At A Glance

8 February 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
8 February 1961 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 February 1961 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 February 1961 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 8 February

  • 1950 The Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, is established.
  • 1960 Queen Elizabeth II issues an Order-in-Council, proclaiming the House of Windsor and declaring that her descendants will take the name Mountbatten-Windsor.
  • 1963 The regime of Prime Minister of Iraq Abd al-Karim Qasim is overthrown by the Ba'ath Party.
  • 1971 South Vietnamese ground troops launch an incursion into Laos to try to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail and stop communist infiltration into the country.
  • 1974 The crew of Skylab 4, the last mission to visit the American space station Skylab, returns to Earth after 84 days in space.

Famous people born on 8 February

  • Mary Steenburgen, American actress (born 1953)
  • James Dean, American actor (1931–1955)
  • Kathryn Newton, American actress (born 1997)
  • John Williams, American pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1932)

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.
More events of 1961 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

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

Sinéad O'Connor8 December 1966Singer-songwriterView their day →Bono10 May 1960SingerView their day →Enya17 May 1961SingerView their day →Aidan Gillen24 April 1968ActorView their day →Graham Linehan22 May 1968Comedy writerView their day →Graham Norton4 April 1963Comedian & actorView their day →The Edge8 August 1961Rock musician & guitar player of U2View their day →Ali Hewson23 March 1961Activist & businesswomanView their day →

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 →