Editing 1961 (section)

==Events==
===January===
{{Main|January 1961}}
* [[January 1]] &ndash; [[Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961|Monetary reform in the Soviet Union]].
* [[January 3]]
** United States President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with [[Cuba]] ([[Cuba–United States relations]] are restored in [[2015]]).
** [[Aero Flight 311]] (Koivulahti air disaster): [[Douglas DC-3]]C OH-LCC of Finnish airline [[Finnair|Aero]] crashes near [[Kvevlax]] (Koivulahti), on approach to [[Vaasa Airport]] in Finland, killing all 25 on board, due to [[pilot error]]: an investigation finds that the [[Captain (civil aviation)|captain]] and [[First officer (civil aviation)|first officer]] were both exhausted for lack of sleep, and had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol at the time of the crash. It remains the deadliest air disaster to occur in the country.
* [[January 5]]
** Italian sculptor [[Alfredo Fioravanti]] enters the U.S. Consulate in Rome, and confesses that he was part of the team that forged the [[Etruscan terracotta warriors]] in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]].
** After the [[1960 Turkish coup d'état|1960 military coup]], General [[Cemal Gürsel]] forms the new government of [[Turkey]] (25th government).
* [[January 7]] &ndash; Following a four-day conference in [[Casablanca]], five African chiefs of state announce plans for a [[NATO]]-type African organization to ensure common defense. The Charter of Casablanca involves the [[Casablanca Group]]: [[Morocco]], the [[United Arab Republic]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea]], and [[Mali]].
* [[January 8]] &ndash; In France, a [[French referendum on Algerian self-determination, 1961|referendum]] supports [[Charles de Gaulle]]'s policies on independence for [[Algeria]].
* [[January 9]] &ndash; British authorities announce they have uncovered a large [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Espionage|spy ring]], the [[Portland spy ring]], in London.
* [[January 17]]
** President [[Dwight Eisenhower]] gives his final [[State of the Union Address]] to Congress. In a Farewell Address the same day, he warns of the increasing power of a "[[military–industrial complex]]."
** [[Patrice Lumumba]] of the [[Republic of Congo]] is assassinated.
* [[January 23]] &ndash; [[Congress of Venezuela]] adopts a [[Constitution of Venezuela (1961)|new constitution]] (in force until 1999).
* [[January 24]] &ndash; [[1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash]]: A [[B-52 Stratofortress]], carrying two [[nuclear bomb]]s, crashes near [[Goldsboro, North Carolina]].
* [[January 25]]
** In Washington, D.C., President [[John F. Kennedy]] delivers the first live presidential [[news conference]]. In it, he announces that the [[Soviet Union]] has freed the two surviving crewmen from the July 1 [[1960 RB-47 shootdown incident]] involving a [[USAF]] reconnaissance aircraft and a MiG-19 over the [[Barents Sea]].
** Acting to halt 'leftist excesses', a [[Military dictatorship|junta]] composed of two army officers and four civilians takes over [[El Salvador]], ousting another junta that had ruled for three months.
* [[January 27]] &ndash; [[Soviet submarine S-80|Soviet submarine ''S-80'']] sinks in the [[Barents Sea]], killing all 68 crew.
* [[January 28]] &ndash; ''[[Supercar (TV series)|Supercar]]'', the first family sci-fi TV series filmed in [[Supermarionation]], debuts on [[Associated Television|ATV]] in the UK.
* [[January 30]] &ndash; President [[John F. Kennedy]] delivers his first [[State of the Union Address]].
* [[January 31]] &ndash; [[Ham (chimpanzee)|Ham]], a 37-pound (17-kg) male chimpanzee, is rocketed into space aboard [[Mercury-Redstone 2]], in a test of the [[Project Mercury]] spacecraft, designed to carry United States [[astronaut]]s into space.

===February===
{{Main|February 1961}}
* [[February 1]] &ndash; The United States tests its first [[Minuteman I]] intercontinental ballistic missile.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spp.fas.org/military/program/6555th/6555c3-8.htm|title=The 6555th, Chapter III, Section 8, The Minuteman Ballistic Missile Test Program|website=spp.fas.org}}</ref>
* [[February 4]] &ndash; The [[Portuguese Colonial War]] begins in [[Angola]].
* [[February 5]]&ndash;[[February 9|9]] &ndash; In [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]], President [[Joseph Kasa-Vubu]] names [[Joseph Iléo]] as the new Prime Minister.
* [[February 9]] &ndash; [[The Beatles at The Cavern Club]]: Lunchtime &ndash; [[The Beatles]] perform under this name at [[The Cavern Club]] for the first time following their return to [[Liverpool]] from [[Hamburg]], [[George Harrison]]'s first appearance at the venue. On March 21 they begin regular performances here.
* [[February 12]] &ndash; The [[USSR]] launches ''[[Venera 1]]'' towards [[Venus]].
* [[February 13]] &ndash; The [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]] government announces that villagers have killed [[Patrice Lumumba]].
* [[February 14]] &ndash; [[Discovery of the chemical elements]]: Element 103, [[Lawrencium]], is first synthesized in [[Berkeley, California]].
* [[February 15]]
** United States President [[John F. Kennedy]] warns the [[Soviet Union]] to avoid interfering with the [[United Nations]]' pacification of the [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Selected+Milestones+in+the+Presidency+of+John+F.+Kennedy.htm |title=Selected Milestones of the Kennedy Presidency – John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum |publisher=Jfklibrary.org |access-date=2012-04-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521194254/http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical%2BResources/Archives/Reference%2BDesk/Selected%2BMilestones%2Bin%2Bthe%2BPresidency%2Bof%2BJohn%2BF.%2BKennedy.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2010 }}</ref>
** [[Sabena Flight 548]] crashes near [[Brussels]], Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States [[figure skating]] team and several coaches.
** American soul singer [[Jackie Wilson]] is shot and seriously wounded at his [[Manhattan]] apartment by jealous girlfriend Juanita Jones (claimed publicly to be an obsessive fan).<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Robinson|first=Major|date=1961-03-02|title=Rock 'N' Roll Idol Jackie Wilson Felled By Fan's Gun|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QrEDAAAAMBAJ&q=jackie+wilson+jet+1961&pg=PA60|magazine=Jet|pages=60–62}}</ref>
** The total [[solar eclipse of February 15, 1961]], visible in the southern part of Europe, occurs.
* [[February 26]] &ndash; [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] is pronounced King of [[Morocco]].

===March===

{{Main|March 1961}}

* [[March]]&ndash;[[April]] &ndash; Drilling for [[Project Mohole]] is undertaken off the coast of [[Guadalupe Island]], Mexico.
* [[March 1]] &ndash; United States President [[John F. Kennedy]] establishes the [[Peace Corps]].
* [[March 3]] &ndash; [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] is crowned [[King of Morocco]].
* [[March 8]]
** [[Max Conrad]] circumnavigates the earth by light plane in 8 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes, setting a new world record.
** The first U.S. [[UGM-27 Polaris|Polaris]] [[submarine]]s arrive at [[Holy Loch]] in Scotland.
* [[March 11]] &ndash; "[[Barbie]]" gets a boyfriend, when the "[[Ken (doll)|Ken]]" doll is introduced in the United States.<ref>{{cite book|author=Robin Gerber|title=Barbie Forever: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy (Official 60th Anniversary Collection)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Boi4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA177|date=24 September 2019|publisher=Epic Ink|isbn=978-0-7603-6577-9|pages=177}}</ref>
* [[March 13]]
** [[1961 Kurenivka mudslide]]: A dam bursts in [[Kiev]], [[USSR]], killing 145.
** United States delegate to the [[United Nations Security Council]] Adlai Stevenson votes against Portuguese policies in Africa.
** United States President [[John F. Kennedy]] proposes a long-term "[[Alliance for Progress]]", between the United States and Latin America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Selected+Milestones+in+the+Presidency+of+John+F.+Kennedy.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521194254/http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical%2BResources/Archives/Reference%2BDesk/Selected%2BMilestones%2Bin%2Bthe%2BPresidency%2Bof%2BJohn%2BF.%2BKennedy.htm|url-status= dead|title=JFK Library.org|archive-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref>
** [[Cyprus]] joins the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], becoming the first small country in the Commonwealth.<ref>{{cite journal|last=McIntyre|first=W. David|author-link=W. David McIntyre|date=April 2008|title=The Expansion of the Commonwealth and the Criteria for Membership|journal=[[The Round Table Journal|Round Table]]|volume=97|issue=395|pages=273–85|doi=10.1080/00358530801962089|s2cid=219623317}}</ref>
** Black and white [[£5 note]]s cease to be [[legal tender]] in the UK.
** [[Monash University]] in Melbourne, Australia takes in its first students.
** A second [[B-52]] [[1961 Yuba City B-52 crash|crashes]] near [[Yuba City, California]], after cabin pressure is lost and the fuel runs out. Two [[nuclear weapon]]s are found unexploded.
* [[March 15]]
** South Africa announces it will withdraw from the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], upon becoming a republic (31 May). The nation rejoins the organization in [[1994]].
** The [[Union of Peoples of Angola]], led by [[Holden Roberto]], attacks strategic locations in the north of [[Angola]]. These events result in the beginning of the colonial war with Portugal.
* [[March 18]]
** A [[ceasefire]] takes effect in the [[Algerian War of Independence]].
** "[[Nous les amoureux]]" sung by [[Jean-Claude Pascal]] (music by Jacques Datin, lyrics by Maurice Vidalin) wins the [[Eurovision Song Contest 1961]] (staged in Cannes) for [[Luxembourg]].
* [[March 29]] &ndash; The [[Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution]] is ratified, allowing residents of [[Washington, D.C.]] to vote in [[President of the United States|presidential]] elections.
* [[March 30]] &ndash; The [[Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs]] is signed at New York.

===April===

{{Main|April 1961}}

[[File:Gagarin in Sweden.jpg|thumbnail|upright|right|April 12: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to fly in outer space]]
* [[April 5]] &ndash; The [[New Guinea Council]] of [[West Papua (region)|Western Papua]] is installed.
* [[April 8]] &ndash; [[British India Steam Navigation Company]] passenger ship ''{{MV|Dara}}'' blows up and sinks off Dubai; 238 passengers and crew are killed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Court Finds Bomb Sank Liner With 238 in Persian Gulf|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=April 19, 1962|page=22}}</ref>
* [[April 10]] &ndash; South African golfer [[Gary Player]] becomes the first non-American to win the [[Masters Tournament]].<ref name=Gem>{{cite book|first=Nigel|last=Gross|display-authors=etal|title=Collins Gem 1960s|publisher=HarperCollins|location=London|year=1999|isbn=0-00-472310-4}}</ref>
* [[April 11]] &ndash; The trial of [[Nazi]] [[Adolf Eichmann]] begins in [[Jerusalem]].
* [[April 12]]
** ''[[Vostok 1]]'': Soviet [[cosmonaut]] [[Yuri Gagarin]] becomes the first human in space, orbiting the Earth once before parachuting to the ground.
** [[Albert Kalonji]] takes the title ''Emperor Albert I Kalonji'' of [[South Kasai]].
* [[April 13]] &ndash; In Portugal, a [[coup]] attempt against [[António de Oliveira Salazar]] fails.
* [[April 17]]
** The U.S.-backed [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]] of [[Cuba]] begins; it fails by [[April 19]].
** The [[33rd Academy Awards]] ceremony is held in [[Santa Monica, California]]: ''[[The Apartment]]'' (1960) wins most awards, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]].
* [[April 18]] &ndash; Portugal sends its first military reinforcement to [[Angola]].
* [[April 20]] &ndash; [[Fidel Castro]] announces that the [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]] has been defeated.
* [[April 22]] &ndash; [[Algiers putsch]]: Four French generals who oppose [[Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]]'s policies in [[Algeria]] fail in a [[coup]] attempt.
* [[April 23]] &ndash; [[Judy Garland]] performs in a legendary comeback concert at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City.
* [[April 24]] &ndash; [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[warship]] ''[[Vasa (ship)|Vasa]]'', sunk on her maiden voyage in [[1628]], is recovered from [[Stockholm]] Harbor.
* [[April 27]]
** [[Sierra Leone]] becomes independent from the United Kingdom.
** President [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] urges newspapers to consider national interest in times of struggle against "a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy", in an address before the American Newspaper Publishers Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=8093|author=John F. Kennedy|title=The President and the Press. Before the American Newspaper Publishers Association, New York City|date=April 27, 1961|work=The American Presidency Project|access-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref>

===May===
{{Main|May 1961}}
* [[May 1]] &ndash; [[National Airlines (1934–1980)|National Airlines]] Flight 337, internal to Florida, is forced by an armed hijacker to fly to Cuba, the first of a spate of such [[aircraft hijacking]]s.<ref>[https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19610501-1 Aviation Safety Network Hijacking Description.]</ref>
* [[May 4]] &ndash; U.S. [[Freedom Riders]] begin interstate bus rides, to test the new [[U.S. Supreme Court]] [[Discrimination|integration]] [[Boynton v. Virginia|decision]].
* [[May 5]] &ndash; [[Mercury program]]: [[Alan Shepard]] becomes the first American in space, aboard [[Mercury-Redstone 3]].
* [[May 6]] &ndash; [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.]] becomes the first team in the 20th century to win the [[Football in England|English]] league and cup double. {{As of|2025}}, this is the last time Tottenham have won the English League.
* [[May 8]] &ndash; British intelligence officer [[George Blake]] is sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for spying, having been found guilty of being a [[double agent]] in the pay of the [[Soviet Union]], the longest non-life sentence ever handed down by a British court.
* [[May 9]] &ndash; In a speech on "[[Television and the Public Interest]]" to the [[National Association of Broadcasters]] in the United States, [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] chairman [[Newton N. Minow]] describes commercial television programming as a "vast wasteland".
* [[May 14]] &ndash; [[Civil rights movement]]: A [[Freedom Riders]] bus is fire-bombed near [[Anniston, Alabama]], and the civil rights protestors are beaten by an [[angry mob]] of [[Ku Klux Klan]] members.
* [[May 15]] &ndash; [[J. Heinrich Matthaei]] alone performs the Poly-U-Experiment, and is the first person to recognize and understand the [[genetic code]]. This is the birthdate of modern [[genetics]].<ref>[[Hans-Jörg Rheinberger]], "Experimentalsysteme &ndash; Eine Geschichte der Proteinsynthese im Reagenzglas" Wallstein; {{ISBN|3-89244-454-4}}</ref>
* [[May 16]] &ndash; [[Park Chung Hee]] takes over in a military coup, in South Korea.
* [[May 19]] &ndash; ''[[Venera 1]]'' becomes the first man-made object to fly-by another planet by passing [[Venus]] (however, the probe lost contact with Earth a month earlier, and does not send back any data).
* [[May 21]] &ndash; [[Civil rights movement]]: [[Alabama]] Governor [[John Malcolm Patterson|John Patterson]] declares [[martial law]] in an attempt to restore order, after [[race riot]]s break out.
* [[May 22]] &ndash; [[1961 New South Wales earthquake]].
* [[May 24]] &ndash; [[Civil rights movement]]: [[Freedom Riders]] are arrested in [[Jackson, Mississippi]] for "disturbing the peace", after disembarking from their bus.
* [[May 25]] &ndash; [[Apollo program]]: [[John F. Kennedy|U.S. President Kennedy]] announces, before a special joint session of Congress, his goal to put a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.
* [[May 27]] &ndash; [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]], Prime Minister of [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]], holds a press conference in [[Singapore]], announcing his idea to form the Federation of [[Malaysia]], comprising Malaya, [[Singapore]], [[Sarawak]], [[Brunei]] and North Borneo ([[Sabah]]).
* [[May 28]] &ndash; [[Peter Benenson]]'s article "The Forgotten Prisoners" is published in several internationally read newspapers. This is later considered the founding of the [[human rights]] organization [[Amnesty International]].
* [[May 30]] &ndash; [[Rafael Leónidas Trujillo]], ruler of the [[Dominican Republic]] since [[1930]], is killed in an ambush.
* [[May 31]]
** In France, rebel generals [[Maurice Challe]] and Andre Zelelr are sentenced to 15 years in prison.
** South Africa becomes a republic, and officially leaves the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].
** President [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Charles de Gaulle]] meet in Paris.
** [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] beats [[FC Barcelona]] 3–2 at [[Wankdorf Stadium]], [[Bern]] and wins the [[1960–61 European Cup]] in association football.

===June===
{{Main|June 1961}}
* [[June 1]] &ndash; [[Ethiopia]] experiences its most devastating earthquake of the 20th century, with a magnitude of 6.7. The town of [[Majete]] is destroyed, 45% of the houses in [[Karakore]] collapse, {{convert|17|km|mi|sp=us}} of the main road north of Karakore are damaged by landslides and fissures, and 5,000 inhabitants in the area are left homeless.
* [[June 4]] &ndash; [[Vienna summit]]: [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Nikita Khrushchev]] meet during two days in [[Vienna]]. They discuss nuclear tests, [[disarmament]] and Germany.
* [[June 12]] &ndash; A patent for the body electrode invented by Richard M. Berman and Bernard Schwartz is applied for.<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US3085577A/en US3085577A].</ref>
* [[June 16]] &ndash; Soviet ballet dancer [[Rudolf Nureyev]] [[Defection|defects]] to the West at [[Paris–Le Bourget Airport]] while on tour with the [[Kirov Ballet]].
* [[June 17]]
** A Paris-to-[[Strasbourg]] train derails near [[Vitry-le-François]]; 24 are killed, 109 injured.
** The [[New Democratic Party]] of Canada is founded, with the merger of the [[Cooperative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) and the [[Canadian Labour Congress]].
* [[June 19]] &ndash; The British [[protectorate]] ends in [[Kuwait]] and it becomes an [[emirate]].
* [[June 22]] &ndash; [[Moise Tshombe]] is released for lack of evidence of his connection to the murder of [[Patrice Lumumba]].
* [[June 23]] &ndash; The [[Antarctic Treaty]] comes into effect.
* [[June 25]] &ndash; [[Iraq]]i president [[Abd al-Karim Qasim]] announces his intention to annex newly independent [[Kuwait]] (such an annexation [[Gulf War|will occur]] in [[1990]]).
* [[June 27]] &ndash; Kuwait requests British help against the Iraqi threat; the United Kingdom sends in troops.

===July===
{{Main|July 1961}}
* [[July 4]] &ndash; [[Soviet submarine K-19]] suffers a reactor leak in the North Atlantic.
* [[July 5]] &ndash; The first Israeli rocket, ''[[Shavit 2]]'', is launched.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2007-12-18|url= http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Egypt/Missile/index.html|title=Missile Overview|publisher=Nuclear Threat Initiative|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105202129/http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Egypt/Missile/index.html |archive-date=2008-01-05|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[July 7]] &ndash; A [[Dukla coal mine|coal mine]] in [[Czechoslovakia]] has one of it's sections closed off in order to extinguish a fire and prevent an explosion, causing the suffocation of 108 miners still present.
* [[July 12]]
** A Czechoslovakian [[Ilyushin Il-18]] crashes while attempting to land at [[Casablanca]], Morocco, killing all 72 on board.
** [[Khadakwasla Dam|Two dams]] that supply water to the city of [[Pune]] in India burst, causing the death of more than 1000 residents. 
* [[July 19]]
** [[Trans World Airlines]] becomes the first airline to show regularly scheduled movies during its flights, presenting ''[[By Love Possessed (film)|By Love Possessed]]'' to 1st-class passengers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Today in History|newspaper=The Washington Post Express|date=19 July 2011|page=37}}</ref>
** [[Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 644]], a [[Douglas DC-6]], encounters severe turbulence not long after takeoff from [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]], and crashes, killing all 67 on board.
* [[July 21]] &ndash; [[Mercury program]]: [[Gus Grissom]], piloting the [[Mercury-Redstone 4]] spacecraft ''Liberty Bell 7'', becomes the second American to go into space (sub-orbital). After splashdown, the hatch prematurely opens, and the spacecraft sinks (it is recovered in [[1999]]).
* [[July 25]] &ndash; U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] gives a widely watched TV speech on the [[Berlin Crisis of 1961|Berlin Crisis]], warning "we will not be driven out of Berlin." Kennedy urges Americans to build fallout shelters, setting off a four-month debate on civil defense.
* [[July 31]]
** At [[Fenway Park]] in [[Boston]], the first [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]] tie occurs, when the game is stopped in the 9th inning due to rain (the only tie until [[2002]]).
** [[Ireland]] submits the first application from a non-founding country to join the [[European Economic Community]].

===August===
{{Main|August 1961}}
* [[August]] &ndash; The United States founds the [[Alliance for Progress]].
* [[August 1]] &ndash; The [[Six Flags Over Texas]] theme park officially opens to the public.
* [[August 6]] &ndash; ''[[Vostok 2]]'': Soviet cosmonaut [[Gherman Titov]] becomes the second human to orbit the Earth, and the first to be in outer space for more than one day.
* [[August 7]] &ndash; ''Vostok 2'' lands in the Soviet Union.
* [[August 10]] &ndash; The United Kingdom applies for membership in the [[European Economic Community]].
* [[August 11]] &ndash; An [[Solar eclipse of August 11, 1961|annular solar eclipse]] is visible from the Southern Ocean.
* [[August 13]] &ndash; [[Berlin Crisis of 1961]]: Construction of the [[Berlin Wall]] begins, restricting movement between [[East Berlin]] and [[West Berlin]], and forming a clear boundary between West Germany and [[East Germany]], [[Western Europe]] and [[Eastern Europe]]. On August 22 [[Ida Siekmann]] jumps from a window in her tenement building trying to flee to the West, becoming the [[List of deaths at the Berlin Wall|first of at least 138 deaths at the Wall]].
* [[August 21]] &ndash; [[Jomo Kenyatta]] is released from prison in [[Kenya]].
* [[August 25]] &ndash; [[João Goulart]] replaces [[Jânio Quadros]] as [[President of Brazil]] (he is ousted in [[1964]]).
* [[August 29]] &ndash; A French military aircraft clips a cable of the [[aerial tramway]] connecting [[Pointe Helbronner]] and the [[Aiguille du Midi]] in the [[French Alps]]. Three cars of the tramway fall, killing five people, but the remaining 63 cable car passengers are rescued and the pilot lands his plane safely.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/jul/01/1|title=21 Dead in French Cable Car Crash|newspaper=The Guardian|location=London|date=1 July 1999}}</ref>
* [[August 30]] &ndash; The [[Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness]] is signed at the United Nations in New York, coming into effect December 13, 1975.<ref>Françoise Bouchet-Saulnier, et al., ''The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007) p.435.</ref>

===September===
{{Main|September 1961}}
* [[September 1]] 
** The [[Eritrean War of Independence]] begins with the [[Battle of Adal]] in which [[Hamid Idris Awate]] and his companions shoot at Ethiopian police and military. The war will continue until [[1991]].
** The first meeting of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]] is held. The Soviet Union resumes nuclear testing, escalating fears over the ongoing [[Berlin Crisis of 1961|Berlin Crisis]]. 
* [[September 7]] &ndash; [[Tom and Jerry]] make a return with their first cartoon short since 1958, ''[[Switchin' Kitten]]''. The new creator, [[Gene Deitch]], makes 12 more Tom and Jerry shorts through 1962.
* [[September 10]] &ndash; During the [[1961 Italian Grand Prix|F1 Italian Grand Prix]] on the [[Autodromo Nazionale Monza|circuit of Monza]], German [[Wolfgang von Trips]], driving a [[Ferrari]], crashes into a stand, killing 14 spectators and himself.
* [[September 11]] – [[Hurricane Carla]] makes landfall on [[Matagorda Island]] as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, killing 34 in Texas and causing $300 million damage in the state.
* [[September 12]] &ndash; The [[African and Malagasy Union]] is founded.
* [[September 14]] 
** The new military government of [[Turkey]] sentences 15 members of the previous government to death.
** The religious [[Focolare Movement]] opens its first North American center in [[New York (state)]].
* [[September 17]]
** Military rulers in [[Turkey]] hang former prime minister [[Adnan Menderes]], together with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Fatin Rüştü Zorlu]] and former Minister of Finance [[Hasan Polatkan]].
** London police arrest over 1,300 protesters in [[Trafalgar Square]] during a [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] rally.<ref name="Chronology">{{cite book|last=Palmer|first=Alan|last2=Palmer|first2=Veronica|year=1992|title=The Chronology of British History|publisher=Century Ltd|location=London|isbn=0-7126-5616-2}}</ref>
** The world's first retractable roof stadium, the [[Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)|Civic Arena]], opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
* [[September 18]] &ndash; [[1961 Ndola United Nations DC-6 crash]]: [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]] [[Dag Hammarskjöld]] is one of 16 to die in an air crash en route to [[Katanga Province|Katanga]], [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]].
* [[September 19]] &ndash; American couple Barney and Betty Hill claim that they saw a UFO as they returned from a trip to Canada through New Hampshire where they live. They later claim that they were abducted by aliens, among the first claimants of such an abduction.
* [[September 21]] &ndash; In France, the [[Organisation de l'armée secrète]] (OAS) slips an anti-[[Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]] message into TV programming.
* [[September 24]]
** The old [[Deutsche Opernhaus]] in the Berlin neighborhood of [[Charlottenburg]] is returned to its newly rebuilt house, as the [[Deutsche Oper Berlin]].
** In the U.S., the [[Walt Disney anthology television series]], renamed ''Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'', moves from ABC to NBC after seven years on the air, and begins telecasting its programs in color for the first time. Years later, after Disney's death, the still-on-the-air program will be renamed ''The Wonderful World of Disney''.
* [[September 28]] &ndash; [[1961 Syrian coup d'état]]: A military coup in [[Damascus]], [[Syria]] effectively ends the [[United Arab Republic]], the union between [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]].
* [[September 30]] &ndash; The [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) is formed to replace the [[Organisation for European Economic Co-operation]] (OEEC).

===October===
{{Main|October 1961}}
* [[October 1]]
** [[Unification Day (Cameroon)]]: The formerly British [[Southern Cameroons]] gains independence from the United Kingdom by vote of the UN General Assembly and joins with formerly French Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of [[Cameroon]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Diane|last=Cook|title=Cameroon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jn7TBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT95|year=2014|publisher=Mason Crest|isbn=978-1-4222-9434-5|page=95}}</ref>
** Baseball player [[Roger Maris]] of the New York Yankees hits his 61st home run in the last game of the season, against the [[Boston Red Sox]], setting a new record for the longer baseball season. The record for the shorter season is still held by Babe Ruth.
*[[October 5]] &ndash; [[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (film)]] is theatrically released by [[Paramount Pictures]], to critical and commercial success.
* [[October 10]] &ndash; A volcanic eruption on [[Tristan da Cunha]] causes the whole population to be evacuated to Britain, where they will remain until 1963.
* [[October 12]] &ndash; The [[death penalty]] is abolished in New Zealand.
* [[October 17]] &ndash; [[Paris massacre of 1961]]: French police in Paris attack about 30,000 protesting a curfew applied solely to [[Algeria]]ns. The official death toll is 3, but human rights groups claim 240 dead.
* [[October 18]] &ndash; ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'' is released as a film in the United States.
* [[October 19]] &ndash; The [[Arab League]] takes over protecting [[Kuwait]]; the last British troops leave.
* [[October 25]] &ndash; The first edition of ''[[Private Eye]]'', the British satirical magazine, is published.
* [[October 26]] &ndash; [[Cemal Gürsel]] becomes the fourth president of Turkey (his former title is head of state and government; he is elected as president by constitutional referendum).
* [[October 27]]
** An [[armistice]] begins in [[Katanga Province|Katanga]], [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]].
** [[Mongolia]] and [[Mauritania]] join the [[United Nations]].
** [[Berlin Crisis of 1961|Berlin Crisis]]: Confrontation at [[Checkpoint Charlie]] &ndash; A standoff between [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] and American tanks in Berlin, Germany, heightens [[Cold War]] tensions.
** [[Fahrettin Özdilek]] becomes the acting prime minister of Turkey.
* [[October 29]]
** [[GMA Network|DZBB-TV Channel 7]], the Philippines' third TV station, is launched.
** [[Devrim]], the first ever [[car]] designed and produced in [[Turkey]], is released. The project has been completed in only 130 days almost from scratch, a period including decision on the project, research, design, development and production of four vehicles.
* [[October 30]]
** [[Nuclear weapons testing]]: The [[Soviet Union]] detonates a 58-megaton yield [[hydrogen bomb]] known as [[Tsar Bomba]], over [[Novaya Zemlya]] (it remains the largest ever man-made explosion).
** The [[Note Crisis]]: The Soviet Union issues a diplomatic note to Finland, proposing military co-operation.
* [[October 31]]
** [[Hurricane Hattie]] devastates [[Belize City]], [[Belize]] killing over 270. After the hurricane, the capital moves to the inland city of [[Belmopan]].
** [[Joseph Stalin]]'s body is removed from the [[Lenin Mausoleum]] in Moscow.

===November===
{{Main|November 1961}}
* [[November 1]]
** The [[Hungry generation]] Movement is launched in [[Calcutta]], [[India]].
** The U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission's federal order banning segregation at all interstate public facilities officially comes into effect.
* [[November 2]] &ndash; ''[[Kean (musical)|Kean]]'' opens at Broadway Theater in New York City for 92 performances.
* [[November 3]] &ndash; The [[United Nations General Assembly]] unanimously elects Burmese diplomat [[U Thant]] to the position of acting [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]].
* [[November 6]] &ndash; The US government issues a stamp honoring the 100th birthday of [[James Naismith]].
* [[November 8]]
** [[Imperial Airlines Flight 201/8]] crashes while attempting to land at [[Richmond, Virginia]], killing 77 people on board.
** ''[[KVN]]'', Russia's longest running TV show, airs for the first time on [[Soviet television]].
* [[November 9]] &ndash; [[Robert Michael White|Robert White]] records a [[Flight airspeed record|world air speed record]] of {{convert|6587|km/h|abbr=on|order=flip}}, in an [[North American X-15|X-15]].
* [[November 10]] &ndash; ''[[Catch-22]]'' by [[Joseph Heller]] is first published, in the US.
* [[November 11]]
** Congolese soldiers murder 13 Italian [[United Nations]] pilots.
** Stalingrad is renamed [[Volgograd]].
* [[November 14]] &ndash; The [[Yves Saint Laurent (brand)|Yves Saint Laurent]] [[Luxury goods|luxury fashion brand]] is founded in [[Rue La Boetie]], [[Paris]] (France), by [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Yves Saint Laurent]] and [[Pierre Bergé]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
* [[November 17]] &ndash; [[Michael Rockefeller]], son of [[Governor of New York]] and later [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Nelson Rockefeller]], disappears in the jungles of [[New Guinea]].
* [[November 18]] &ndash; U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] sends 18,000 "military advisors" to [[South Vietnam]].
* [[November 19]] &ndash; [[Rebellion of the Pilots]]: A military uprising overthrows the Trujillo regime in the [[Dominican Republic]].
* [[November 20]] &ndash; [[İsmet İnönü]] of the [[Republican People's Party|CHP]] forms the new government of [[Turkey]] (26th government, first coalition in Turkey, partner [[Justice Party (Turkey)|AP]]).
* [[November 21]] &ndash; The "[[La Ronde (restaurant)|La Ronde]]" opens in [[Honolulu]], the first [[revolving restaurant]] in the United States.
* [[November 24]] &ndash; The [[World Food Programme]] (WFP) is formed as a temporary [[United Nations]] program.<ref>{{cite book|title=American Foreign Policy, Current Documents|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=01sJFg1taeMC&pg=PA196|year=1965|publisher=Historical Division, Bureau of Public Affairs|pages=196}}</ref>
* [[November 30]] &ndash; The [[Soviet Union]] vetoes [[Kuwait]]'s application for [[United Nations]] membership.

===December===

{{Main|December 1961}}

* [[December 1]] &ndash; [[Netherlands New Guinea]] raises the new [[Morning Star flag]], and changes its name to [[Republic of West Papua|West Papua]].
* [[December 2]] &ndash; [[Cold War]]: In a nationally broadcast speech, [[Cuba]]n leader [[Fidel Castro]] announces he is a [[Marxist–Leninist]], and that Cuba will adopt [[socialism]].
* [[December 5]] &ndash; U.S. President [[John F. Kennedy]] gives support to the [[Akosombo Dam|Volta Dam]] project in [[Ghana]].
* [[December 9]]
** [[Tanganyika (1961–1964)|Tanganyika]] gains independence from the United Kingdom as a [[Commonwealth realm]], with [[Julius Nyerere]] as its first Prime Minister, with Queen Elizabeth II as [[Queen of Tanganyika]], and represented locally by the [[Governor-General of Tanganyika]].
** [[1961 Australian federal election]]: [[Robert Menzies]]' [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]/[[National Party of Australia|Country]] [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] [[Menzies Government (1949-66)|Government]] is re-elected with a one-seat majority, narrowly defeating the [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]] led by [[Arthur Calwell]]. One of the closest election results in Australian history, such a result will not be replicated again [[2016 Australian federal election|until 2016]]. Notably, former [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[Earle Page]] loses his seat, although he dies a few days later, never knowing the result.
* [[December 10]] &ndash; [[Albania–Russia relations|Albania–Soviet relations]]: The [[Soviet Union]] severs diplomatic relations with [[Albania]].
* [[December 11]]
** American involvement in the [[Vietnam War]] officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon, along with 400 U.S. personnel. On December 22 the first U.S. soldier is killed in Vietnam.
** [[Adolf Eichmann]] is [[Adolf Eichmann#Trial|pronounced]] guilty of crimes against humanity for his part in [[The Holocaust]] by a war crimes tribunal of three [[Israel]]i judges. On December 15 he is sentenced to death.
* [[December 14]] &ndash; [[Walt Disney]]'s first live-action Technicolor musical, ''[[Babes in Toyland (1961 film)|Babes in Toyland]]'', a remake of the famous Victor Herbert operetta, is released, but flops at the box office.
* [[December 17]] &ndash; A [[circus]] tent fire in [[Niterói]], [[Brazil]] kills 323.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2011-06-01|url=http://grancircusincendio.blogspot.com/|title=Incêndio Gran-Circus Norte-Americano 1961|publisher=Blogger}}</ref>
* [[December 18]] &ndash; [[1961 Indian annexation of Goa]]: India opens hostilities in its annexation of [[Portuguese India]], the colonies of [[Goa]], [[Daman, India|Damao]] and [[Diu, India|Diu]].
* [[December 19]]
** The [[1961 Indian annexation of Goa#Portuguese surrender|Portuguese surrender Goa]] to India, after 400 years of Portuguese rule.
** [[Indonesia]]n president [[Sukarno]] announces that he will take [[West Irian]] by force, if necessary.
* [[December 21]] &ndash; In [[Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)|Congo]], Katangan prime minister [[Moise Tshombe]] recognizes the Congolese constitution.
* [[December 23]] &ndash; [[Luxembourg]]'s [[National Day|national holiday]], the [[Grand Duke's Official Birthday]], is set on [[June 23]] by Grand Ducal decree.
* [[December 30]] &ndash; Congolese troops capture [[Albert Kalonji]] of [[South Kasai]] (who soon escapes).
* [[December 31]] &ndash; Ireland's first national television station, ''Telefís Éireann'' (later [[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]), begins broadcasting.