UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
24 December 1961 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 24 December 1961 was a Sunday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Moon River” by Danny Williams.
- Top Film of 1961
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 24 December 1961 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 24 December
- 1951 Libya becomes independent. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
- 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
- 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
- 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
- 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
Famous people born on 24 December
- Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
- Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
- Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)
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)).
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
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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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