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January
The farthing ceased to be legal tender in the U.K. Later that year in March the black and white five pound notes were also defunct.
The largest ever cheque issued by the National Bank of Chicago to Sears
($960242 billion).
Mercury-Redstone 2 was launched carrying a chimpanzee called Ham who had been trained to push buttons. He returned unharmed.
February
The entire U.S. figure skating championship team died in a Boeing 707 air crash in Belgium.
Sputnik 7 was launched into Earth’s orbit.
Explorer 9 was launched
March
Sputnik 9 carried a dog called Chernushka into orbit
Explorer 10 satellite was launched into high Earth orbit to relay magnetic field data.
President Kennedy established the Peace Corps.
The first U.S. Polaris submarine arrived at Holy Loch in Scotland.
The first London minicabs were introduced.
The singer, movie star and music hall entertainer George Formby died
April
12th April Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin was the first human in space and the first man to orbit the Earth in Spacecraft in Vostok 1.
The Adolf Eichmann trial started for war crimes during the second world war.
The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba Failed.
May
Mercury-Redstone 3 was launched with astronaut Alan Shepard in the capsule Freedom 7. He was the first American in space.
In English Football Tottenham Hotspur won the double (league cup & FA cup).
South Africa left the British Commonwealth
June
Rudolf Nureyev the Russian ballet dancer requested asylum.
Kennedy and Khrushchev met in Vienna
July
The first inflight feature film “By Love Possessed” starring Lana Turner was shown.
Ralph Boston beat his world long jump record jumping 27 feet 2 inches.
Equal rights for men and women were accepted in Spain.
Mercury-Redstone 4 was launched with capsule Liberty Bell 7. Gus Grissom was the second American in space.
August
Gherman Titov was the second Russian in space aboard Vostok 2.
Ranger 1 was launched and returned out of Earths low orbit on the 30th of August.
The construction of the Berlin wall was completed.
Lyndon B Johnson U.S. vice president visited West Berlin.
September
Argentian Antonio Abertondo swam the first round trip of the English Channel
( 43hrs 10mins - 44miles).
Mercury-Atlas 4 was launched into Earth’s orbit.
October
A believed extinct volcano Tristan Da Cunha erupted (South Atlantic).
Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his 61st home run, beating the 34 year old record held by Babe Ruth.
The first edition of the magazine Private Eye was published in Britain.
Saturn 1 made an unmanned flight test.
November
Neil Armstrong recorded a world record speed in a X-15 rocket powered aircraft.
Ranger 2 was launched hoping to reach the Moon. It failed.
Mercury-Atlas 5 orbited the Earth twice carrying a chimp called Eno which returned unharmed.
Stalingrad was renamed Volvograd.
December
Adolf Eichmann was convicted in December by three judges for war crimes.
Oscar 1 the Ham Radio satellite launched.
Movies of 1961
The Walt Disney film THE ABSENT - MINDED PROFESSOR.
BARABBAS starred Anthony Quinn
BLUE HAWAII With Elvis Presley.
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S featured Audrey Hepburn.
THE COMANCHEROS With John Wayne.
EL CID Starred Charlton Heston.
Animation film 101 Dalmations Walt Disney
Musical West Side Story starring Natalie Wood.
The Misfits starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.
Sixties Events 1961
Essential Artists