1961

The Year of My BirthBy: Holly Rosen

Leaders of 1961• United States

– President - John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

• Iran– Monarch - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (1941–

1979)– Prime Minister -

• Jafar Sharif-Emami, Prime Minister of Iran (1960–1961)• Ali Amini, Prime Minister of Iran (1961–1962)

• Iraq– Head of State - Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i,

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Iraq (1958–1963)– Prime Minister - Abd al-Karim Qasim, Prime Minister of Iraq

(1958–1963)

• Israel– President - Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, President of Israel (1952–1963)– Prime Minister - David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel

(1955–1963)

• Japan– Monarch - Hirohito, Emperor of Japan (1926–1989)– Prime Minister - Hayato Ikeda, Prime Minister of Japan

(1960–1964)

• Jordan– Monarch - Hussein, King of Jordan (1952–1999)– Prime Minister - Bahjat Talhouni, Prime Minister of Jordan

(1960–1962)

• North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)– Communist Party Leader - Kim Il-sung,

General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party (1948–1994)

– Head of State - Choi Yong-kun, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea (1957–1972)

– Premier - Kim Il-sung, Premier of North Korea (1948–1972)

• South Korea (Republic of Korea)– President - Yun Bo-seon, President of South Korea

(1960–1962)– Head of Government-

• Chang Myon, Prime Minister of South Korea (1960–1961)• Jang Do-yeong, Chief Cabinet Minister of South Korea

(1961)• Song Yo Chan, Chief Cabinet Minister of South Korea

(1961–1962)

• Kuwait– the Sheikhdom of Kuwait gained independence on 19

June 1961– Politician agent - John Richmond,

Political agent in Kuwait (1959–1961)– Monarch - Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah,

Emir of Kuwait (1950–1965)

Popular Culture: Films

Popular Culture: TV

The Andy Griffith Show Mr. Ed Bonanza Perry Mason

Popular Culture: Music

• Top ten Pop Songs– “Dedicated to the One I Love” – The

Shirelles– “The Mountain’s High” – Dick & Dee Dee– “Apache” – Jorgen Ingmann & His Guitar– “Wooden Heart” – Joe Dowell– “The Boll Weevil” – Brook Benton– “Michael” – The Highwaymen– “I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star” – Linda Scott– “Moody River” – Pat Boone– “Run to Him” – Bobby Vee– “Exodus” – Ferrante & Teicher

• Top ten Country Songs– “Walk on By” – Leroy VanDyke– “Big Bad John” – Jimmy Dean– “Don’t Worry” – Marty Robbins– “Hello Walls” – Faron Young– “North to Alaska”- Johnny Horton– “I Fall to Pieces” – Patsy Cline– “Sea of Heartbreak” – Don Gibson– “Tender Years” – George Jones– “Foolin’ Around” – Buck Owens– “San Antonio Rose” – Floyd Cramer

People Born in 1961

• Scott Baio• Barack Obama• George Clooney• Lawrence Fishburne• Michael J. Fox• Wayne Gretzky• Woody Harrelson

Technology of 1961• U S and USSR puts man

in space• First inflight movie

shown on TWA• First electric toothbrush

• Niagara Falls starts producing hydroelectric powder

• First quasar is discovered by Allan Sandage at Mt. Palomar, CA

• IBM introduces the Selectric typewriter Golfball