At A Glance
23 May 1961 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 23 May 1961 was a Tuesday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Mother-in-Law” by Ernie K-Doe.
- 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 23 May is Gemini.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 23 May 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for May is Emerald.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 23 May 1961 was First Quarter.
On this day: 23 May
- 1945 World War II: Germany's Flensburg Government under Karl Dönitz is dissolved when its members are arrested by British forces.
- 1946 The start of a two-day tornado outbreak across the Central United States that spawned at least 15 significant tornadoes.
- 1949 Cold War: The Western occupying powers approve the Basic Law and establish a new German state, the Federal Republic of Germany.
- 1951 Tibetans sign the Seventeen Point Agreement with China.
- 1971 The Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest opens, becoming the second-tallest building in the city.
Famous people born on May 23
- Alexandra Eala, Filipino tennis player (born 2005)
- Aaron Donald, American football player (born 1991)
- Richard Ayoade, British actor, director and writer (born 1977)
- Brennan Johnson, Welsh footballer (born 2001)
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 →
