AUGUST 2, 1961

WEDNESDAY
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
A Raisin in the Sun
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A Raisin in the Sun
Underworld U.S.A.
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Underworld U.S.A.
The Exiles
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The Exiles
Two Rode Together
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Two Rode Together
Fanny
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Fanny
The Ladies Man
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The Ladies Man
The Secret Ways
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The Secret Ways
The Young Savages
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The Young Savages
Master of the World
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Master of the World
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Gorgo
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Gorgo
One-Eyed Jacks
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One-Eyed Jacks
The Pleasure of His Company
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The Pleasure of His Company
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

August 2, 1961 Trivia

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Television from this era Β· August 2, 1961
Perry Mason
Bonanza
The Twilight Zone
The Flintstones
The Rifleman
Lassie
Tony Awards
Wagon Train
'Way Out

Exact-date daily brief

August 2, 1961

On August 2, 1961, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan's announcement regarding the application welcomed by the government garnered significant public support across the United Kingdom. This decision resonated with the populac...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 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 August 2, 1961

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Macmillan's Support for New Application. Impact: This decision to welcome the application led to a series of increasingly favorable decisions in the publishing industry, ultimately resulting in a world where books became so adored that people started naming their pets after their favorite authors. Yes, that's why your neighbor has a cat named 'Gatsby'. Fact: Macmillan’s decision was so popular that rumor has it they were considering a campaign to get people to cheer for books at football games. β€˜Go Team Literature!’.
  • Headline: Taiwan's Veto on Mongolia's UN Membership. Impact: Taiwan's veto on Mongolia's U.N. seat created a butterfly effect that led to an unusual alliance between Mongolia and a group of llamas who were tired of being overlooked in international discussions. They became advocates for llama rights, influencing global animal welfare policies. Fact: Did you know that llamas are actually very diplomatic? They often mediate disputes by simply staring until both parties feel awkward and give in.
  • Headline: Trustees Appointed for New Haven Management. Impact: The appointment of these trustees led to an unexpected series of meetings where they discovered their love for board games, which, in an alternate timeline, caused a board game craze that made Monopoly the official currency of New Haven. Fact: Fun fact: the original trustees wanted to run a hot dog stand instead of managing finances. Imagine the culinary impact on New Haven!.
  • Headline: FRANCE WILL LIFT FILM'S EXPORT BAN; Controversial 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' Due in Fall. Impact: France lifting the export ban on 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' triggered a renaissance in the art of seduction, leading to a spike in romantic poetry and possibly an increase in the number of wine and cheese nights worldwide. Who knew a film could do so much?. Fact: Interestingly, 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' originally came with a warning: β€˜May cause excessive swooning and dramatic monologues.’.
  • Headline: NEWBURGH'S PLAN IS TAKEN TO COURT; Lefkowitz Seeks Injunction -- Hearing Is Set Friday on Relief Restrictions NEWBURGH'S PLAN IS TAKEN TO COURT. Impact: Newburgh's court battle sparked a wave of similar disputes across the nation, ultimately leading to a new legal specialty: 'Urban Planning Litigation', which saw lawyers trading in their suits for hard hats and blueprints. Fact: Did you know that many court cases are just really intense arguments about who gets to plant the next tree? It's like the 'Real Housewives' but with more paperwork.
  • Headline: ARMS BUILD-UP HELD ESSENTIAL IN ISRAEL. Impact: Israel's arms build-up inspired a bizarre trend in the fashion industry, where military-style jackets became the hottest item, leading to a rise in fashion shows featuring models strutting with tactical vests as high fashion. Fact: Ever wondered why camo became trendy? It’s all because of a misunderstanding at a fashion week where someone thought 'tactical' meant stylish.
  • Headline: New Bank Chief Wants Ottawa to Control Monetary Policy. Impact: The new bank chief's push for monetary control led to an underground movement of economists who started a 'Currency Yoga' class, where they stretched the definitions of inflation and interest rates until they fell into a blissful state of financial enlightenment. Fact: Fun fact: 'Currency Yoga' was so popular that it was almost endorsed by the Treasury until they discovered it involved chanting 'Inflation, be gone!'.
  • Headline: 'BALLETS: U.S.A.' HAILED; Princess Margaret Attends Premiere in London. Impact: Princess Margaret's attendance at the premiere of 'Ballets: U.S.A.' not only boosted ballet's popularity but also sparked a bizarre trend where people began incorporating pirouettes into everyday activities, from grocery shopping to waiting in line. Fact: Rumor has it that ballet classes saw a surge in enrollment right after this event, leading to the infamous 'Ballet in Line' movement at coffee shops.
  • Headline: Article 4 -- No Title. Impact: This unnamed article hints at a time-traveling diplomat who flies to Sao Paulo, only to accidentally create a time loop that causes the same diplomatic discussions to repeat every Tuesday. Now, every Tuesday is effectively Groundhog Day for international relations. Fact: In a shocking twist, it turns out the diplomat was actually just looking for the best coffee in Sao Paulo. Priorities, right?.

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