At A Glance

17 March 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
17 March 1961 was a Friday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Wooden Heart” by Elvis Presley.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 March 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 March 1961 was New Moon.

On this day: 17 March

  • 1950 Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name "californium".
  • 1958 The United States launches the first solar-powered satellite, which is also the first satellite to achieve a long-term orbit.
  • 1960 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
  • 1962 A Clockwork Orange, a British dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess, is published.
  • 1969 Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

Famous people born on 17 March

  • Rob Lowe, American actor (born 1964)
  • Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer (born 1944)
  • Grimes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist (born 1988)
  • Claressa Shields, American boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1995)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1961 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1961 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 7 January – The Avengers television series first screened on ITV.
  • 15 March – The Jaguar E-Type, a sports car capable of reaching speeds of 150 mph, is launched as a two-seater roadster or 2+2 coupé (at the Geneva Motor Show). On 3 April it makes its racing debut by winning at Oulton Park.
  • 20 March – Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, becomes the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and its company the Royal Shakespeare Company (Peter Hall (director)).
More events of 1961 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1961

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

11p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,670

Weekly Wage

£14.90

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

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

Guy Ritchie10 September 1968FilmmakerView their day →Diana, Princess of Wales1 July 1961Member of the British royal familyView their day →Nigella Lawson6 January 1960Food writer & television cookView their day →Jason Statham26 July 1967ActorView their day →Catherine Zeta-Jones25 September 1969ActressView their day →Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer20 May 1964Peer & authorView their day →Kenneth Branagh10 December 1960Actor & filmmakerView their day →George Michael25 June 1963SingerView their day →

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

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