At A Glance
5 December 1961 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 5 December 1961 was a Tuesday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Tower of Strength” by Frankie Vaughan.
- Top Film of 1961
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 5 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 5 December 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 5 December 1961 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 5 December
- 1955 The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge and form the AFL–CIO.
- 1958 Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the United Kingdom by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh.
- 1958 The Preston By-pass, the UK's first stretch of motorway, opens to traffic for the first time. (It is now part of the M6 and M55 motorways.)
- 1964 Vietnam War: For his heroism in battle earlier in the year, Captain Roger Donlon is awarded the first Medal of Honor of the war.
- 1964 Lloyd J. Old discovers the first linkage between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and disease—mouse leukemia—opening the way for the recognition of the importance of the MHC in the immune response.
Famous people born on 5 December
- Walt Disney, American animator, director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)
- Jessica Paré, Canadian actress (born 1980)
- Paula Patton, American actress (born 1975)
- Frankie Muniz, American actor, drummer, and race car driver (born 1985)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.
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
Or
Browse by Year
Famous Faces Born in the 1960s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
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 →
