The year in history
1961
Someone born in 1961 turns 65 in 2026
1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1961st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 961st year of the 2nd millennium, the 61st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1960s decade.
What happened in 1961
Monetary reform in the Soviet Union.
Soviet submarine S-80 sinks in the Barents Sea, killing all 68 crew.
United States President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to vote in presidential elections.
Swedish warship Vasa, sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628, is recovered from Stockholm Harbor.
Civil rights movement: Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi for "disturbing the peace", after disembarking from their bus.
Moise Tshombe is released for lack of evidence of his connection to the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
The Six Flags Over Texas theme park officially opens to the public.
The religious Focolare Movement opens its first North American center in New York (state).
The Arab League takes over protecting Kuwait; the last British troops leave.
Kean opens at Broadway Theater in New York City for 92 performances.
U.S. President John F. Kennedy gives support to the Volta Dam project in Ghana.
Famous people born in 1961
Gabrielle Carteris
American actress, and trade union leader
January 2 β
Guido Buchwald
German footballer
January 24 β
Justin Fashanu
English footballer (d. 1998)
February 19 β
Rick Steiner
American professional wrestler
March 9 β
Ali Hewson
Irish activist and businesswoman
March 23 β
DONDI
American graffiti artist (d. 1998)
April 7 β
Dirk Bach
German actor and comedian (d. 2012)
April 23 β
Urban Priol
German Kabarett artist and comedian
May 14 β
Ralph Carter
American actor
May 30 β
Michael J. Fox
Canadian-American actor, producer and author
June 9 β
Raja Yong Sofia
Malaysian aristocrat
June 24 β
Carl Lewis
American athlete
July 1 β
Zbigniew Zamachowski
Polish actor
July 17 β
Gary Cherone
American rock singer-songwriter
July 26 β
Yelena Davydova
Soviet gymnast
August 7 β
Plamen Nikolov
Bulgarian footballer
August 20 β
Anthony Wong Chau-sang
Hong Kong actor
September 2 β
Catherine Oxenberg
American actress
September 22 β
Gary Ablett
Australian rules footballer
October 1 β
Chris Doleman
American football player (d. 2020)
October 16 β
Dmitry Muratov
Russian campaigning journalist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
October 30 β
Nadia ComΔneci
Romanian gymnast
November 12 β
Alan Davies
English-Welsh international footballer (d. 1992)
December 5 β
Mohammad Fouad
Arab singer and actor
December 20 β