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May 5, 1961

May 5, 1961, was a Friday. It was the 125th day of 1961. The decade was the swinging sixties.

62 years, 10 months, and 24 days have passed since May 5, 1961.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Taurus.

On This Day

On this day

What happened on May 5, 1961?

  • Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into space.
Song charts

Music charts

Songs that were on top of the charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on May 5, 1961:

  • United States: "Runaway" by Del Shannon
  • United Kingdom: "Wooden Heart" by Elvis Presley

The Billboard Hot 100 on May 5, 1961

These were the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:

  • Runaway - Del Shannon
  • Mother-In-Law - Ernie K-Doe
  • I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott
  • A Hundred Pounds Of Clay - Gene McDaniels
  • Blue Moon - The Marcels
Play the top singles from 1961
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1961. Take a trip back to the days of Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, The Shirelles, Chubby Checker, Ray Charles and Helen Shapiro.
The Absent-Minded Professor

Top movie at the box office

The movie "The Absent-Minded Professor" was at the top of the box office on May 5, 1961.

Facts

This date occurred 22,974 days ago. Approximately 766 months have passed. It was the 125th day of 1961, in week 18. The decade was the swinging sixties. People who were born on May 5, 1961, are now 62 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. The Earth has experienced 255 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to May 5, 1961

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is May 5, 1961, and it's a Friday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Taurus. Many people have "that Friday feeling" and are looking forward to the weekend.

The summer of 1961 has finally arrived. The weather has warmed up, and the evenings are brighter than usual. The school year is nearly finished. In America, the song "Runaway" by Del Shannon is at the top of the singles charts, while "Wooden Heart" by Elvis Presley is the number-one song in the UK. John Fitzgerald Kennedy is the President of the United States, and the movie The Absent-Minded Professor is at the top of the box office.

Harold Macmillan is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On television, people are watching popular shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "You Bet Your Life", "Tonight Starring Jack Paar", and "The Andy Griffith Show". Tailfins on cars are extremely popular at the moment. The design looks futuristic, almost like a rocket or the twin rudders on the back of an airplane.

In fashion, many of the trends from the late 1950s are still popular. Women are wearing tailored skirts, short boxy jackets and shift dresses. Trousers are also becoming popular amongst women. Meanwhile, men are wearing polo shirts, argyle socks, sweater vests, loafers and harrington jackets. Because it's 1961, radio stations are playing hit songs from artists such as Bert Kaempfert, Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley, Del Shannon, Bobby Lewis and Jimmy Dean. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Ernie Kovacs, and Marilyn Monroe would all still be alive.

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Captain Kangaroo", "Captain Pugwash", "My Three Sons", and "The Yogi Bear Show". Children are playing with toys such as the Frisbee, Metal House robots, Matchbox toy cars, and Troll doll.

News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on May 5, 1961.

  • Who were the best NBA players in 1961?

    Who were the best NBA players in 1961?

    In 1961, the best NBA players were Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Pettit, Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson.
  • Who were the best football players?

    Who were the best football players?

    In 1961, the best soccer players were Pelé, Omar Sívori, Luis Suárez, Johnny Haynes, Lev Yashin, Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Uwe Seeler and John Charles.
  • West Side Story.

    West Side Story

    The film "West Side Story" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1961.
  • Henry Mancini - "Moon River"

    Henry Mancini - "Moon River"

    The song "Moon River" by Henry Mancini won a Grammy for 1961's Song of the Year.
  • 1961 in music.

    1961 in music

    The Billboard Charts in 1961 were dominated by the likes of Elvis Presley, Bobby Lewis, Jimmy Dean, Ricky Nelson, The Marcels, Del Shannon, Bobby Vee, Ray Charles and Bert Kaempfert.
  • 1961 in movies.

    1961 in movies

    Movies released in 1961 included West Side Story, The Guns of Navarone, El Cid, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Parent Trap, La Dolce Vita, Lover Come Back, King of Kings, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Splendor in the Grass, Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Hustler.
  • John F. Kennedy.

    John F. Kennedy

    US President John F. Kennedy was named Time Person of the Year in 1961.
  • Rotary phones.

    Rotary phones

    Rotary phones were still the most common type of landline phone. Although push-button telephones did begin to appear at the end of 1963, they were relatively uncommon.
  • Trouble is brewing in Vietnam.

    Trouble is brewing in Vietnam

    By this time, communist forces in North Vietnam had committed themselves to invading South Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh trail was established and expanded and guerrilla warfare attacks were being carried out against the US-backed Diệm government in the south. It was during this time that the United States started to slowly escalate its involvement in the conflict.
  • Tailfins on cars.

    Tailfins on cars

    Tailfins on cars were a popular style around this time. The design looked futuristic, almost like the twin rudders on the back of an airplane.
  • Greasers.

    Greasers

    A youth subculture called "greasers" emerged during the 1950s and early 1960s. The style included greased-back hairstyles, work pants, and denim or leather jackets.
  • The Jukebox.

    The Jukebox

    The jukebox was at the height of its popularity. Teenagers and young adults would often hang out at local restaurants and diners and listen to the latest songs.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on May 5, 1961.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around May 5, 1961.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

1960s fashion

Photographs of 1960s fashion and hairstyles.

1960s fashion

Television shows

Television shows in May 1961

Television shows that people were watching in May 1961:

TV shows from May 1961.

Route 66
Route 66
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Danger Man
Danger Man
The Untouchables
The Untouchables
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Bonanza
Bonanza
Rawhide
Rawhide
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
Maverick
Maverick
Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Have Gun - Will Travel
Have Gun - Will Travel
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show

Cars in 1961

1961 saw the introduction of cars such as the BMW New Class, the Dodge Lancer, the Toyota Publica, the Ford Thunderbird (third generation), the MG Midget, and the Volvo P1800.

Cars in 1961.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in May 1961

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Davey and Goliath
Davey and Goliath
The Yogi Bear Show
The Yogi Bear Show
Mister Ed
Mister Ed

King Leonardo and His Short Subjects
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects
The Bugs Bunny Show
The Bugs Bunny Show
The Flintstones
The Flintstones
My Three Sons
My Three Sons
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
Snooper and Blabber
Snooper and Blabber
Noggin the Nog
Noggin the Nog
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown
Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown
The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash
Heckle and Jeckle
Heckle and Jeckle
The Gumby Show
The Gumby Show
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Lassie
Lassie
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Toys

Toys in 1961

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Ken (doll)
Ken (doll)
Etch A Sketch
Etch A Sketch
Astrobase
Astrobase
Troll doll
Troll doll
Tonka trucks
Tonka trucks
Matchbox toy cars
Matchbox toy cars
Barbie
Barbie
Playpal dolls
Playpal dolls
Crater Critters
Crater Critters
Fisher Price Little People
Fisher Price Little People
The Hula Hoop
The Hula Hoop
Metal House robots
Metal House robots
The Frisbee
The Frisbee
Wooly Willy
Wooly Willy
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball

Were you born on May 5, 1961?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1961.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out May 5, 1967, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on May 5.

Karl Marx

Karl Marx

Philosopher Deceased
Born on May 5, 1818
He was not alive on this date.

Adele

Adele

Singer
Born on May 5, 1988
She was born exactly 27 years after this date.

Chris Brown

Chris Brown

Singer
Born on May 5, 1989
He was born exactly 28 years after this date.

Holidays

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on May 5:

USA

US President

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the President of the United States on May 5, 1961.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Seán Lemass was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

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