AUGUST 15, 1961

TUESDAY
$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
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
Pit and the Pendulum
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Pit and the Pendulum
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 15, 1961 Trivia
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Television On August 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
The Story of August 15, 1961

On August 15, 1961, the U.

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 ON August 15, 1961

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Senate Approves Judges Ganey and Bryan. Impact: Had the Senate not approved Ganey and Bryan, an alternate timeline would have seen a cataclysmic rise in legal drama shows, with courtroom antics surpassing reality TV ratings β€” thank you, Senate!. Fact: Fun fact: The term 'judge' is derived from the Latin 'judicare,' which means 'to declare.' So really, they’re just declaring things all day long!.
  • Headline: Morse Advocates for Catholic School Aid. Impact: If Morse had successfully urged Catholics to shift their stance, perhaps we would have seen a rapid increase in public school funding, leading to a global shortage of priests β€” they would have been too busy tutoring math.. Fact: Catholic school uniforms were once designed to promote discipline. Who knew that a pleated skirt could lead to a PhD?.
  • Headline: 2 SIDES HOPEFUL ON SENATE RACES; But Warier Prophets Doubt Major Change in '62 Vote. Impact: If the Senate races had dramatically changed in '62, the ensuing chaos might have created a new political party founded solely on the principle of not wearing socks with sandals.. Fact: In 1962, the term 'political correctness' was still a twinkle in the eye of future activists; back then, it was just 'common sense,' which was in short supply..
  • Headline: Vigil at I.C.C. Building. Impact: The vigil at the ICC building might have led to a butterfly effect where people began to pray for traffic lights to change faster. Little did they know, the real divine intervention was in their driving skills.. Fact: Vigils often have more candles than attendees. It's like a party where the guests are too shy to show up, but the ambiance is still lit!.
  • Headline: 189 Riders Appeal Jackson Conviction; 189 Riders Appeal Convictions For Breach of Peace in Jackson. Impact: Had the 189 Riders succeeded in their appeal, it could have inspired a trend in civil rights movements where people would unite in large numbers for everything from appeals to pizza toppings.. Fact: The 189 Riders were essentially pioneers in civil disobedience. Who knew that breaking the law could be a group activity?.
  • Headline: NEWARK MAY GET SOME JET FLIGHTS; Meyner's Approval Awaited -- Noise and Safety Factors Found Within Standards NEWARK MAY GET SOME JET FLIGHTS. Impact: Had Newark received jet flights sooner, the city might have become a bustling hub for global jet-setters β€” or at least a popular pit stop for lost travelers looking for directions.. Fact: Jet flights were once considered the future of travel, until we realized they couldn’t fix delays caused by weather or airline food..
  • Headline: 5 U.S. MEN DIE IN LAOS; C-46 Crashes While Carrying Supplies to Royal Army. Impact: The tragic crash in Laos could have sparked a change in military logistics, leading to a butterfly effect where all future supply drops included parachutes and snacks β€” because why not?. Fact: Laos is known for its stunning landscapes, but back in the day, it was also known for its unfortunate aviation mishaps..
  • Headline: TRAVEL AIDS HELD NEEDED BY LATINS; Ease of Communications Linked to Development. Impact: By advocating for travel aids for Latins, the U.S. might have unintentionally set off a global quest for better maps, which ultimately led to the invention of GPS β€” because who doesn’t love a good reroute?. Fact: Before GPS, people actually used paper maps. Yes, they were real, and yes, they were just as confusing as they sound!.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: If you'd invested $1,000 in any one of these companies in 1961, here's what the stored 2025 dataset estimates.
Rank #1
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1961
$0.25
2025 dataset 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
2025 dataset 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