies at 70
- 01-21Franz Jung: Writer, dies at 74
- 01-25Wilson Kettle: Nfld, dies at 102, leaving 582 living descendents
- 01-26John Sigvard Olsen: Comedian (Olsen & Johnson), dies at 70
- 01-27John Farrow: Actor / director (Botany Bay), dies at 58
- 01-28Jean Felix Piccard: Swiss explorer, dies on his 79th birthday
- 01-29Robert Lee Frost: US Poet (New Hampshire, 4 Pulitzers), dies at 88
- 02-02Herman Bouber [Blom]: Actor / playwright (Bluejackets), dies at 77
- 02-06Mohammed ibn al-Chattabi Abd el-Krim: Morocco opposition leader
- 02-06Werner Erich Josten: German Composer (Jungle), dies at 77
- 02-08Abdul Karim Kassem: Prime Minister of Iraq (58-63), assassinated in Baghdad at 48
- 02-08George Dolenz: Italian actor (Count of Monte Cristo), dies at 55
- 02-11Sylvia Plath: Poet / Novelist (Ariel), kills herself in London at 30
- 02-13Harry Steers: Bowling hall of famer
- 02-16Laszlo Lajtha: Composer, dies at 70
- 02-18Monte Blue: Silent film actor (Apache), dies of heart attack at 73
- 02-18Todd "Hugh" Gaitskell: Leader British Labour Party, dies at 56
- 02-26Artturi A Leinonen: Fin journalist / politician (Prophet), dies at 74
- 02-28Theodore Newton: Actor (Voltaire, Ace of Aces), dies at 58