MAY 15, 1961

MONDAY
1961 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1961
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $1,184,600 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$1.06
Median Home Price$13,070.00
Gas Price Avg$0.32
Bread Price Avg$0.22
Movie Ticket Avg$0.78
First Class Stamp$0.04
Milk Price Avg$1.02
Top Movies From 1961
Show screen release and event cards
1 West Side Story
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West Side Story
2 The Guns of Navarone
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The Guns of Navarone
3 El Cid
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El Cid
4 The Parent Trap
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The Parent Trap
5 The Absent-Minded Professor
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The Absent-Minded Professor
6 King of Kings
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King of Kings
7 Lover Come Back
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Lover Come Back
8 One Hundred and One Dalmatians
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One Hundred and One Dalmatians
9 La Dolce Vita
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La Dolce Vita
10 Come September
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Come September
The Misfits
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The Misfits
Underworld U.S.A.
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Underworld U.S.A.
The Secret Ways
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The Secret Ways
Master of the World
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Master of the World
Gorgo
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Gorgo
One-Eyed Jacks
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One-Eyed Jacks
Spartacus
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Spartacus
Exodus
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Exodus
Psycho
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Psycho
The Magnificent Seven
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The Magnificent Seven
The Sundowners
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The Sundowners
The Grass Is Greener
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The Grass Is Greener
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
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The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Swiss Family Robinson
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Swiss Family Robinson

May 15, 1961 Trivia

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Television from this era Β· May 15, 1961
Perry Mason poster
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Perry Mason
Bonanza poster
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Bonanza
The Twilight Zone poster
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The Twilight Zone
The Flintstones poster
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The Flintstones
The Rifleman poster
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The Rifleman
Lassie poster
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Lassie
Tony Awards poster
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Tony Awards
Wagon Train poster
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Wagon Train
'Way Out poster
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'Way Out

Exact-date daily brief

May 15, 1961

On May 15, 1961, the news was marked by the passing of Albert Sevigny, an 80-year-old former justice from Quebec, which highlighted the contributions of legal minds in shaping Canadian jurisprudence. Meanwhile, in the United State...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 1961

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 First Human Spaceflight
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First Human Spaceflight
2 Industrial Robot (Unimate)
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Industrial Robot (Unimate)
3 Early Word Processor
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Early Word Processor
4 Integrated Circuit Computer
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Integrated Circuit Computer
5 Commercial Satellite Communications
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Commercial Satellite Communications
6 Space Food Systems
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Space Food Systems
7 Disposable Medical Gloves
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Disposable Medical Gloves
8 Electronic Fuel Injection
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Electronic Fuel Injection
9 Programmable Logic Controller Concept
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Programmable Logic Controller Concept
10 Ultrasound Fetal Monitoring
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Ultrasound Fetal Monitoring

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From May 15, 1961

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Passing of Albert Sevigny, 80. Impact: Sevigny's departure from the Quebec justice system triggered a series of comical misunderstandings in the judicial system. People started confusing judges for lawyers, and the next thing you know, a judge was sentenced to community service for jaywalking. Oops. Fact: Did you know that being 80 doesn't automatically make you wise? Some people just take longer to figure out that the law isn't a game of Monopoly.
  • Headline: Dog Welcomes New Pastor at Broadway Presbyterian. Impact: The dog at Broadway Presbyterian became the inspiration for a new trend in religious services where pets are considered 'co-pastors.' This led to a nationwide debate on whether animals should be able to vote. Spoiler: they should, because they clearly have better judgment than some humans. Fact: Did you know that a dog's sense of smell is 40 times better than humans? Maybe they should be leading the sermons instead.
  • Headline: Gagarin's Continued Health Confirmation. Impact: Gagarin's continued fitness sparked a bizarre fitness craze where people started trying to 'train like a cosmonaut' without realizing that zero gravity does not translate to the treadmill. Gyms were filled with confused people doing cartwheels and calling it 'space aerobics.'. Fact: Did you know that Gagarin was so fit, he could probably outrun a cheetah? Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but he was in great shape!.
  • Headline: Art: Wordless Eloquence; Kumi Sugai, a Japanese, and Guillermo Heitler Seen in Displays Here. Impact: The art displays featuring Sugai and Heitler led to a massive resurgence in abstract art, causing a rift between art critics and everyday people who just wanted a nice painting to hang above their couch. Art became the new battleground for hipsters and traditionalists. Fact: Did you know that abstract artists often claim their work is a reflection of the human condition? Meanwhile, most people just see a splatter of paint.
  • Headline: Simpler Tax Forms Planned. Impact: The promise of simpler tax forms resulted in a nationwide explosion of confusion, as citizens mistakenly thought they could file their taxes on a napkin. The IRS had to issue a statement clarifying that napkins are not acceptable forms for tax returns, leading to a national shortage of napkins. Fact: Did you know that the U.S. tax code is longer than the Bible? And just as confusingβ€”good luck finding a miracle in there!.
  • Headline: POLES SINK ROOTS IN WESTERN AREA; They Are Building Up Lands Taken From Germany. Impact: Poles sinking roots in western areas led to a chain reaction of real estate booms, causing a bizarre situation where people were buying homes based on the fact they were once German. It became the hottest trend in real estateβ€”'previously occupied by the enemy!'. Fact: Did you know that land disputes can often lead to questionable 'heritage' claims? Just ask your neighbor about their great-great-grandmother's garden gnome.
  • Headline: 500 Attend Armed Forces Mass. Impact: The mass attended by 500 people became a staple of military camaraderie, unintentionally turning into a social media trend where veterans began live-tweeting the mass, leading to the first-ever hashtag 'PrayForPeaceAndPizza.'. Fact: Did you know that military services often have the best potlucks? Nothing brings people together like shared rations.
  • Headline: SAMUEL CARLSON, A MAYOR 26 YEARS; Jamestown, N.Y., Aide Dead -- in Public Life 50 Years. Impact: Samuel Carlson's long tenure in public life led to the establishment of an award for 'Most Likely to Get Stuck in Local Politics.' This award was later retired when it was discovered that it was just a way to keep people from running for office. Fact: Did you know that being a mayor for 26 years is like being in a long-term relationship with your city? Sometimes you just want to break up, but you're too invested in the drama.
  • Headline: RIBICOFF REPORTS DRIFT IN WELFARE; Calls on Social Workers to Fight Against Poverty. Impact: Ribicoff's report on welfare drift led to a new wave of social workers adopting the motto 'Fight Poverty Like a Superhero,' which inadvertently made them the most overqualified baristas at your local coffee shop. Fact: Did you know that social workers often have to juggle more paperwork than a circus performer? Maybe they should get capes instead of clipboards.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1961
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1961, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
MO
Philip Morris
Price in 1961
$0.00
Stored value
$23,651,354

Philip Morris - If you invested $1,000 in 1961, it would be worth $23,651,354 today (23651.4x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Fantastic Four #1
Fantastic Four #1
$65,000
Journey into Mystery #69
Journey into Mystery #69
$3,000
Strange Adventures #124
Strange Adventures #124
$300
Action Comics #283
Action Comics #283
$250
Showcase #30
Showcase #30
$42,000
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Ken (Barbie's Boyfriend)
Ken (Barbie's Boyfriend)
$200.00
Chatty Cathy
Chatty Cathy
$425.00
Matchbox Cars
Matchbox Cars
$100.00
Nutty Mads
Nutty Mads
$200.00
Etch A Sketch
Etch A Sketch
$250.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1961 Topps Mickey Mantle #300
1961 Topps Mickey Mantle #300
$12,000
1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain #8
1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain #8
$1,220,000
1961 Topps Roger Maris #2
1961 Topps Roger Maris #2
$250,000
1961 Nu-Cards Scoops Bobby Thompson #10
1961 Nu-Cards Scoops Bobby Thompson #10
$1,500
1961 Parkhurst Jean Beliveau #34
1961 Parkhurst Jean Beliveau #34
$1,500