At A Glance

15 January 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
15 January 1961 was a Sunday.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Star sign
The star sign for 15 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 15 January 1961 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 15 January 1961 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 15 January

  • 1962 The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
  • 1962 Netherlands New Guinea Conflict: Indonesian Navy fast patrol boat RI Macan Tutul commanded by Commodore Yos Sudarso sunk in Arafura Sea by the Dutch Navy.
  • 1966 The First Nigerian Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d'état.
  • 1967 The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
  • 1969 The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.

Famous people born on 15 January

  • Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer (born 1968)
  • Dove Cameron, American actress and singer (born 1996)
  • Martin Luther King Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (1929–1968)
  • Pitbull, American rapper and producer (born 1981)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1961 in Ireland

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

  • 6 January – Lieutenant-General Seán Mac Eoin left Dublin for the Congo to take up his new post as General Commanding Officer of the United Nations.
  • 9 April – The national census showed that County Cork's population had reached an all-time low, with just 330,000 (in the late 1950s it was 336,000).
  • 10 June – President Éamon de Valera and his wife Sinéad greeted Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco at the presidential residence, Áras an Uachtaráin. It was the first official visit to Ireland by a head of state after it became an independent republic.

Life in Ireland in 1961

Taoiseach

Seán Lemass

Petrol (per litre)

2s 6d/gal

Loaf of Bread

8d

Average House

£2,400

Weekly Wage

£5 15s

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 →