At A Glance

8 January 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
8 January 1961 was a Sunday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Are You Lonesome Tonight? / I Gotta Know” by Elvis Presley was No. 1 on David Kent's retrospective Australian chart. This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 January 1961 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 January 1961 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 8 January

  • 1959 Charles de Gaulle is proclaimed as the first President of the French Fifth Republic.
  • 1961 In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle's policies in Algeria.
  • 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a "War on Poverty" in the United States.
  • 1972 Bowing to international pressure, President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto releases Bengali leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison, who had been arrested after declaring the independence of Bangladesh.
  • 1973 Soviet space mission Luna 21 is launched.

Famous people born on 8 January

  • Elvis Presley, American singer, guitarist, and actor (1935–1977)
  • David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (1947–2016)
  • Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (1942–2018)
  • Damiano David, Italian singer-songwriter (born 1999)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1961 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1961 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 2 January – Oral contraceptives are first sold in Australia
  • 20 January – to early March – Disastrous bushfires affect Western Australia, completely destroying a number of towns.
  • 25 February – Last electric tram service runs in Sydney
More events of 1961 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1961

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.05

Loaf of Bread

$0.13

Average House

$6,300

Weekly Wage

$17.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Nicole Kidman20 June 1967Actress & producerView their day →Hugh Jackman12 October 1968Actor & singerView their day →Simon Baker30 July 1969Actor & directorView their day →Steve Irwin22 February 1962Zookeeper & conservationistView their day →Kylie Minogue28 May 1968Singer & actressView their day →Cate Blanchett14 May 1969Actor & producerView their day →Guy Pearce5 October 1967ActorView their day →Eric Bana9 August 1968ActorView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →