* 1961 – Rory Bremner, Scottish comedian

* 1961 – The Russian ( Soviet ) cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, in Vostok 3KA-2 ( Vostok 1 ).

* 1961 – Enedina Arellano Félix, Mexican drug trafficker

* 1961 – Lisa Gerrard, Australian singer, musician, and composer ( Dead Can Dance )

* 1961 – Charles Mann, American football player

* 1961 – Magda Szubanski, Australian actress

* 1961 – K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.

* 1961 – Isiah Thomas, American basketball player

* 1961 – Yolanda Adams, American singer, producer, and actress

* 1961 – Tom Ford, American fashion designer and director

* 1961 – Helmut Winklhofer, German footballer

* 1881 – Leo Carrillo, American actor ( d. 1961 )

* 1961 – Brad Gilbert, American tennis player

* 1961 – John Key, New Zealand politician, 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand

* 1961 – Amy Stiller, American comedian and actress

* 1961 – East Germany closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin to thwart its inhabitants ' attempts to escape to the West.

* 1961 – Sam Champion, American weatherman

* 1961 – Christos Christodoulou, Greek basketball player

* 1961 – Dawnn Lewis, American actress

* 1961 – Stuart Maconie, English journalist, author, and broadcaster

* 1961 – Neil Mallender, England cricketer

* 1961 – Tom Perrotta, American novelist

* 1961 – Sunil Shetty, Indian actor and producer

* 1961 – Cary Stayner, American serial killer

* 1886 – John Alexander Douglas McCurdy Canadian pilot and engineer ( d. 1961 )

Because of the growth of suburban traffic on the Metropolitan, the line north of Harrow-on-the-Hill was quadrupled to Northwood Hills by 1961 and to Croxleyhall Junction ( north of Moor Park ) by 1962.

Because of a well-known system of aquifers and sand mines, this area was selected for " project dribble " to be the site of nuclear tests by the US government during 1961 to 1968 to measure seismic activity.

: Note: Because the original Senators ' relocation to Minnesota and the expansion Senators ' arrival occurred in the same year ( 1961 ), and both had the same name, it is a very common mistake to confuse or combine the two baseball franchises.

Because another league was in competition for the class of 1961 college stars, the American Football League draft for 1961 graduates was actually held in 1960, with a six-round telephone draft on November 23, that saw the Denver Broncos select New Mexico State's Bob Gaiters as the overall first draft pick.

In the 1961 case Torcaso v. Watkins, the U. S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that such language in state constitutions was in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, but did not rule on the applicability of Article VI, stating that " Because we are reversing the judgment on other grounds, we find it unnecessary to consider appellant's contention that this provision applies to state as well as federal offices.

The Danelectro baritone was used by million-selling guitarist Duane Eddy on some of his huge hits, such as " Bonnie Came Back ," " Because They're Young ," " Kommotion ," ( all 1960 ), " My Blue Heaven "( 1961 ), " Deep in the Heart of Texas " ( 1962 ), and " The Son of Rebel Rouser " ( 1964 ).

Because the story is nearly the same as the original version, the art was retained when the 1961 revision was introduced.

Because its principal markets were tied to leisure-time activities mostly practiced on a seasonal basis, OMC sales sank to a 1961 low of $ 132. 3 million.

Because of the BBC's wiping policy of the 1970s, of the 36 episodes made only 21 of the original 23 episodes of the first two BBC series ( 1961 – 62 ) still exist in the BBC archives, all 13 episodes of the third ( and final ) BBC series ( 1963 ) and the ' Christmas Night with the Stars ' sketch ( 1962 ) do not exist.

Because of pressure exerted from within and differences of opinion about whether the organization should be a loose confederacy of strong state affiliates or a unified federal structure with state affiliates and local chapters ( which is the way the current federation is organized ), the NFB split into two groups in 1961.

Because of the circles he travelled in, it was not uncommon that he would carry messages from one foreign leader to another as he did for U. S. President John F. Kennedy who asked that a note be conveyed to Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1961.

The Court overturned Rideau ’ s 1961 conviction because the local television station, together with local law enforcement officials, filmed an “ interview ” with the teenager and repeatedly broadcast it, resulting in what the Court called “ Kangaroo Court proceedings .” Rideau was retried in 1964 and 1970 ; each of those convictions was also overturned because of constitutional violations.

In 1961, UNC was found guilty of major NCAA violations.

His body was preserved in Lenin's Mausoleum until 31 October 1961, when his body was removed from the mausoleum and buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis next to the Kremlin walls as part of the process of de-Stalinization.

* 1961 – In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin's body is removed from Lenin's Tomb.

However, after the 22nd Party Congress in 1961, during which Khrushchev carried out his de-Stalinisation campaign, including the removal of Stalin's body from Lenin's Mausoleum, Molotov ( along with Lazar Kaganovich ) was removed from all positions and expelled from the Communist Party.

Joseph Stalin's embalmed body shared a spot next to Lenin's, from the time of his death in 1953 until October 31, 1961, when Stalin was removed as part of de-Stalinization and Khrushchev's Thaw, and buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis outside the walls of the Kremlin.

In 1961, Khrushchev finalized his battle against Stalin: the body of dictator was removed from the Lenin's Mausoleum on the Red Square and then buried outside the walls of the Kremlin.

* 1961: Stalin's body removed from Lenin's mausoleum.

In 1961 the body of Stalin was removed from public view in Lenin's mausoleum and buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

Two climactic acts of de-Stalinization marked the meetings: first, on October 31, 1961, Stalin's body was moved from Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square to a location near the Kremlin wall ;