Today in History for March 1961

Months in 1961: January February April May June July August September October November December

Historical Events

Events 1 - 46 of 46

1st - Cellist Jacqueline du Prés debut in Wigmore Hall
1st - President Kennedy establishes the Peace Corp
2nd - "13 Daughters" opens at 54th St Theater NYC for 28 performances
3rd - King Hassan II's ascends to throne of Morocco
4th - Paul-Henri Spaak resigns as sec-gen of NATO
6th - 1st London minicabs introduced
6th - Dutch Queen Juliana celebrates 12½ year government jubilee
6th - Dutch guilder revalued 4.74%
8th - Jean Kerr's "Mary, Mary," premieres in NYC
8th - US nuclear submarine Patrick Henry arrives at Scottish naval base of Holy Loch from SC in a record underseas journey of 66 days 22 hrs
9th - 1st animal returned from space, dog named Blackie aboard Sputnik 9
9th - Mine cave-in in Japan, kills 72
9th - Sputnik 9 carries Chernushka (dog) into orbit
9th - Supremes release "I Want A Guy" & "Never Again"
11th - Then NHL record 40 penalties, Black Hawks & Maple Leafs (20 each)
12th - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Miami Golf Open
13th - Elizabeth Gurley Finn (70) becomes pres of US Communist Party
13th - Floyd Patterson KOs Ingemar Johansson in 6 for heavyweight boxing title
13th - JFK sets up the Alliance for Progress
US President John F. Kennedy 13th - Landslide in USSR, kills 145
13th - Old type, black & white notes cease to be legal tender
14th - George Weiss becomes pres of NY Mets
15th - South Africa withdrews from British Commonwealth
17th - NY DA arrests professional gamblers who implicate Seton Hall players
17th - South Africa leaves British Commonwealth
18th - Poppin' Fresh Pillsbury Dough Boy introduced
21st - Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for then record ($3,925,000)
21st - Beatles' 1st appearance at the Cavern Club
24th - NY Senate approves $55M for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows
25th - "13 Daughters" closes at 54th St Theater NYC after 28 performances
25th - "Gypsy" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 702 performances
25th - 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cin beats Ohio State 70-65 (OT)
25th - Elvis Presley performs live on the USS Arizona
25th - Explorer 10 launched into elongated Earth orbit (177/181,000 km)
Singer & Cultural Icon Elvis Presley 25th - Sputnik 10 carries a dog into Earth orbit; later recovered
25th - 3rd place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as St Joseph's defeats Utah 127-120 in 4 overtimes
26th - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Golden Circle of Golf Festival
27th - Black demonstrators in Charleston staged ride-ins on street cars
27th - Belgium government of Eyskens resigns
27th - Failed assassination attempt on King Saif al-Islam Achmad of Yemen
29th - 23rd Amendment ratified, allows Wash DC residents to vote for pres
29th - After a 4½ year trial Nelson Mandela is acquitted on treason charge
29th - KCPT TV channel 19 in Kansas City, MO (PBS) begins broadcasting
30th - NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 169,600' (51,690 m)
30th - The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed at New York.
31st - Aklilou Habtewold becomes 1st premier of Ethiopia

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 73 of 73

1st - Davis Daniel, Arlington Heights Ill, country singer
1st - Mike Rozier, NFL halfback (Heisman Trophy-1983, Houston, Atlanta)
2nd - Simone Young, Australian conductor
3rd - Mary Page Keller, actress (Duet, Scared Stiff, Baby Talk)
3rd - Perry McCarthy, English racing driver
3rd - Knut Nærum, Norwegian comedian
4th - David "Tinker" Juarez, LA California, cyclist (Olympics-19th-96)
4th - Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, boxer (killed a boxer in the ring)
4th - Roger Wessels, Port Elizabeth South Africa, golfer (1994 Canadian Masters)
4th - Steven Weber, Queens NY, actor (Brian Hackett-Wings)
4th - Sabine Everts, former German track athlete
5th - Dan Stuart, US singer/songwriter (Green on Red)
5th - Zeke Mowatt, NFL tight end (NY Giants)
7th - Mary Beth Evans, Pasadena California, actress (Katherine-General Hospital)
8th - Larry Murphy, Scarborough, NHL defenseman (Toronto Maple Leafs)
8th - Camryn Manheim, American actress
9th - Robert Rechsteiner, US professional wrestler (Rick Steiner)
9th - Camryn Manheim, American actress
10th - Jesse Sapolu, NFL guard (SF 49ers)
10th - Laurel B Clark, Ames Iowa, Lt cmdr USN/astronaut
10th - Mitch Gaylord, CA, gymnist (Olympics 1984)/actor (American Anthem)
10th - Bobby Petrino, American football coach
10th - Pam Oliver, American sportscaster
11th - Bruce Watson, Ontario Canada, rock guitarist (Big Country-Wonderland)
11th - Mike Percy, rocker (Dead or Alive-Spin Me Round)
11th - Elias Koteas, Canadian actor
12th - Joseph Facal, Quebec politician
13th - Cor Lems, soccer player (ADO The Hague/Dordrecht '90)
14th - Gary Dell'Abate, producer (Howard Stern Show)
14th - Grigoriy Kornev, Russian speed walker (world record 5 km)
14th - Russell Todd, actor (Jamie Frame-Another World)
14th - Greg Anderson, American NHRA driver
14th - Penny Johnson Jerald, American actress
15th - Craig Ludwig, Rhinelander, NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars)
15th - Fabio [Lanzoni], Italy, romance novels model (Fabio After Dark)
15th - John Melendez, jockey
15th - Terry Cummings, NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks, Phila 76ers)
16th - Mel Gray, NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
17th - Casey Siemaszko, Chicago IL, actor (Biloxi Blues, 3 O'Clock High)
17th - Dana Reeve, American actress and activist (d. 2006)
17th - Andrew Paul, English actor
18th - Kevan James, cricketer (all-rounder 4 wkts/4 balls & ton v India 1996)
18th - Mark Van Thillo, Wilrijk Belgium, co-capt (Biosphere 2)
18th - Todd Nelson, Dalles Ore, tennis star
19th - Jos Lansink, Dutch-Belgian equestrian
20th - John Clark Gable, LA California, actor (Bad Jim)
20th - Kathy Guadagnino, Albany NY, LPGA golfer (1985 US Women's Open)
20th - Slim Jim Phantom, [Jim Mcdonnell], rock drummer (Stray Cats)
20th - Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer
21st - Kassie Wesley, Ky, actress (Evil Dead 2, Blair-One Life to Live)
21st - Slim MacDonnell, Jim Phantom rock percussionist (Stray Cats)
21st - Wei Wang, Beijing China, US table tennis player (Olympics-96)
21st - Shawn Lane, American guitar virtuoso (d. 2003)
21st - Lothar Matthäus, German footballer
23rd - Helmi Johannes, Indonesian television newscaster
24th - Dean Jones, cricketer (dashing Australian batsman & fielder 1984-92)
24th - James T Gallagher Jr, Johnstown PA, PGA golfer (1990 Greater Milw)
25th - John Stockwell, Galveston TX, actor (Born to Ride, City Limits)
25th - Mark David Brooks, Fort Worth TX, PGA golfer (1994 Kemper Open)
25th - Fred Goss, American actor, comedian, and writer
26th - Leigh Bowery, designer
26th - William Hague, Secretary of State for Wales
27th - Clark Datchler, vocalist (Johnny Hates Jazz-Don't Say it's Love)
27th - Ellery Hanley, rugby league player
27th - Tak Matsumoto, Japanese guitarist (B'z)
27th - Tony Rominger, Swiss cyclist
28th - Byron Scott, NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies)
29th - Ane-Marie Sanches, newscaster (Suriname TV/Radio)
29th - Mike Kingery, St James MN, outfielder (Pittsburgh Pirates)
29th - Amy Sedaris, American actress and comedian
29th - Gary Brabham, Australian racing driver
30th - Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1999)
31st - Ron Brown, LA California, 4x100m runner (Olympic-gold-1984)

Famous Weddings

Weddings 1 - 1 of 1

13th - Pablo Picasso (79) marries his model Jacqueline Rocque (37)

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 17 of 17

3rd - Paul Wittgenstein, Austrian-born pianist (b. 1887)
6th - George Formby, British singer/comedian, dies at 56
6th - Kjeld Abell, Danish playwright/director of Tivoli, dies at 59
7th - Englebert van Anderlecht, Belgian painter, dies at 42
7th - Max Hymans, WW II resistance fighter/Head of Air France, dies at 60
8th - Thomas Beecham, English conductor (Last Night of the Prom), dies at 81
12th - Belinda Lee, actress (Joseph & his Brethren), dies in car crash at 25
14th - Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player (opening theorist), dies at 78
16th - Chen Geng, Chinese military leader (b. 1903)
17th - Susanna Salter, 1st US female mayor/temperance leader, dies at 101
19th - Edric Cundell, composer, dies at 68
23rd - A C Russell, cricketer (10 Tests for England 910 runs), dies
23rd - James Edward Murray, (Sen-D-Montana) (1935-61), dies
23rd - Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko, cosmonaut, dies in accident at 24
27th - Jack Kane, orchestra leader (Steve & Eydie, Andy Williams Show), dies at 37
30th - P J Melotte, discovered Jupiter's 8th satellite Pasiphae, dies
31st - Seerp Anema, Dutch poet/writer (Modern Art & Degenerating), dies at 85