Time Capsule: 1961

News & Economy

President: John F. Kennedy
Vice President: Lyndon B. Johnson

Population: 183,691,481 
Life expectancy: 70.2 years

Dow-Jones High: 734
Dow-Jones Low: 610

Cost of a new home: $17,200.00
Cost of a new car: $--
Median Household Income: $--
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.04
Cost of a gallon of gas: $0.31
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.57
Cost of a gallon of milk: $0.49

News Headlines

Adolf Eichman Goes To Trial In Jerusalem 

Russian Astronaut Yuri Gayarin First Man in Space Circles Globe. 

Anti-Castro Cubans Fail in Assault At Bay Of Pigs. 

First U.S. Manned Flight with Alan Shepard Stays in Space For 15 Minutes. 

East Germans Build Berlin Wall, Tensions Rise 

JFK Advises "Prudent Family" to Have Bomb Shelter. 

Hassan, 31 Is New King Of Marrocco 

First US Solid-Fuel Missile Is Launched 

Bay Of Pigs Landing Is Fiasco 

Castro Makes Cuba Socialist; Ends Vote

Music

Billboard Top 10
1. Tossin' And Turnin' - Bobby Lewis 
2. Runaway - Del Shannon 
3. Blue Moon - The Marcels 
4. Runaround Sue - Dion 
5. Quarter To Three - Gary "U.S." Bonds 
6. Will You Love Me Tomorrow - The Shirelles 
7. I Like It Like That, Part 1 - Chris Kenner 
8. Daddy's Home - Shep & The Limelites 
9. Stand By Me - Ben E. King 
10. Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren

Top Albums
• Calcutta - Lawrence Welk 
• Exodus - Soundtrack 
• Judy at Carnegie Hall - Judy Garland 
• The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back - Bob Newhart 
• Wonderland by Night - Bert Kaempfert

Grammy Awards

Album of the Year: 
Judy at Carnegie Hall, Judy Garland
Best New Artist: Peter Nero
Best Pop Duo or Group: 
High Flying, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross
Best Pop Female Vocal: 
Judy at Carnegie Hall, Judy Garland
Best Pop Male Vocal: 
“Lollipops and Roses,” Jack Jones
Best Rock and Roll Recording: 
Let's Twist Again, Chubby Checker
Record of the Year:
“Moon River,” Henry Mancini 
Song of the Year: 
“Moon River”  

Movies

Top 5 Movie Money Makers
101 Dalmatians -$143,992,148 
El Cid -$26,620,000 
Teen Kanya -$81,200

Academy Awards

Best Actor: Maximilian Schell: Judgment at Nuremberg
Best Actress: Sophia Loren: Ciociara, La
Best Director: Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins: West Side Story
Best Picture: West Side Story
Best Supporting Actor: George Chakiris: West Side Story
Best Supporting Actress: Rita Moreno: West Side Story

Television

Americas Top 10 TV Favorites
1. Wagon Train
2. Bananza
3. Gunsmoke
4. Hazel
5. Perry Mason
6. The Red Skelton Show
7. The Andy Griffith Show
8. The Danny Thomas Show
9. Dr. Kildare
10. Candid Camera

Emmy Awards

Drama...
Best Drama - Hallmark Hall of Fame: Macbeth (NBC)
Best Actor - Raymond Burr, Perry Mason
Best Actress - Barbara Stanwyck, Barbara Stanwyck Show

Comedy...
Best Comedy - Jack Benny Show (CBS)

Sports

Football
Pro Football Championship:
Green Bay 37 - New York 0
Pro MVP:
Paul Hornung, Green Bay, HB

College Football Champion:
Alabama
Heisman Trophy:
Ernie Davis, Syracuse, HB

Basketball
NBA Championship:
Boston Celtics over St. Louis Hawks 4-1
NBA MVP:
Bill Russell, Boston

NCAA National Champions:
Cincinnati 27-3

Baseball
World Series Champs:
NY Yankees over Cincinnati 4-1
National League
MVP: Frank Robinson, Cin
Rookie of the Year: Billy Williams, Chi
American League
MVP: Roger Maris, NY
Rookie of the Year: Don Schwall, Bos

Odds 'N Ends

Paul Newman stars in The Hustler 

Wide World of Sports premiers with Jim McLay 

Premier of the Mike Douglas Show 

Premier of the Dick Van Dycke Show 

Moon River and Big Bad John are hit songs 

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone is a best seller 

Jack Lippes invents the IUD, contraceptive device 

Fads; yo-yo's, Guitars  

Gloves and hats are in fashion 

New words; soul, Peace Corps, high rise, zonked, microsurgery 

The singing group the Supremes join Motown Records 

Chubby Checker starts a "Twist" craze 

Fall Out Shelters are recommended 

IBM "Selectric" is introduced 

"Coffee Mate" and "Total" cereal are new products 

Ray Kroc opens 200 McDonalds in Southern California

Minimum wage is $1.25/hour