At A Glance

26 November 1961 at a glance

Day of the week
26 November 1961 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Big Bad John” by Jimmy Dean.
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 November is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 November 1961 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for November is Topaz.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 November 1961 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 26 November

  • 1949 The Constituent Assembly of India adopts the constitution presented by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
  • 1950 Korean War: Communist Chinese troops launch a massive counterattack (Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River and Battle of Chosin Reservoir) against United Nations and South Korean forces.
  • 1965 France launches Astérix, becoming the third nation to put an object in orbit using its own booster.
  • 1968 Vietnam War: United States Air Force helicopter pilot James P. Fleming rescues an Army Special Forces unit pinned down by Viet Cong fire. He is later awarded the Medal of Honor.
  • 1970 In Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, 38 millimetres (1.5 in) of rain fall in a minute, the heaviest rainfall ever recorded.

Famous people born on November 26

  • Tina Turner, American-Swiss singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress (1939–2023)
  • Danny Welbeck, English footballer (born 1990)
  • Rita Ora, Kosovan-English singer-songwriter and actress (born 1990)
  • Maud of Wales (1869–1938)

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 →