At A Glance

11 October 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
11 October 1961 was a Wednesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles.
Top Film of 1961
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1961 was One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Bestselling Novel of 1961
“The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1961.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Wagon Train” (NBC) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1961–62 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 11 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 11 October 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 11 October 1961 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 11 October

  • 1950 CBS's field-sequential color system for television is the first to be licensed for broadcast by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
  • 1954 In accord with the 1954 Geneva Conference, French troops complete their withdrawal from North Vietnam.
  • 1958 NASA launches Pioneer 1, its first space probe, although it fails to achieve a stable orbit.
  • 1962 The Second Vatican Council becomes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.
  • 1968 NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful crewed Apollo mission.

Famous people born on October 11

  • Michelle Trachtenberg, American actress (1985–2025)
  • Peter Thiel, German and American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist (born 1967)
  • Arman Tsarukyan, Armenian professional mixed martial artist (born 1996)
  • Joan Cusack, American actress (born 1962)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1961 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1961 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 25 – Disney's animated film, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, is released. Its financial success pulling the studio out of another financial slump from the initial underperformance of Sleeping Beauty.
  • February 14 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized in Berkeley, California.
  • March 1 – President of the United States John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps.
More events of 1961 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1961

President

John F. Kennedy

Gas (per gallon)

$0.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.21

Average House

$12,500

Weekly Wage

$89

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Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

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

Jeff Bezos12 January 1964Business magnateView their day →Sandra Bullock26 July 1964Actress & film producerView their day →Matthew McConaughey4 November 1969ActorView their day →Cindy Crawford20 February 1966ModelView their day →Tom Cruise3 July 1962Actor & film producerView their day →Nicole Kidman20 June 1967Actress & producerView their day →Woody Harrelson23 July 1961ActorView their day →Kyle Chandler17 September 1965ActorView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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