Flashback 1961!


Uncle Miltie


Cost of living:


  • Average income $5,315 per year
  • New car $2,275
  • Gallon of gas .25¢
  • Loaf of bread .21¢
  • Motor Trend magazine .35¢





    • Bullwinkle cartoon


    TV highlights of '61:


  • 09/17/1961 - The comedy, "Car 54, where are you?" first aires on NBC-TV and runs until 9/8/1963 with 60 episodes.
  • 09/27/1961 - The medical drama, "Doctor Kildare" debuts on NBC-TV and lasts until 9/6/1965. This show finished with 132 episodes.
  • 09/28/1961 - The comedy show, "Hazel" debuts on NBC-TV and runs until 9/6/1965. Show had 154 episodes.
  • 10/2/1961 - ABC-TV's medical drama, "Ben Casey" debuts and runs until 3/21/1966. Show had 153 episodes.
  • 10/3/1961 - The "Dick Van Dyke show" debuts on CBS-TV and lasts until 9/7/1966. Show had 158 episodes.
  • 10/10/1961 - This is your life show ends.
  • 10/21/1961 - The NBC -TV game show, "You bet your life" last aires.
  • 10/21/1961 - NBC-TV's western series, "Bat Masterson" ends with 108 shows to it's credit.


    • The Dick Van Dyke show


    You bet your life


     
    Top singles of '61:


    Big Bad John (Jimmy Dean)
    Blue Moon (The Marcels)
    The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens)
    Michael (The Highwaymen)
    Pony Time (Chubby Checker)
    Runaround Sue (Dion)
    Runaway (Del Shannon)
    Surrender (Elvis Presley)
    Take Good Care Of My Baby (Bobby Vee)
    Tossin' and Turnin' (Bobby Lewis)     		 


     
    Movies of '61:


    Breakfast at Tiffany's
    The Hustler
    Splendor in the grass
    West side story
    Master of the World     		 


    Chico Marx
















    Famous Deaths:


    May 13 - Gary Cooper "Frank James Cooper" (lung cancer)
    July 2 - Ernest Hemingway (suicide)
    July 17 - Ty Cobb "Tyrus Raymond Cobb" (cancer, diabetes, chronic heart disease)
    October 11 - Chico Marx "Leonard Marx" (heart ailment)
    December 13 - Grandma Moses "Anna Marie Robertson" (atherosclerosis)

    Famous Births:


    January 26th - Wayne Gretzky
    February 21st - Christopher Atkins
    March 15th - Fabio
    April 3rd - Eddie Murphy
    April 22nd - Byron Allen
    May 6th - George Clooney
    May 13th - Dennis Rodman
    May 31st - Lea Thompson
    June 9th - Michael J. Fox
    June 14th - "Boy" George O'Dowd
    July 1st - Princess Diana Spencer
    July 15th - Forest Whitaker
    July 23rd - Woody Harrelson
    August 14th - Susan Olson
    August 25th - Billy Ray Cyrus
    September 22nd - Scott Baio
    September 25th - Heather Locklear
    October 18th - Erin Moran
    November 8th - Leif Garrett
    November 19th - Meg Ryan
    November 22nd - Mariel Hemingway     		 


    Special events of '61:


  • The music group, "The Pendletones" is formed this year which would later be called, "The Beach Boys".
  • Chevrolet releases it's new, "Impala SS" mid year. Due to it's late arrival, only 453 were sold. The new "409" engine is also introduced and again, due to it's late arrival, only 142 are produced.
  • The Bullwinkle Show appears on NBC-TV and runs until 1964
  • IBM introduces the Selectric typewriter. Electric typewriter
  • President Kennedy challanges his country to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade
  • In May, FCC Chairman Newton Minow claims that television is a "vast wasteland."
  • Coca Cola introduces Sprite to compete against 7-Up.
  • Ray Kroc buys out the McDonald brothers and takes control over the hamburger chain.
  • Johnson & Johnson introduces Tylenol.
  • The New York Yankees win the World Series by defeating Cincinnati in five games.
  • Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle compete to beat Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs. Maris hits number 61 on October 1st.
  • The Academy award for Best Picture goes to "West Side Story," which also wins several other awards.
  • Dance tunes like "The Twist" and "The Bristol Stomp" are popular.
  • FM stereo is introduced.
  • Bob Dylan makes his debut in Greenwich Village.Anniversary gold 1962 Impala
  • 03/1/1961 - President Kennedy creates the Peace Corps to improve education, agriculture, and living standards in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
  • 09/29/1961 - Chevrolet dealers begin selling their 1962 models.



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