DECEMBER 18, 1961

MONDAY
$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
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
The Innocents
Learn More
The Innocents
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
Pocketful of Miracles
Learn More
Pocketful of Miracles
Underworld U.S.A.
Learn More
Underworld U.S.A.
The Exiles
Learn More
The Exiles
Blue Hawaii
Learn More
Blue Hawaii
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
The Comancheros
Learn More
The Comancheros
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
Flower Drum Song
Learn More
Flower Drum Song
The Errand Boy
Learn More
The Errand Boy
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Learn More
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Gorgo
Learn More
Gorgo
Babes in Toyland
Learn More
Babes in Toyland
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
December 18, 1961 Trivia
Multiple choice - Sign in to save + leaderboard - View all-time leaderboard
Score: 0 / 0
All-time leaderboard
Your results
Television On December 18, 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
The Story of December 18, 1961

On December 18, 1961, the city was abuzz with educational reform as the local teachers' union announced their collaboration with the Federation to support the raising of school standards.

Inventions & Breakthroughs of December 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 ON December 18, 1961

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Teachers Union and Federation Collaboration. Impact: This seemingly benign decision sparked an educational revolution, leading to the invention of the modern classroom snack – because who can learn on an empty stomach? As teachers united, they unwittingly paved the way for a generation obsessed with avocado toast.. Fact: Did you know that the average teacher's salary today is still a hot topic? Apparently, the negotiations in this headline were just the opening act for decades of budget battles and potluck dinners..
  • Headline: Saigon Accuses Viet Cong of Truce Violation. Impact: This accusation may have sparked a chain reaction of distrust that led to the escalation of conflict, setting the stage for a multitude of movies where American soldiers have to face the consequences of bad intel & tragic misunderstandings.. Fact: The Vietnam War is often cited as a conflict that changed public perception of war forever. The idea of 'trust but verify' suddenly became 'trust no one, especially if they’re in a jungle.'.
  • Headline: AIRLINE-LIABILITY FACES TEST TODAY; Hearing in Capital to Weigh World Treaty on Damages. Impact: The outcome of this hearing indirectly led to the rise of travel insurance, as paranoid travelers everywhere began to fear they might need to cover their own mishaps after a bad flight experience.. Fact: Airline liability debates remind us that flying is just a series of legal waivers and prayers that your luggage will actually show up at the same destination you do..
  • Headline: Shelter Inquiry Sought. Impact: This inquiry set off a chain reaction of bureaucratic red tape that has continued to ensnare housing policy, leading to endless meetings and reports that no one reads but everyone pretends to care about.. Fact: The idea of 'shelter probes' is just a fancy way of saying 'let’s figure out why no one has a place to live,' which has been a fun riddle for politicians since the dawn of time..
  • Headline: 2 CONGRESSMEN VIE OVER CONSTITUENTS. Impact: This fight over gerrymandering not only sparked a series of electoral reforms but also inspired future politicians to get creative with their district maps; because who doesn't love a good puzzle?. Fact: Gerrymandering is basically a political game of Tetris, where the pieces are people, and the goal is to create the most advantageous shapes possible – just don’t tell the voters!.
  • Headline: Menorah Home Opens Drive. Impact: This fund drive not only provided shelter but also initiated a legacy of community building, leading to the creation of countless neighborhood bake sales and awkward potlucks for years to come.. Fact: If you think a fundraising drive is tough today, try hosting one in the 1960s without social media – it was basically shouting into the void and hoping someone would hear you..
  • Headline: KENNEDY PRESSING CONGO TRUCE TALK; Asks U.S. Envoy to Escort Tshombe to a Meeting With Premier Adoula KENNEDY PRESSING CONGO TRUCE TALK. Impact: Kennedy's involvement in the Congo set a precedent for future U.S. interventionism, eventually inspiring countless movies where the U.S. is either the hero or the unintended villain – depending on the script.. Fact: The Congo crisis is a reminder that diplomacy often requires a lot of patience and coffee – and sometimes, it’s still just a game of musical chairs with world leaders..

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