At A Glance

12 March 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
12 March 1961 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker.
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 12 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 March 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 March 1961 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 12 March

  • 1942 The Battle of Java ends with the surrender of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command to the Empire of Japan in Bandung, West Java, Dutch East Indies.
  • 1947 Cold War: The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
  • 1967 Suharto takes power from Sukarno when the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly inaugurate him as Acting President of Indonesia.
  • 1968 Mauritius gains independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1971 The 1971 Turkish military memorandum is sent to the Süleyman Demirel government of Turkey and the government resigns.

Famous people born on March 12

  • Lesley Manville, English actress (born 1956)
  • Liza Minnelli, American actress, singer and dancer (born 1946)
  • Frank Welker, American voice actor and singer (born 1946)
  • James Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1948)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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.

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

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 →