At A Glance

21 February 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
21 February 1961 was a Tuesday.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Star sign
The star sign for 21 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 February 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 February 1961 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 21 February

  • 1952 The British government, under Winston Churchill, abolishes identity cards in the UK to "set the people free".
  • 1952 The Bengali language movement protests occur at the University of Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
  • 1958 The CND symbol, aka peace symbol, commissioned by the Direct Action Committee in protest against the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, is designed and completed by Gerald Holtom.
  • 1971 The Convention on Psychotropic Substances is signed at Vienna.
  • 1972 United States President Richard Nixon visits China to normalize Sino-American relations.

Famous people born on 21 February

  • Harald V, King of Norway (1937–2026)
  • Elliot Page, Canadian actor (born 1987)
  • Sophie Turner, English actress (born 1996)
  • Alan Rickman, English actor and director (1946–2016)

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 →