At A Glance

26 August 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
26 August 1961 was a Saturday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Tossin' and Turnin'” by Bobby Lewis.
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 26 August is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 August 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 August 1961 was Full Moon.

On this day: 26 August

  • 1966 The South African Border War starts with the battle at Omugulugwombashe.
  • 1970 The fiftieth anniversary of American women being able to vote is marked by a nationwide Women's Strike for Equality.
  • 1972 The Games of the XX Olympiad open in Munich, West Germany.
  • 1977 The Charter of the French Language is adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec.
  • 1978 Papal conclave: Albino Luciani is elected as Pope John Paul I.

Famous people born on August 26

  • Macaulay Culkin, American actor (born 1980)
  • Keke Palmer, American actress and singer (born 1993)
  • Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, Catholic saint, and Nobel Prize laureate (1910–1997)
  • Melissa McCarthy, American actress, comedian, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)

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 →