Add family and friends to see how old they were in 1961 and discover what was popular when they were growing up.
Most Popular Names
Top boys name: Michael, Top girls name: Mary
Mid-20th century U.S. naming trends with Mary, Linda, and Michael dominating
by Joseph Heller
Classic or influential work of mid-20th century literature
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Yuri Gagarin orbits Earth
Mid-century breakthroughs shaping modern life
by Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins
Mid-20th century influential or top-grossing film
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Democrat Party
New Frontier, Cuban Missile Crisis, assassinated in 1963
by Bobby Lewis
Billboard Hot 100 year-end #1 hit
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Year-End Close
+19% from previous year
Postwar boom & 1960s expansion
Pull toy with a smiling rotary phone face
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