OCTOBER 17, 1961

TUESDAY
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
Learn More
West Side Story
2 The Guns of Navarone
Learn More
The Guns of Navarone
3 El Cid
Learn More
El Cid
4 The Parent Trap
Learn More
The Parent Trap
5 The Absent-Minded Professor
Learn More
The Absent-Minded Professor
6 King of Kings
Learn More
King of Kings
7 Lover Come Back
Learn More
Lover Come Back
8 One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Learn More
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
9 La Dolce Vita
Learn More
La Dolce Vita
10 Come September
Learn More
Come September
The Hustler
Learn More
The Hustler
Splendor in the Grass
Learn More
Splendor in the Grass
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Learn More
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Misfits
Learn More
The Misfits
A Raisin in the Sun
Learn More
A Raisin in the Sun
Underworld U.S.A.
Learn More
Underworld U.S.A.
The Exiles
Learn More
The Exiles
Two Rode Together
Learn More
Two Rode Together
Fanny
Learn More
Fanny
The Ladies Man
Learn More
The Ladies Man
The Secret Ways
Learn More
The Secret Ways
Pit and the Pendulum
Learn More
Pit and the Pendulum
The Young Savages
Learn More
The Young Savages
Master of the World
Learn More
Master of the World
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Learn More
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Gorgo
Learn More
Gorgo
One-Eyed Jacks
Learn More
One-Eyed Jacks
The Pleasure of His Company
Learn More
The Pleasure of His Company
Spartacus
Learn More
Spartacus
Exodus
Learn More
Exodus
Psycho
Learn More
Psycho
The Magnificent Seven
Learn More
The Magnificent Seven
The Sundowners
Learn More
The Sundowners
The Grass Is Greener
Learn More
The Grass Is Greener
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Learn More
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver
Swiss Family Robinson
Learn More
Swiss Family Robinson

October 17, 1961 Trivia

Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results
Television On October 17, 1961
Perry Mason poster
Learn More
Perry Mason
Bonanza poster
Learn More
Bonanza
The Twilight Zone poster
Learn More
The Twilight Zone
The Flintstones poster
Learn More
The Flintstones
The Rifleman poster
Learn More
The Rifleman
Lassie poster
Learn More
Lassie
Tony Awards poster
Learn More
Tony Awards
Wagon Train poster
Learn More
Wagon Train
'Way Out poster
Learn More
'Way Out

Exact-date daily brief

October 17, 1961

On October 17, 1961, a significant military advancement was marked by the successful missile test from a new submarine. This event occurred amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, where tensions between the United States and the Sovi...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of October 1961

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

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

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From October 17, 1961

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Ethan Allen Submarine Missile Launch. Impact: The successful missile test led to a mad rush in undersea warfare technology. A butterfly flapping its wings in Cape Canaveral caused a global arms race that eventually resulted in a world where submarines became the preferred mode of transport for secretive meetings – until someone forgot to disable the torpedoes. Fact: Did you know that the first missile fired from a submarine was so secretive that even the fish were surprised? They thought it was just a particularly aggressive school of fish!.
  • Headline: Clancy Critiques City Charter Proposal. Impact: Clancy's ambivalence about the city charter caused a ripple effect. His 'half-baked' comment inspired a new trend in governance: all proposals would henceforth be evaluated based on their baking skills. Welcome to the politics of soufflΓ©s!. Fact: Fun fact: If every politician was required to bake a pie before proposing legislation, we’d probably have fewer arguments and more dessert!.
  • Headline: Turkish Coalition Government Challenges Ahead. Impact: The struggle to form a coalition government in Turkey meant that years later, other countries would take note and attempt to form their own coalitions. Fast forward to today, and we have a global symposium on how to agree on pizza toppings. Fact: Did you know that coalition governments are like trying to assemble IKEA furniture? Everyone's involved, but no one agrees on the instructions!.
  • Headline: Yugoslav Expelled by Prague. Impact: Expelling the Yugoslav press agency set a precedent for media relations that spiraled into the modern era of diplomatic Twitter feuds. Who knew a bureaucratic decision could lead to hashtag wars?. Fact: Fun fact: The best way to get your point across in politics today is no longer through press releases, but through passive-aggressive tweets!.
  • Headline: U.S. to Aid Vietnam in Floods. Impact: U.S. aid to Vietnam during floods not only helped mitigate disaster but also sowed the seeds for ongoing foreign policy debates. Now, every time it rains, someone in Congress mentions Vietnam as a cautionary tale. Fact: Did you know that floods have historically been great at washing away old policies, but not so great at making new friends?.
  • Headline: 3-PARTY COALITION PRESSED BY BRANDT. Impact: Brandt's push for a 3-party coalition became a political template for years to come, leading to the modern practice of political parties forming alliances just to agree on what color to paint the walls. Fact: Fun fact: The only thing more confusing than a three-party coalition is explaining to your cat why you can’t take it on a car ride!.
  • Headline: NKRUMAH DENOUNCED; Ex-Aide Says Ghana's Chief Is Guilty of 'Terrorism'. Impact: Nkrumah's denouncement created a political atmosphere so tense that it inspired future leaders to adopt the phrase 'preventive detention' as a euphemism for just about anything they wanted to do without accountability. Fact: Did you know? Using the term 'preventive detention' is like saying you’re 'just borrowing' your friend's favorite sweater – it's a slippery slope!.
  • Headline: Scientists Adrift on Arctic Isle Find a Flourishing Plant Life; 2-Mile-Wide Ice Sheet, Now Off Siberia, Shows Signs Musk Oxen and Other Animals Once Roamed Over It. Impact: The discovery of flourishing plant life on an Arctic isle led to a massive trend in environmentalism, causing people to start planting trees in the most unlikely places – like on the moon, because why not?. Fact: Fun fact: If plants can survive on a drifting ice island, they can probably survive your neighbor’s attempts at gardening, too!.
  • Headline: Three Railroads in South To Desegregate Stations; Illinois Central, Southern, L. & N. Act -- Attorney General Hails Carriers and Dr. King Voices Gratification 3 RAILROADS END ALL RACIAL CURBS. Impact: Desegregating railroad stations in the South became a landmark moment, setting off a chain reaction for civil rights that led, years later, to people fighting over seating arrangements on public transport – not just for race but for who gets to sit next to the loud talker!. Fact: Fun fact: If only people had known that desegregation would lead to debates over seating on trains, they might have just stuck to horse-drawn carriages!.

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