1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Route to the final, Birmingham City
The Daily Mirror reporter suggested that if the other forwards had taken full advantage of new signing Jimmy Bloomfield's creativity, the score would have been rather different. The score in the home leg was indeed different. Goals from Robin Stubbs (2), Bloomfield, Mike Hellawell, and debutant Jimmy Harris gave Birmingham a 9–4 aggregate victory.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Route to the final, Birmingham City
Birmingham's poor disciplinary record – Gordon's dismissal was their fifth in a year in matches abroad – caused the Football Association to ban the club from playing overseas "until [they] have given firm undertakings to uphold the prestige and reputation of British clubs and the F.A. at all times." They must have complied, for the visit to Milan to play Inter Milan in the semi-final took place in April as scheduled. Four consecutive defeats had knocked Inter off the top of the league and they had been eliminated from the Coppa Italia.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Route to the final, Birmingham City
La Stampa described how Birmingham, playing a straightforward, unsophisticated game based around teamwork and athleticism, had little trouble in extending this losing streak. Harris scored the first goal after 12 minutes, after a speedy passing move between Terry Hennessey and Bloomfield, whom the Daily Express called "the most artistic player on the field". The second was an own goal, when Hellawell crossed from the right and Harris's header was touched into the net by Costanzo Balleri. Inter scored with 15 minutes left when Mario Corso's wayward shot was turned in off Eddie Firmani's chest, and Withers made a fine close-range save near the end to preserve the lead.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Route to the final, Birmingham City
Winger Bertie Auld was involved in both Birmingham's goals as they repeated the 2–1 scoreline in the second leg. After just three minutes, Buffon punched out Auld's powerful shot to Neal, whose shot rebounded off the post to Harris who opened the scoring. Then after 65 minutes, Auld was fouled. He took the free kick himself, a hard, low cross from which Harris scored with a diving header. Roma had two goal-bound attempts cleared off the line before Enea Masiero's 20-yard (18 m) shot beat Schofield, but Birmingham's defence stood firm.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, First leg
Going into this match, Birmingham were bottom of the table with only one win in ten games. The previous week, forward Robin Stubbs had dislocated his shoulder, and during a Football League Cup replay unhelpfully scheduled for the Monday night, 48 hours before the Roma match, England international Trevor Smith had to leave the field with a thigh strain as Birmingham lost to Third Division side Swindon Town. The 19-year-old Winston Foster, who had previously been used only at right-back, took Smith's place at centre-half, alongside Hennessey and Malcolm Beard in a half-back line composed entirely of teenagers. The players were intended to enjoy a relaxing visit to Warwick Castle the day before the game, but the weather was so wet that the trip was cancelled.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, First leg
During the 1961 close season, Luis Carniglia had succeeded Foni as manager. Roma were unbeaten at home in the 1961–62 season, but had not yet won away. Their travelling party arrived on the Monday; they went shopping the next morning, used Birmingham's training ground in the afternoon, and were to attend a banquet in their honour after Wednesday's game. Roma omitted forward Francisco Lojacono from their selection because he was the subject of a bid from A.C. Milan, who hoped to sign the player before their local derby against Inter Milan the next weekend, and the club were unwilling to risk injury putting paid to any prospective sale.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, First leg
The game was even for the first half-hour, then Manfredini scored a shot on the turn to give Roma the lead. They doubled their lead a quarter of an hour into the second half, "thanks once more to the brilliant opportunism of Manfredini", whom the Birmingham Mail described as "a splendid centre-forward who acted as a one-man attack for most of the match".


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, First leg
Despite most of the attacking play coming from the home side, they found Cudicini in excellent form, and it was not until the last ten minutes of the match that Mike Hellawell's snap-shot surprised the goalkeeper to make it 2-1. With just two minutes left of normal time, Harris hit the bar, and in a goalmouth scramble, the ball was forced home by Bryan Orritt – who had fallen out of favour and been on the transfer list for several months – to give Birmingham a late equaliser.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, First leg
The potentially explosive "mixture of Blues' uncompromising tackling and the blocking and pushing of the Italians" was highlighted when Roma's manager reacted to full-back Brian Farmer pulling Menichelli down by running onto the pitch to protest. Under a weaker referee than the Scotsman Bobby Davidson, the "match of high tension and frayed nerves" might have got out of control.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
The second leg took place in Rome's Stadio Olimpico two weeks later. Originally scheduled to be played in the evening, under floodlights, it was switched to an afternoon kickoff. Birmingham were still bottom of the league, having just lost 6–3 to Wolverhampton Wanderers and sold their club captain, Dick Neal. Team captain Jimmy Bloomfield was being watched by A.C. Milan as a potential successor to the recently retired Nils Liedholm. A party of 14 players and the same number of officials flew to Rome the day before the game, as did a special flight carrying around 60 Birmingham fans.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
Three Roma players, Lojacono, Antonio Angelillo and Giacomo Losi, were allowed to report late for international duty in order to play in this match, though Omar Sívori, Angelillo's rival for the playmaker role in Italy's team, thought country should take precedence over club. Manfredini, top scorer in this edition of the Fairs Cup with 12 goals, proved his return to fitness after injury by scoring four goals in a reserve game.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
In the first few minutes of the match, Roma failed to convert three clear chances. After ten minutes, manager Carniglia ran 60 yards (55 m) onto the pitch to confront Birmingham captain Bloomfield, who was bending over an injured Roma player. Following an incident between Bryan Orritt and Giampaolo Menichelli, blows were exchanged among the players, and Carniglia had to be restrained by Roma officials from joining in. This time, Birmingham manager Gil Merrick followed Carniglia onto the pitch, feeling he "had to be there to try and cool things down".


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
Play continued, albeit still marred by a lack of discipline. As in the first leg, Birmingham's physical approach provoked reactions from the Roma players. Menichelli was carried off injured after an incident with Brian Farmer, Lojacono raised his hands to the referee, who took no action, and the game reached the interval still goalless, which La Stampa thought a fair reflection of the half.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
The match was hostile both on and off the field. Jimmy Harris recalled the Roma players hanging back as the teams approached the pitch, leaving their visitors to be showered with cups of sand which penetrated the wire mesh protecting players from items thrown from above. Although the Birmingham team – nicknamed the "Brummie bashers" in the tabloid press – had a reputation for physicality, the Daily Mirror expressed amazement at their self-control "as the Italians used every trick of body checking and obstruction to make things run their way". At half-time, the referee warned both captains that any further display of indiscipline or temper would result in the culprit being sent off, and issued an individual warning to Lojacono.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
After 61 minutes, a move begun by Lojacono ended with an attempted clearance of his shot striking Farmer on the shins and rebounding into the net. La Stampa remarked on the improved player discipline once Roma had the lead. Birmingham rallied for a short period after the goal, and Orritt and Singer each "missed the sort of chances that cannot be ignored in cup games", before Roma regained control. Manfredini missed three good chances and hit the post with the goalkeeper beaten, and the outclassed Birmingham side finally resorted to before, in the second minute of stoppage time, Paolo Pestrin broke forward and hit a powerful shot from distance into the top corner of the net.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
The trophy was presented to Losi, the Roma captain, by Sir Stanley Rous, newly elected president of FIFA. Stampa Sera described Roma as deserving of their win, as the technically superior side who had had more possession, but accepted that the two goals that made the difference were both fortuitous. They were not surprised that Birmingham were bottom of the league, and rated only Trevor Smith and the 18-year-old Mike Hellawell as good players. Merrick agreed "that Roma were the better footballing side and deserved to win. But they did not show any sportsmanship."


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Second leg
Media both English and Italian singled out Lojacono as "the outstanding performer" who "outgeneralled" his opponents, but whose "fiery temper ...continually spoiled a superb performance"; who provoked his opponents, started fights and man-handled the referee but was instrumental in the move that forced Farmer's own goal and was involved in the late winner.


1961 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final, Post-match
The fourth edition of the competition saw an increased number of entries, from 16 to 28. Neither Roma nor Birmingham qualified for the European Cup, open only to domestic league champions, or for the Cup Winners' Cup, but both accepted invitations to participate in the 1961–62 Fairs Cup. As finalists, both were given byes to the second round, and both lost heavily, Roma to Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham against Espanyol of Barcelona. Since 1961, Roma have been regular participants in European competition: they reached the 1984 European Cup Final and the 1991 UEFA Cup Final but lost on each occasion. Birmingham did not compete in major European football again for fifty years, until an unexpected victory in the 2011 Football League Cup Final earned them qualification for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League.


1961 Intercontinental Cup
The 1961 Intercontinental Cup was a football match between Uruguayan club Peñarol, winners of the 1961 Copa Libertadores, and Portuguese club Benfica, winners of the 1960–61 European Cup. Peñarol won the Intercontinental Cup for the first time.


1961 Intercontinental Cup
A play-off was needed due to the rules at the time that awarded 2 points for each victory and both teams having won one game each.


1961 International 100
The 1961 International 100 was a motor race staged at the Warwick Farm Motor Racing Circuit in New South Wales, Australia on 29 January 1961. Contested as a Formula Libre race, it was staged over a distance of 101.25 miles  (163 km) and was the first annual International 100 race to be held at Warwick Farm.


1961 International 100
The race was won by Stirling Moss, driving a Lotus 18 Coventry Climax FPF.


1961 International Cross Country Championships
The 1961 International Cross Country Championships was held in Nantes, France, on March 26, 1961. This year, an official junior championship (for athletes under 21 on the day of the race) was introduced. A report on the men's event was given in the Glasgow Herald.


1961 International Cross Country Championships
Complete results for men, junior men, medallists,  and the results of British athletes were published.


1961 International Cross Country Championships, Participation
An unofficial count yields the participation of 109 athletes from 10 countries.


1961 International Gold Cup
The 8th Gold Cup was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 23 September 1961 at Oulton Park, England. The race was run over 60 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Stirling Moss in a Ferguson P99.


1961 International Gold Cup
This was the only time a Formula One race has been won by a four-wheel drive car, the damp conditions proving ideal for the car's extra traction.


1961 International June Sprints
The June 18, 1961, race at Road America at Elkhart Lake, WI  was the sixth racing event of the eleventh season of the Sports Car Club of America's 1961 Championship Racing Series.


1961 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1961 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. This was Jerry Burns' first season as head coach.


1961 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 1961 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the Big Eight Conference during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their fourth year under head coach Clay Stapleton, the Cyclones compiled a 5–5 record (3–4 against conference opponents), finished in fifth place in the conference, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 151 to 133. They played their home games at Clyde Williams Field in Ames, Iowa.


1961 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The regular starting lineup on offense consisted of left end  Larry Montre, left tackle Tom Graham, left guard Carl Proto, center Jon Spelman, right guard Dan Celoni, right tackle Dick Walton, right end Steve Sturek, quarterback Paul Sullivan, left halfback Dave Hoppmann, right halfback J.W. Burden, and fullback Dave Clayberg. John Cooper was the team captain.


1961 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The team's statistical leaders included Dave Hoppmann with 920 rushing yards, 718 passing yards, and 30 points (five touchdowns), and Dick Limerick with 402 receiving yards. Two Iowa State players were selected as first-team all-conference players: right guard Dan Celoni and left halfback Dave Hoppmann.


1961 Iranian legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Iran in 1961, after the elections the previous year had been annulled by the Shah. The result was a victory for the Party of Nationalists, which won majority of the seats.


1961 Iranian legislative election
National Front candidates had been forcibly prevented from campaigning, such as  Boroumand in Isfahan. Among opposition, only Allahyar Saleh was able to win a seat in his native Kashan.


1961 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa
1961 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa. Between 1906 and 1960 South Africa had played Ireland on five occasions. However all of these games had been played in Ireland. In 1960 South Africa had beaten Ireland 8–3 at Lansdowne Road. The following year Ireland embarked on their first tour of South Africa. Among the touring party was Tony O'Reilly who had previously toured South Africa with the British Lions in 1955. The tour began with a full international at Newlands Stadium which Ireland lost 24–8.


1961 Ireland rugby union tour of South Africa
Tom Kiernan scored all of Ireland's points with a try, a conversion and a penalty. Four members of this touring party – Niall Brophy, Tom Kiernan, Syd Millar and Bill Mulcahy – would return to South Africa with the British Lions in 1962. Kiernan, Millar and Ronnie Dawson, as a coach, would also return with the Lions in 1968.


1961 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1961 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Harold's Cross Stadium in Dublin on 11 August 1961.


1961 Irish Greyhound Derby
The winner Chieftain's Guest won £1,250 and was trained and bred by Leslie McNair, and jointly owned by McNair and Eric McCullough.


1961 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Long Story and Sandown Dick were major eliminations during the first round and Clonmel record holder Odd Venture broke a hock whilst leading. First round winners included The Grand Canal, Ireland's leading bitch Wild Maid, Evening Irish and Ballycashen Rory.


1961 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
In the second round The Grand Canal won again with Spark of Delight and Wild Maid also impressing. The first semi-final went to Wild Maid in 29.32 and The Grand Canal who remained unbeaten after recording 29.36 in the second semi-final. The final semi was won by Skips Choice in a slower time of 29.84.


1961 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The final saw three greyhounds prominent early, Skips Choice had etched out a lead but the strong finishing Chieftains Guest caught him and won by half a length to land a hefty gamble with The Grand Canal also running on strongly a further length behind. Chieftains Guest who had failed to win a race leading up to the final was to finish lame on his wrist.


1961 Irish general election
The 1961 Irish general election was held on 4 October 1961, just over three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 8 September. The newly elected members of the 17th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 11 October, when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.


1961 Irish general election
The general election took place in 38 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 144 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann, which had been reduced in size by three seats from the previous election.


1961 Irish general election, Campaign
The general election of 1961 saw the three main parties being led by three new leaders. Seán Lemass had taken charge of Fianna Fáil in 1959. It was also the first time Fianna Fáil faced a general election campaign without Éamon de Valera (who was by this time President of Ireland). James Dillon had taken over at Fine Gael in 1959 also, while the Labour Party was now under the leadership of Brendan Corish.


1961 Irish general election, Campaign
While the election was caused by the "crisis" surrounding Ireland's application for membership of the European Economic Community and various other international affairs, little attention was paid to these matters during the campaign; the 1961 general election has become known as the dullest campaign on record, with the most important issue being the teaching of the Irish language in schools. Fianna Fáil fought the election on its record in government and a reforming theme; Fine Gael presented itself as the party of free enterprise. The Labour Party campaigned strongly against the "conservative" Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties. It also favoured major expansion in the public sector. It was the first and only general election for the new National Progressive Democrats party led by Noël Browne.


1961 Irish general election, Result
The opposition parties gained ground on Fianna Fáil, while Sinn Féin failed to defend the four seats it had won in the previous election.


1961 Isle of Man TT
The 1961 Isle of Man TT races, the fourth round of the 1961 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, involved five races on the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course on the Isle of Man. Three of the races were won by Mike Hailwood.


1961 Isle of Man TT
He completed the six laps of the course in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 2.0 seconds at an average race speed of 100.61 mph to win the Senior TT race, after earlier winning the Ultra-Lightweight 125cc and Lightweight 250cc races Phil Read won the 350cc Junior TT race, while Max Deubel and E.Hoerner won the Sidecar TT event.


1961 Israeli legislative election
Elections for the fifth Knesset were held in Israel on 15 August 1961. Voter turnout was 81.6%.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Parliament factions
The table below lists the parliamentary factions represented in the 4th Knesset.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Aftermath
During the Knesset term, eight MKs broke away from Mapai to establish Rafi and two MKs left Maki to establish Rakah. Herut and the Liberal Party merged to form Gahal. Seven Liberal Party members unhappy with the decision (largely former Progressive Party members) broke away to form the Independent Liberals.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Aftermath, Tenth government
The fifth Knesset started with David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party forming the tenth government on 2 November 1961. His coalition included the National Religious Party, Ahdut HaAvoda, Agudat Israel Workers, Cooperation and Brotherhood and Progress and Development, and had 13 ministers. Kadish Luz of Mapai was appointed Knesset Speaker. The government collapsed when Ben-Gurion resigned on 16 June 1963 citing personal reasons, but in reality was annoyed at a perceived lack of support from his colleagues. He later broke away from Mapai with several colleagues to form Rafi.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Aftermath, Eleventh government
Levi Eshkol took over Mapai and formed the eleventh government on 26 June 1963 with the same coalition partners as previously, but one more minister. The government resigned on 10 December 1964 when Ben-Gurion demanded that members of the Supreme Court investigate the Lavon Affair.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Aftermath, Twelfth government
Eshkol formed the twelfth government a week later on 22 December 1964 with the same coalition partners and ministers as previously.


1961 Israeli legislative election, Aftermath, Twelfth government
The fifth Knesset was notable for the coalescing of the two major right-wing parties (Herut and the Liberal Party) to form an electoral block (Gahal) capable of threatening Mapai's hegemony in Israeli politics. Gahal, which by then had become Likud, finally overtook Mapai (which had merged into the Alignment) in the 1977 elections.


1961 Italian Athletics Championships
The 1961 Italian Athletics Championships was the 51st edition of the Italian Athletics Championships and were held in Turin (track & field events).


1961 Italian Grand Prix
The 1961 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 September 1961 at Monza. It was race 7 of 8 in both the 1961 World Championship of Drivers and the 1961 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.


1961 Italian Grand Prix
The race was marked by one of the most terrible accidents in the history of Formula One, when on the end of lap 2 at the approach to the Parabolica German driver Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into a fence line of spectators, killing 15 and himself. The race was not stopped, allegedly to avoid the audience going home en masse jamming the roads around the stadium and thus impeding the rescue work for the injured. This was also the last Formula One race ever to be held on the full 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) Monza circuit, with the two banked corners and the straight between the bankings included.


1961 Italian Grand Prix
The race was won by von Trips's American teammate Phil Hill, who – since von Trips was the only one who could challenge him – thus won the World Championship with one race to go. Hill's Monza win also assured Ferrari of the Constructors' Championship for 1961.


1961 Italian Grand Prix, Background
Before the running of the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, four drivers were mathematically in contention for the year's Drivers' Championship: Wolfgang von Trips, Phil Hill, Stirling Moss, and Richie Ginther. Realistically, however, the championship had come down to two Ferrari drivers, von Trips and Hill.


1961 Italian Grand Prix, Background
In the Constructors' Championship, two teams were mathematically in contention: Ferrari, and Lotus-Climax. In order for Lotus to overtake Ferrari at this point, one of their drivers had to win both this race and the final race of the season, the 1961 United States Grand Prix.


1961 Italian Grand Prix, Qualifying
37 cars attempted to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix, and 32 had sufficiently fast times to make it to the race grid. Similar to the 107% rule of today, a rule was in place for the 1961 season enforcing a 115% cutoff against the time of the second fastest driver.


1961 Ivy League football season
The 1961 Ivy League football season was the sixth season of college football play for the Ivy League and was part of the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The season began on September 30, 1961, and ended on November 25, 1961. Ivy League teams were 4–11 against non-conference opponents and Columbia and Harvard won the conference co-championship.


1961 Jamaican Federation of the West Indies membership referendum
A referendum on continued membership of the Federation of the West Indies was held in Jamaica on 19 September 1961. Voters were asked "Should Jamaica remain in the Federation of the West Indies?" The result was 54.1% voting "no", resulting in the country leaving the federation and its dissolution in 1962. Voter turnout was 61.5%.


1961 Japan Series
The 1961 Japan Series was the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) championship series for the 1961 season. It was the 12th Japan Series and featured the Pacific League champions, the Nankai Hawks, against the Central League champions, the Yomiuri Giants.


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 1
Sunday, October 22, 1961 – 1:00 pm at Osaka Stadium in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 2
Tuesday, October 24, 1961 – 12:59 pm at Osaka Stadium in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 3
Thursday, October 26, 1961 – 1:01 pm at Korakuen Stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 4
Sunday, October 29, 1961 – 1:00 pm at Korakuen Stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 5
Monday, October 30, 1961 – 1:00 pm at Korakuen Stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo


1961 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 6
Wednesday, November 1, 1961 – 1:07 pm at Osaka Stadium in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture


1961 Jordanian general election
General elections were held in Jordan on 19 October 1961. As political parties were banned at the time, all candidates ran as independents.


1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
The 1961 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played nine matches on tour, including two tests against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 17 June and finished on 10 July.


1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Leadership
Brian Carlson was both the captain and the coach of the touring side. Carlson did not play in the Second Test and tour vice-captain Barry Muir Led Australia in that match. In the two matches in which neither Barnes nor Mossop played, the Kangaroos were captained by Reg Gasnier (against Taranaki) and Ian Walsh (against Auckland). The team was managed by Jack Kessey of Newtown, New South Wales and G.W. (Jock) Allen of Toowooomba, Queensland.


1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Touring squad
Match details - listing surnames of both teams and the point scorers - were included in E.E. Christensen's Official Rugby League Yearbook, as was a summary of the players' point-scoring. Beattie, Day, Gehrke, Gil, Muir, Paterson and Rasmussen were selected from Queensland clubs. Beaven, Crowe and Owen were selected from clubs in New South Wales Country areas. The balance of the squad had played for Sydney based clubs during the 1961 season.


1961 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand, Tour
The Australians played nine matches on the tour, winning seven matches and losing the last two.


1961 Kanonloppet
The 7th Kanonloppet was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 20 August 1961 at the Karlskoga Circuit, Sweden. The race was run over 30 laps of the little circuit, and was won by British driver Stirling Moss in a Lotus 18/21, run by the UDT Laystall Racing Team.


1961 Kanonloppet
This race featured some local drivers who did not compete regularly in Formula One, and also the multiple world motorcycle champion Geoff Duke.


1961 Kanonloppet
Stirling Moss arrived late at the circuit and missed the practice and qualifying sessions, but was allowed to start from the back of the grid.


1961 Kansas City Athletics season
The 1961 Kansas City Athletics season was a season in American baseball. In their seventh season in Kansas City, the 61st overall for the franchise, the A's finished with a record of 61–100, tying the expansion Washington Senators for ninth place, last in the newly expanded 10-team American League, 47½ games behind the World Champion New York Yankees.


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Offseason
On December 19, 1960, Charles "Charlie O." Finley purchased a controlling interest in the team from Arnold Johnson's estate. In a highly publicized move, he purchased a bus, pointed it in the direction of New York, and burned it to symbolize the end of the "special relationship" with the Yankees. He called another press conference to burn the existing lease at Municipal Stadium, where the team played its home games, which included the despised "escape clause."


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Offseason
Finley made numerous renovations to the stadium, including lighting outside, and radio broadcasts in the restrooms. The seats were painted yellow, turquoise and orange, while a picnic area was added behind new bleacher seats in right field, and lights were added to the dugout.


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Offseason
In addition, Finley introduced new uniforms, which had "Kansas City" on the road uniforms for the first time ever and an interlocking "KC" on the cap.


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Regular season
Finley hired Frank Lane, a veteran baseball man with a reputation as a prolific trader, as general manager on January 2. However, Lane did not even last through the season, as he was fired on August 22 and replaced by Pat Friday.


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Kansas City Athletics season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 1961 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The Jayhawks offense scored 269 points while the defense allowed 88 points. Led by head coach Jack Mitchell, the Jayhawks competed in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Quarterback John Hadl received votes to win the Heisman, including 33 first place votes, becoming the first Jayhawk to receive Heisman Trophy votes, finishing 7th in the voting.


1961 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1961 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The team's head football coach was Doug Weaver. The Wildcats played their home games in Memorial Stadium. 1961 saw the Wildcats finish with a record of 2–8, and a 0–7 record in Big Eight Conference play. The Wildcats scored only 58 points while giving up 232. The finished eighth in the Big Eight.


1961 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The 1961 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University  in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their 16th season under head coach Trevor J. Rees, the Golden Flashes compiled a 2–8 record (1–5 against MAC opponents), finished in seventh place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 181 to 126.


1961 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The team's statistical leaders included Cullen Bowen with 275 rushing yards, George Jenkins with 387 passing yards, and Dick Wolf with 288 receiving yards.


1961 Kentucky Derby
The 1961 Kentucky Derby was the 87th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 6, 1961.


1961 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 1961 Kentucky Wildcats football team were an American football team that represented the University of Kentucky as a member of the Southeastern Conference during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their eighth season under head coach Blanton Collier, the team compiled a 5–5 record (2–4 in the SEC).


1961 Kenyan general election
General elections were held in Kenya in February 1961. The result was a victory for the Kenya African National Union, which won 19 of the 53 elected seats.


1961 Kenyan general election, Electoral system
Twenty seats were reserved for minority communities; ten for whites, eight for Indians and two for Arabs. There were also twelve appointees. Primary elections were held for the reserved seats by members of the respective communities, and candidates receiving at least 25% of the vote advanced to the main elections.


1961 Kenyan general election, Electoral system
Of the 1,411,117 registered voters, 29,879 (2.18%) were Indian, 19,332 (1.37%) white and 5,472 (0.38%) Arabs.


1961 Kenyan general election, Results
Nine constituencies (with a total of 353,251 registered voters) were uncontested, reducing the number of actual voters to 1,057,866.


1961 Kesteven County Council election
Elections to Kesteven County Council were held on Saturday, 15 April 1961. Kesteven was one of three divisions of the historic county of Lincolnshire in England; it consisted of the ancient wapentakes (or hundreds) of Aswardhurn, Aveland, Beltisloe, Boothby Graffoe, Flaxwell, Langoe, Loveden, Ness, and Winnibriggs and Threo. The Local Government Act 1888 established Kesteven as an administrative county, governed by a Council; elections were held every three years from 1889, until it was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972, which established Lincolnshire County Council in its place.


1961 Kesteven County Council election
The county was divided into 60 electoral divisions, each of which returned one member. In 1961 there were contests in 7 of these.


1961 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The 1961 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship was the 67th staging of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Kilkenny County Board.


1961 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
On 17 September 1961, St. Lachtain's won the championship after a 4-05 to 0-12 defeat of Near South in the final. It was their first ever championship title.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide
The 1961 Kurenivka mudslide occurred on March 13 in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. The mudslide started at the edge of the Babi Yar mass murder site and dumped mud, water, and human remains into the streets of Kyiv. The Soviet authorities suppressed information about the disaster, and claimed 145 people were killed, while forbidding any memorial events for the victims. A 2012 study in Ukraine estimates that the number of victims was closer to 1,500.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide, Disaster
The mudslide started when a dam securing the loam pulp dump of a brick factory near the Babi Yar mass murder site collapsed after rain, releasing large volumes of pulp sludge, mud, water, and human remains down the steep hill of the modern Olena Teliha Street and into the streets of Kyiv. The slide immediately hit the lower-lying Kurenivka neighbourhood, including a residential area, a tram depot, several industrial buildings and a cemetery, as well as cars and trams on its way. The total volume of pulp in the vicinity of Kyrylivska - Novokostiantynivska streets was up to 600 thousand m3  with a depth of up to 4 m. The official report indicated 145 fatalities, while a recent study estimates 1,500.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide, Recovery operations
Recovery operations continued for days, but no official notification of the tragedy was ever published by the Soviet authorities.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide, Recovery operations
Recovery operations were led by the 120 Detached Engineering Battalion and the Anti-gas Regiment of the Local Anti- Aircraft Defence troops of the Soviet Army in the Kyiv Military District, led by the Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kharchenko. The events in Kurenivka were strictly censored by the Soviet Government. In order to cover up the scale of this disaster, many of the people who died were buried in different cemeteries in Kyiv and its nearby towns with different dates and reasons for their death in the government records. No public remembrance activities were allowed and Soviet troops were sent to clear all visible consequences of the disaster.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide, Aftermath
As a result of the subsequent investigation, several construction engineers and managers responsible for the dam's design and maintenance were accused of negligence and convicted.


1961 Kurenivka mudslide, Aftermath
In 1962, Ukrainian Communist Party leaders ordered the leveling of the Babi Yar ravine and the establishment of a park on the site where at least 33,000 Jews from Kyiv and surrounding areas had been shot to death in 1941 by the Einsatzgruppen.


1961 Kuwaiti Constitutional Convention election
Constitutional Convention elections were held in Kuwait on 30 December 1961, having originally been planned for 1 November. It was the country's first-ever election, and elected a body responsible for drawing up a constitution. Around 40,000 men were eligible to vote, with turnout of registered voters at 90.0%. A total of 74 candidates stood for the 20 elected seats.


1961 LPGA Championship
The 1961 LPGA Championship was the seventh LPGA Championship, held October 12–15 at Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada.


1961 LPGA Championship
Defending champion Mickey Wright won the third of her four LPGA Championships, nine strokes ahead of runner-up Louise Suggs, the 1957 winner. It was Wright's third major title of the year and the seventh of her thirteen career majors. It was her tenth tour victory of the 1961 season.


1961 LPGA Championship
Stardust Country Club opened earlier in the year and hosted the LPGA Championship for six consecutive years, through 1966. After several ownership and name changes, it became Las Vegas National Golf Club in 1998.


1961 LPGA Championship
The purse was substantially increased in 1961 to $15,000 with a winner's share of $2,500, up from $8,500 and $1,500 in 1960.


1961 LPGA Tour
The 1961 LPGA Tour was the 12th season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from February 9 to October 22. The season consisted of 24 official money events. Mickey Wright won the most tournaments, 10. She also led the money list with earnings of $22,236.


1961 LPGA Tour
There was only one first-time winner in 1961, Judy Kimball.


1961 LPGA Tour, Tournament results
The following table shows all the official money events for the 1961 season. "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold.


1961 LSU Tigers football team
The 1961 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. It was head coach Paul Dietzel's seventh and final season with the team. Following the Tigers' Orange Bowl victory vs. Colorado, Dietzel departed to take the head coaching position at Army.


1961 La Flèche Wallonne
The 1961 La Flèche Wallonne was the 25th edition of La Flèche Wallonne cycle race and was held on 16 May 1961. The race started in Liège and finished in Charleroi. The race was won by Willy Vannitsen of the Baratti team.


1961 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in November 1961. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (Hugh Gaitskell), Deputy Leader (George Brown), Labour Chief Whip (Herbert Bowden), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (A. V. Alexander), and Labour Chief Whip in the House of Lords (the Earl of Lucan)  were automatically members. The election saw no changes to the Shadow Cabinet.


1961 Labour Party deputy leadership election
The 1961 Labour Party deputy leadership election took place on 12 November 1961, after sitting deputy leader George Brown was challenged by Barbara Castle, who became the first woman to run for either leader or deputy leader of the Labour Party.


1961 Labour Party deputy leadership election, Sources
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1961 Labour Party leadership election
The 1961 Labour Party leadership election was held when, for the second year in succession, the incumbent leader was challenged for re-election. Normally the annual re-election of the leader had been a formality.


1961 Labour Party leadership election
The challenge followed factional in-fighting over issues like nuclear disarmament. The leader favoured the retention of nuclear weapons by the UK, whereas the left wing of the party supported the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.


1961 Labour Party leadership election, Ballot
The result of the only ballot of Labour MPs on 2 November was as follows:


1961 Lady Wigram Trophy
The 1961 Lady Wigram Trophy was a motor race held at the Wigram Airfield Circuit on 21 January 1961. It was the tenth Lady Wigram Trophy to be held and was won by Jack Brabham in the Cooper T53.


1961 Lafayette Leopards football team
The 1961 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. Lafayette finished second-to-last in the Middle Atlantic Conference, University Division, and last in the Middle Three Conference.


1961 Lafayette Leopards football team
In their fourth year under head coach James McConlogue, the Leopards compiled a 2–6–1 record. Walter Doleschal and Peter Lehr were the team captains.


1961 Lafayette Leopards football team
In conference play, Lafayette went 1–5–1 against University Division opponents, for the division's seventh-best win percentage. The Leopards were swept by their Middle Three rivals, losing to both Lehigh and Rutgers.


1961 Lafayette Leopards football team
Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.


1961 Lamar Tech Cardinals football team
The 1961 Lamar Tech Cardinals football team competed at the NCAA College Division level as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The Cardinals finished the season with an 8–2–1 record overall and a 4–2–1 conference record. The team finished the season playing in the Tangerine Bowl against Middle Tennessee winning 21–14.


1961 Latvian SSR Higher League, Overview
It was contested by 8 teams, and ASK won the championship.


1961 Leeds City Council election
The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 11 May 1961, with one third of the council and a vacancy in Cross Gates up for election.


1961 Leeds City Council election
In contrast to the national picture, the results in Leeds were a mirror-image of the previous year's election, with Labour enjoying a 5.5% swing in their direction, enabling them to win the majority of seats - defending all but one. The sole seat that changed hands, was the Conservative's gain in Wortley - returning the ward to full Conservative representation after a decade of mixture.


1961 Leeds City Council election
The Liberals, now including the unsuccessful Independent of the year before, retained their second place comfortably in Far Headingley and - by contrast - just three votes in Allerton. The Communists fielded a record of six candidates, gaining them their highest share on record, and highest vote since 1947. The BNP also entered their first ever candidate in Leeds, receiving 4% in Armley.


1961 Leeds City Council election
In addition, the allocation of aldermen changed, in accordance to the long running agreement between Labour and the Conservatives that they should be divided up proportional to their councillors - roughly one alderman per three councillors - granting the Tories an extra two at Labour's expense. All of which resulted in Labour's majority amounting to fourteen. Turnout returned to the mid thirties (35.6%) where it had stabilised for the latter half of the former decade, until suffering a sharp drop at the last election.


1961 Leeds City Council election, Election result
The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
The 1961 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. Despite not winning either of its two conferences, Lehigh was awarded the Lambert Cup as the best small-college football team in the East.


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
In their 16th year under head coach William Leckonby, the Engineers compiled a 7–2 record. Michael Semcheski was the team captain.


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
In conference play, Lehigh's 3–2 record against opponents in the Middle Atlantic Conference, University Division, secured a tie with Delaware, and placed them behind Rutgers (4–0) and Bucknell (5–2). The Engineers went 1–1 against the Middle Three, losing to Rutgers and beating Lafayette.


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
The Engineers were a sporadic entry on the national small-college rankings. Lehigh was rated No. 9, with one first-place vote, in the October 5 AP poll, but dropped out of the top 10 the next week. The team returned to the AP rankings on November 9, at No. 8, before rising the next week to No. 6, its eventual year-end ranking. The season's first UPI coaches poll did not place Lehigh in the top 20, though the Engineers made it to No. 19 for two weeks in October before returning for good in mid-November. Following the rivalry victory over Lafayette, Lehigh climbed to a final ranking of No. 11 in the coaches poll.


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
In both polls, Lehigh ended up the top-ranked team in the geographic area covered by the Lambert awards. Rutgers, which defeated Lehigh and won both conferences, was considered a "major" university and not eligible for the Lambert Cup. Of the eight members of the Lambert selection committee, seven listed Lehigh as their No. 1 choice, with the eighth listing it as No. 2 . As the winners of the inaugural small-college Lambert Cup in 1957, Lehigh became the first college to receive the award twice.


1961 Lehigh Engineers football team
Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.


1961 Lewis-Evans Trophy
The 5th Lewis-Evans Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 1 October 1961 at Brands Hatch Circuit. The race was run over 30 laps of the circuit, and was dominated by British driver Tony Marsh  in a BRM P48.


1961 Lewis-Evans Trophy
This Formula One race was unusual in that non-British competitors were not permitted to take part. French driver Bernard Collomb, who had intended to enter the race, decided to lend his car to John Campbell-Jones.


1961 Liberty Bowl
The 1961 Liberty Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game played on December 16, 1961. The third edition of the Liberty Bowl, the game featured the Syracuse Orangemen and the Miami Hurricanes, both independent programs.


1961 Liberty Bowl, Background
Syracuse running back Ernie Davis became the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy. This was Syracuse's fifth bowl game in 8 years. Miami was making their first bowl appearance since 1952.


1961 Liberty Bowl, Game summary
Jim Vollenweider scored on a 12-yard touchdown run to give Miami a 6–0 lead (though the extra point failed) in the first quarter. Nick Spineli scored on a 60-yard punt return to add onto the lead, and George Mira scored on the conversion pass to make it 14–0 at halftime. Syracuse culminated a 42-yard drive with an Ernie Davis touchdown plunge to make it 14–8 (with a Dave Sarette pass to Dick Easterly to get the two-point conversion). On the first play of the fourth quarter, Miami fumbled the ball, and Bill Schoonover recovered at the Orange 49.


1961 Liberty Bowl, Game summary
Nine plays and 51 yards later, Sarette threw a touchdown pass to Easterly to make it 14–14, with the extra point proving to be important. Ken Erickson's extra point was good, as the Orange won, 15–14. Ernie Davis rushed for 140 yards on 30 carries. Easterly caught four passes for 50 yards.


1961 Liberty Bowl, Aftermath
Davis died of leukemia before he ever played a snap in the National Football League. Miami returned to the Liberty Bowl in 1966, while Syracuse returned in 1996.


1961 Liechtenstein referendums
Three referendums were held in Liechtenstein during 1961. The first was held on 12 March on the creation of a new tax law, and was approved by 66.7% of voters. The second was held on 8 August on an initiative on the law on land surveying, and was approved by 60.9% of voters. The third on 8 December was on an initiative on hunting law, and was approved by 51% of voters.


1961 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 1961 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 67th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board.


1961 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
Western Gaels won the championship after a 7-04 to 0-09 defeat of Treaty Sarsfields in the final. It was their first ever championship title.


1961 Little League World Series
The 1961 Little League World Series took place between August 22 and August 26 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Northern Little League of El Cajon, California, defeated El Campo Little League of El Campo, Texas, in the championship game of the 15th Little League World Series.


1961 Liverpool City Council election
Elections to Liverpool City Council were held on 11 May 1961.


1961 Liverpool City Council election, Ward results
The Councillors seeking re-election at this election were elected in 1958 for a three-year term, therefore comparisons are made with the 1958 election results.


1961 Liverpool City Council election, Aldermanic elections
At the meeting of the City Council on 24 May 1961 the terms of office of twenty of the forty Aldermen expired and the Councillors elected twenty Aldermen to fill the vacant positions for a term of six years. Eighteen of the twenty retiring Labour Aldermen were replaced with Conservatives.


1961 Liverpool Plains state by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Liverpool Plains on 26 March 1961 and was triggered by the resignation of Roger Nott (Labor), who was the Minister for Agriculture in the Heffron Labor government and accepted an appointment by the Menzies coalition government to be the Administrator of the Northern Territory.


1961 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 1961 Liège–Bastogne–Liège was the 47th edition of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycle race and was held on 15 May 1961. The race started and finished in Liège. The race was won by Rik Van Looy of the Faema team.


1961 Lombank Trophy
The 2nd Lombank Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 26 March 1961 at Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit, England. The race was run over 37 laps of the circuit, and was won by Australian driver Jack Brabham in a Cooper T53.


1961 Lombank Trophy
This was the first Formula One event in Europe to be run to the new 1.5 litre rules, and the field was bolstered by a number of Inter-Continental Formula cars, i.e. cars that conformed to the old 2.5 litre Formula One. Only two of the Inter-Continental Formula cars finished the race, but they were a lap ahead of the other finishers. Some of the cars conforming to the new Formula One regulations were converted Formula Two cars.


1961 London County Council election
An election to the County Council of London took place on 13 April 1961. It proved to be the last election to the council, and plans for its replacement by the Greater London Council were already in process. The council was elected by First Past the Post with each elector having three votes in the three-member seats.


1961 London County Council election, Campaign
The campaign attracted little attention. The Conservative Party campaign focused on housing issues. The London Labour Party organised a tour of twenty cars through South East London, carrying politicians who made short speeches at numerous locations in the area. Other election issues included the proposed construction of the Royal National Theatre, and the London Ringways road schemes.


1961 London County Council election, Results
The Labour Party lost seventeen seats to the Conservative Party, but still secured a substantial majority of seats on the council. This ensured that the Labour Party would complete thirty years in control of the council.


1961 London County Council election, Results
The Liberal Party was hopeful of winning at least one seat in the election, but it failed to do so. The Independent Labour Party, Union Movement and British National Party also stood candidates but failed to secure any seats, as did assorted independent candidates.


1961 London County Council election, Results
Turnout in the election was 34.7%, an increase of 3.2% over the previous election. A closely fought contest in Fulham led to a turnout of 47%, a record for the seat.


1961 London Trophy
The 9th London Trophy was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 22 May 1961 at Crystal Palace Circuit. The race was run over 37 laps of the circuit, and was won by British driver Roy Salvadori  in a Cooper T53.


1961 London Trophy
This race was run on the same day as the World Championship 1961 Dutch Grand Prix, but since entry to that event was by invitation only, many regular Formula One drivers were attracted to Crystal Palace.


1961 Long Beach State 49ers football team
The 1961 Long Beach State 49ers football team represented Long Beach State College during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. The 49ers competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).


1961 Long Beach State 49ers football team
The team was led by head coach Don Reed, in his fourth year, and played home games at Veterans Stadium adjacent to the campus of Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. They finished the season with a record of five wins and five losses (5–5, 2–3 CCAA).


1961 Los Angeles Angels season
The 1961 Los Angeles Angels season ended with the Angels finishing 8th in the American League with a record of 70–91, 38½ games behind the World Champion New York Yankees. It was the Angels' first season in franchise history, and their only season at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Gene Autry owned the franchise, which was created as a rival to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who played that year at the Coliseum before moving to nearby Dodger Stadium in 1962.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Offseason
The Angels, along with the new Washington Senators, were the first ever American League expansion teams. Both teams participated in Major League Baseball's first ever expansion draft. The Angels had the first pick in the 1960 Major League Baseball expansion draft, which they used to select Eli Grba from the New York Yankees. Grba wound up playing two-plus seasons for Los Angeles before returning to the minor leagues.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season
As an expansion team, the Angels were not expected to do well. However, they not only finished ahead of the Senators, but also the Kansas City A's, who tied the Senators for last place, nine games behind Los Angeles.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, Opening Day starting lineup
The first game in franchise history took place at Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, on Tuesday, April 11, 1961. Powered by Ted Kluszewski's first- and second-inning home runs, which accounted for five runs, and Grba's complete game six-hitter, the Angels defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 7–2. They would then lose eight games in a row, including their home opener April 27 against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, Offense
The Angels were no stranger to offense in their first season, with five players hitting 20 or more home runs, a mark which at the time was considered a remarkable feat. Leon Wagner, who led the team with 28 home runs, was one of the team's best offensive threats, also leading the team by slugging .517. The other players who hit 20 home runs were Ken Hunt (25), Lee Thomas (24), Earl Averill, Jr. (21), and Steve Bilko (20).


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, Offense
Albie Pearson, who led the team in batting average, had an on-base percentage of .420, also a mark that was considered more valuable than the current game. Pearson led the team in several other offensive categories, leading the team in stolen bases (11), runs (92), and walks (96). Lee Thomas, who ended the season second on the team in batting at .284, led the team in hits, with 128, edging out Wagner by 1 hit.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, Pitching
Ken McBride, who led the team with 12 wins, also led the team with 15 losses. Eli Grba had an 11–13 record, good enough for second in both wins and losses amongst the team's pitchers. Ted Bowsfield was the Angels' only starter with a winning record, going 11–8. McBride had 180 strikeouts, 75 more than Grba, who was second on the team with 105. As a team, the Angels led the American League, throwing more strikeouts than any of the other 9 teams. Art Fowler and Tom Morgan were the Angels' top two in saves, with 11 and 10, respectively, leading the team to finish second in the American League in that category.


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Angels season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1961 Los Angeles Dodgers finished in second place in the National League with a record of 89–65, four games behind the Cincinnati Reds. 1961 was the fourth season for the Dodgers in Los Angeles. It was also the Dodgers final season of playing their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, since they moved to their new stadium the following season.


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Regular season
On April 17, 1961, Duke Snider hit his 370th career home run, which at the time moved him into 7th place on the all-time career home runs list. Later in the same game, Snider suffered a broken elbow, and he was knocked out for the rest of the season when he was hit by a pitch from Bob Gibson of the Cardinals.


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1961 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1961 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 24th year with the National Football League and the 16th season in Los Angeles.


1961 Los Angeles Rams season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1961 Los Angeles State Diablos football team
The 1961 Los Angeles State Diablos football team represented Los Angeles State during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season.


1961 Los Angeles State Diablos football team
Los Angeles State competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The team was led by eleventh-year head coach Leonard (Bud) Adams, who had been the leader of the team since the school started playing intercollegiate football in 1951. They finished the season with a record of four wins, four losses and one tie (4–4–1, 2–2–1 CCAA).


1961 Los Angeles State Diablos football team, Team players in the NFL
The following Los Angeles State players were selected in the 1962 NFL Draft.


1961 Los Angeles mayoral election
The 1961 election for Mayor of Los Angeles took place on April 4, 1961, with a run-off election on May 31, 1961. Incumbent Norris Poulson was defeated by Sam Yorty.


1961 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
The 1961 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (now known as Louisiana Tech University) as a member of the Gulf States Conference during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In their twenty-first year under head coach Joe Aillet, the team compiled a 5–4 record.


1961 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 1961 Louisville Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented the University of Louisville as an independent during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In their 16th season under head coach Frank Camp, the Cardinals compiled a 6–3 record.


1961 Louisville Cardinals football team
The team's statistical leaders included Lee Calland with 600 rushing yards, John Giles with 1,209 passing yards, and D. Hockensmith with 392 receiving yards.


1961 Maccabiah Games
The 6th Maccabiah Games were held in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1961.


1961 Maccabiah Games, History
The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
In swimming, Marilyn Ramenofsky of the US, who three years later was to win a silver medal at the Olympics in the 400-Meter Freestyle, won a gold medal in the 400-Meter Freestyle Relay and a bronze in the 400-Meter Freestyle. She led the US swimming team, which won all but two events.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
In fencing, Olympic bronze medal winner Yves Dreyfus of France won the gold medal in épée. Fencer Al Axelrod won a gold medal in foil.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Larry Brown led the United States basketball team to a gold medal. The Israeli team won the silver medal in basketball, with Abraham Gutt on the team. Allen Rosenberg and Donald Spero of the US won gold medals in rowing.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Gary Gubner of the US won the shot put with a 60-foot, 1-1/4 inch (18.32 meter) throw.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
American Dick Savitt won both the singles and doubles (with Mike Franks) men's tennis gold medals. American gymnast Ron Barak won eight gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Angelica Rozeanu of Israel, who in her career won 17 world titles, was the women's table tennis singles champion.


1961 Maccabiah Games, Participating communities
First-time participants in 1961 included Colombia, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Congo-Kinshasa.


1961 Maccabiah Games, U.S. participation
135 athletes from the United States participated in the 6th Maccabiah, as well as 9 coaches, 6 managers, 3 doctors, and 2 trainers. The team was sponsored by the United States Committee Sports for Israel, Inc.


1961 Maine Black Bears football team
The 1961 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In its 11th season under head coach Harold Westerman, the team compiled an 8–0–1 record (5–0 against conference opponents) and won the Yankee Conference championship. The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Orono, Maine. Robert Kinney and David Cloutier were the team captains.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)
The first 1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Candlestick Park in San Francisco on July 11, 1961. The National League scored two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning to win 5–4. Stu Miller was the winning pitcher and Hoyt Wilhelm was charged with the loss.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game), Rosters
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game), Game
Umpires: Stan Landes, Home Plate (NL); Frank Umont, First Base (AL); Shag Crawford, Second Base (NL);  Ed Runge, Third Base (AL); Ed Vargo, Left Field (NL); Cal Drummond, Right Field (AL)


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
The second 1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Fenway Park in Boston on July 31, 1961. It was the first MLB All-Star Game to end in a tie. The game in 2002 also ended in a tie.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
Rocky Colavito's one-out home run in the bottom of the first off National League starter Bob Purkey gave the American League a 1–0 lead, but Purkey only allowed two walks in the second before Art Mahaffey pitched a scoreless third and fourth, allowing only a leadoff walk to Mickey Mantle in the fourth. The Americans only got three more hits versus Sandy Koufax and Stu Miller.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)
American starter Jim Bunning pitched three perfect innings, but Don Schwall allowed a bases-loaded single to Bill White that tied the game in the sixth. All five hits the Nationals got were charged to Schwall. Camilo Pascual pitched three shutout innings before the game was called due to rain after nine innings with the score 1–1.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game), Rosters
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.


1961 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game), Game
Umpires: Larry Napp, Home Plate (AL); Frank Secory, First Base (NL); Red Flaherty, Second Base (AL);  Ed Sudol, Third Base (NL); Al Smith, Left Field (AL); Chris Pelekoudas, Right Field (NL)


1961 Major League Baseball expansion
The 1961 Major League Baseball expansion resulted in the formation of two new Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises in the American League (AL). A new club was started in Washington, D.C. and took the existing name of the Senators, as the previous team of the same name moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul for the start of the 1961 season and became the Minnesota Twins. The second new franchise was granted to an ownership group led by Gene Autry for a team in Los Angeles who named themselves the Angels. The two new teams each paid a fee of $2.1 million and became the 17th and 18th franchises in MLB.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion
The expansion was part of an initiative in response to the perceived threat of a proposed third major league, the Continental League. In 1962, the National League (NL) also added two new teams, the Houston Colt .45s (later named the Astros) and the New York Mets.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Background
For a 50-year period from 1903 to 1952, MLB's 16-team structure remained intact. No franchises were relocated during this period, although five markets—Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis—had two or more teams. According to authors Andy McCue and Eric Thompson, "By 1953, ... Population had moved from the northeast quadrant to the vibrant cities of the West and South. The less financially successful clubs in two-team cities were finding it increasingly difficult to compete."


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Background
The situation changed as the Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, the St. Louis Browns relocated to Baltimore one year later, and the Philadelphia Athletics went to Kansas City in 1955. Then, before the 1958 season, the two New York City teams in the NL moved to the West Coast—the Dodgers to Los Angeles, and the Giants to San Francisco. New York City sought a replacement NL franchise, and by December 1958 MLB had created an Expansion Committee. Despite the formation of the group, MLB displayed little intention of adding a New York team.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Background
The relocation of the Dodgers and Giants led to a proposal for a third major league: the Continental League, which would have started by 1961 with franchises in markets MLB had previously ignored. In addition, MLB was facing pressure from the U.S. Congress, which indicated that efforts to prevent future expansion would arouse interest in weakening the sport's exemption from antitrust laws. Congress voted on a bill aimed at repealing the exemption, but it failed to pass. However, MLB moved to expand after a rival league became a possibility.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Background
The potential threat posed by the Continental League ended in August 1960, when the NL proposed expanding to include four of the new organization's clubs. The AL then became interested in the idea of expansion. Expansion Committee chairman Del Webb initially backed the addition of a Houston-based franchise, but the NL spoiled the idea when it announced the addition of teams in that city and New York for 1962.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Markets
For many years, Los Angeles had been rumored to be a potential site for an AL franchise. At the time of the expansion, the Los Angeles area was the second-most populated in the U.S., and several sports teams had already moved into the city, including the NL's Dodgers. Actor Gene Autry led a group that paid $2.1 million for the right to place an MLB team in Los Angeles. Autry, who owned radio stations, had been seeking to acquire a contract to broadcast baseball games when he traveled to MLB's Winter Meetings.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Markets
After the Meetings, on December 6, 1960, his group received franchise rights. The Los Angeles team was initially scheduled to begin play in 1962, but a relocation plan elsewhere in the AL resulted in the start date being moved up to 1961. The club was nicknamed the Angels, after a Pacific Coast League team that had previously played in the city. To secure the name rights, Autry paid a $350,000 fee to Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, who had purchased the minor league Angels before relocating the Dodgers to Los Angeles.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Markets
Initially, leading figures in Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota had sought an expansion franchise. However, Senators owner Calvin Griffith believed his team could not prosper in the capital city of Washington, D.C. and sought to relocate to Minnesota. The Senators had played in Washington, D.C. starting in 1901, and had won the 1924 World Series. Starting in the 1940s, however, the club had slipped towards the bottom of the AL standings for most seasons. In October 1960, the AL permitted the Senators to move in time for next year's season, and gave Washington, D.C. an expansion team.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Markets
The former Senators changed their name to the Minnesota Twins, and the new expansion team took the Senators name. The decision was partially in response to pressure from Congress, which had wanted a replacement for the former Senators. As with the Angels' ownership group, the new Senators' owners paid a $2.1 million fee for the right to an MLB franchise. The two new teams became the 17th and 18th clubs in MLB.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Expansion draft
A draft was held on December 14, 1960, to stock the new teams with players from the existing AL clubs. All teams were required to make seven players draftable from their regular rosters, along with eight more from their expanded rosters of 40 players, with the number of players that could be selected from one franchise capped at seven. The Angels and Senators were limited to 28 picks each, and were forced to pay $75,000 per pick. There were also requirements to choose certain numbers of players for each position.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Expansion draft
The Angels were given the first overall pick in the expansion draft and used it to select New York Yankees pitcher Eli Grba. The Senators followed by taking another Yankees pitcher, Bobby Shantz, with their first choice. Later in the draft, both teams violated the rules prohibiting existing clubs from losing more than seven players from their normal rosters; by the 43rd pick, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers had each seen eight of their players chosen, and another rule mandating that the Angels and Senators not take more than four players from any one team was also ignored. Angels manager Bill Rigney later said that the teams had not been notified about the rules by the AL.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Expansion draft
Despite an effort by AL president Joe Cronin that required both teams to relinquish earlier selections and choose different players, imbalances still existed in player selections; seven of the eight AL teams had had five or more players drafted by the Angels or Senators. In response, player trades between the expansion teams were mandated by Cronin. In the last of these trades, future Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Dean Chance was sent to the Angels by Washington.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Performance of expansion teams
In 1961, Wrigley Field, a former minor league stadium, served as the home of the Angels; for the next four seasons, they shared Dodger Stadium with the Dodgers. Los Angeles won 70 games in its first season, exceeding expectations. The following season, they held first place in the AL as late as July 4, ending the year with 86 victories. However, the team's performance declined in future years, as its strategy of acquiring "recognizable names" led to aging talent whose output fell before the Angels' minor league system could replace them.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Performance of expansion teams
The Senators experienced a lack of strong fan interest in their inaugural season, drawing under 600,000 fans for the year. The team annually posted about 90 defeats in most future years, and did not win more games than it lost until 1969, when Washington ended the season with an 86–76 win–loss record. The original owner of the club left early in the Senators' existence, and a second shift occurred shortly after stockbrokers James Johnson and James Lemon purchased the team from Elwood Quesada. In September 1971, then-owner Bob Short announced that the Senators would move to the Dallas area after the season; the team's last game in Washington was forfeited due to "unruly behavior" by Senators fans.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion, Aftermath
The 1961 expansion was the first in a series of moves that resulted in MLB nearly doubling in size to 30 franchises. As part of MLB's effort to prevent the formation of the Continental League, the NL added the New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s (who later changed their nickname to the Astros) for the 1962 season. Another expansion draft was made to stock the new teams for the 1962 season. Four new clubs joined the AL and NL in 1969, in San Diego, Kansas City, Montreal, and Seattle (although the team moved to Milwaukee the following year). Further two-team expansions took place in 1977, 1993, and 1998. The expansions had the effect of placing MLB teams across the continent; before 1961, only a few teams were based west of the Mississippi River.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft
The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on October 10, 1961, to fill the rosters of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s, the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season. The pool of players out of which they could select was limited to the existing National League ballclubs.


1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft
Due to the poor performance of the Mets and Colt .45s after two seasons, another draft was held for the teams. The other existing National League clubs made four players from their 40-man roster available at $30,000 apiece. Only eight players could be selected between the two clubs.


1961 Major League Baseball season
The 1961 Major League Baseball season was played from April 10 to October 12, 1961. That season saw the New York Yankees defeat the Cincinnati Reds in five games in the World Series. The season is best known for Yankee teammates Roger Maris' and Mickey Mantle's pursuit of Babe Ruth's prestigious 34-year-old single-season home run record of 60. Maris ultimately broke the record when he hit his 61st home run on the final day of the regular season, while Mantle was forced out of the lineup in late-September due to a hip infection and finished with 54 home runs.


1961 Major League Baseball season
In response to the proposed Continental League, the American League expanded by two teams in the first MLB expansion since 1901. The original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Minnesota Twins. The American League therefore placed a new team in Washington, also called the Senators. Also, the American League placed a team in Los Angeles called the Los Angeles Angels.


1961 Major League Baseball season
In order to keep its schedule balanced, the American League season was extended by eight games. Previously, teams had played 154 games (22 games per opponent), but from 1961 AL teams would play opponents 18 times each for a total of 162 games. The National League played a 154-game schedule for the final time in 1961 before switching to 162 games when they also expanded to ten teams for the 1962 Major League Baseball season.


1961 Malayan local elections
Local elections were held in Malaya in 1961. They were dominated by the Alliance Party, which won 429 of the 578 seats available, 154 of which were uncontested.


1961 Malayan local elections, Results
Local elections were held in the Federation of Malaya in 1960.


1961 Manchester Moss Side by-election
The Manchester Moss Side by-election of 8 November 1961 was held after the death of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) James Watts on 7 July that year. The seat was retained by the Conservatives.


1961 Manchester Moss Side by-election, Candidates
The local Liberals selected 37-year-old solicitor Ruslyn Hargreaves. He was born in August 1923 and educated at William Hulme's Grammar School and Manchester University. He was formerly secretary of the National League of Young Liberals. He had been Liberal candidate for Howden at the 1959 general election. Max Mosley was an election agent for the Union Movement.


1961 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
The 1961 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In its third season under head coach Charlie Snyder, the team compiled a 2–7–1 record (1–4 against conference opponents), finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the MAC, and was outscored by a total of 183 to 62. Ralph May and Rucker Wickline were the team captains. The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.


1961 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1961 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In their third season under head coach Tom Nugent, the Terrapins compiled a 7–3 record (3–3 in conference), finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and outscored their opponents 156 to 141. The team's statistical leaders included Dick Shiner with 921 passing yards, Ernie Arizzi with 369 rushing yards, and Gary Collins with 428 receiving yards.


1961 Masters Tournament
The 1961 Masters Tournament was the 25th Masters Tournament, held April 6–10 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.


1961 Masters Tournament
Due to heavy rains and flooding of several greens, Sunday's final round was halted before 4 p.m. and the scores were erased, even though ten players had completed their rounds. Third round leader Gary Player was even par through eleven holes, and defending champion Arnold Palmer was two-under through nine. The entire round was replayed the next day.


1961 Masters Tournament
In the final round on Monday, Player defeated Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by one stroke to become the first international champion at the Masters. Player made an up and down from the bunker on the final hole but thought he had lost the tournament, after carding a disappointing 40 (+4) on the back nine. In the final pairing with a one-shot lead, Palmer needed a par on the final hole for the win. From the fairway, his approach shot also landed in the bunker right of the green. With a poor lie, Palmer's bunker shot went past the hole and off the green and down a hillock. Using his putter from off the green, he failed to get the fourth shot close, then missed the 15-foot (4.5 m) bogey putt which would have forced a playoff.


1961 Masters Tournament
It was the first of three green jackets for Player, age 25, and the second of his nine major titles. His other wins at Augusta came over a decade later in 1974 and 1978. Jack Nicklaus, 21, recorded the first of his 22 top-10 finishes at the Masters, his last as an amateur. He tied for seventh, but the low amateur honors went to Coe. Nicklaus regained the U.S. Amateur title in September at Pebble Beach and turned professional in November.


1961 Masters Tournament
A field of 88 players entered the tournament and 41 of them made the cut at five-over-par (149).


1961 Masters Tournament
Amateur Deane Beman won the Par 3 contest with a score of 22; he turned pro in 1967 and later became the second commissioner of the PGA Tour, from 1974 to 1994.


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Jack Burke Jr. (4,8,11), Jimmy Demaret, Doug Ford (4,10,11), Claude Harmon (8), Ben Hogan (2,3,4,8,9), Herman Keiser, Cary Middlecoff (2,11), Byron Nelson (2,4), Arnold Palmer (2,8,9,10), Gene Sarazen (2,3,4), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (3,4,8,10,11), Craig Wood (2)


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Tommy Bolt (8), Julius Boros (8,9,11), Billy Burke, Billy Casper (8,9), Jack Fleck (9), Ed Furgol, Tony Manero, Lloyd Mangrum, Dick Mayer, Fred McLeod, Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Walter Burkemo, Dow Finsterwald (8,9,11), Vic Ghezzi, Chick Harbert, Chandler Harper, Jay Hebert (10,11), Lionel Hebert (8), Johnny Revolta, Bob Rosburg (8,11), Jim Turnesa


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Deane Beman (6,7,a), Dick Chapman (a), Charles Coe (6,a), Jack Nicklaus (6,8,9,a), Robert Sweeny Jr. (a)


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
William C. Campbell (a), Bill Hyndman (7,a), Chuck Kocsis (a), Billy Joe Patton (8,a), Bud Taylor (8,a), Ward Wettlaufer (a)


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
John Farquhar (a), Robert W. Gardner (a), Charles Lewis III (a), Steve Spray (a), Claude Wild (a)


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Fred Hawkins, Don January (10), Ted Kroll (9), Mike Souchak (9,11), Ken Venturi


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Jerry Barber, George Bayer, Don Cherry (a), Paul Harney, Bob Harris, Dutch Harrison, Johnny Pott


1961 Masters Tournament, Field
Keith Alexander (a), Al Balding, Phil Brownlee (a), Antonio Cerdá, Bruce Crampton (8), Roberto De Vicenzo, Mário Gonzalez, Bill Kerr, Stan Leonard (8), Sebastián Miguel, Ángel Miguel, Kel Nagle (3), Gary Player (3,8), Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Miguel Sala, Peter Thomson (3)


1961 Masters Tournament, Round summaries, Final round, Summary
Play on Sunday was washed out due to heavy rain and wind shortly after 4 pm and all scores were erased; the final round was replayed on Monday. Although Player was the leader after 54 holes, he finished his round nearly an hour ahead of Palmer's double-bogey at the final hole.


1961 Mauritanian presidential election
Presidential elections were held for the first time in Mauritania in August 1961 to elect the President for the next five years. Moktar Ould Daddah, who had been acting head of state since independence from France in 1960 was the only candidate, and was elected unopposed. Although he was a member of the ruling Mauritanian Regroupment Party, his candidacy was also supported by the Mauritanian National Union. Voter turnout was 93.6%.


1961 Mauritanian presidential election
The elections were the last multi party elections held in the country until 1992 as a constitutional amendment in 1964 declared the nation a one-party state, and during 1965 all parties merged with the ruling Mauritanian Assembly Party to form the Mauritanian People's Party.


1961 Mauritanian presidential election, Background
Mauritania came under the direct control of the French Colonial Empire during 1933. On 28 November 1958, a constitutional amendment allowed the creation of a transitional Legislative Council, replacing the Territorial Assembly established during the French colonial regime. The country lacked experts to frame the constitution and accepted the suggestions of a group of French jurists on 22 March 1959 unanimously.


1961 Mauritanian presidential election, Background
After independence on 28 November 1960, the country declared itself the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, with Ould Daddah becoming the first President of the country. During the transitional period, Daddah was successful in orienting different tribal and ethnic divisions in the country. He faced pressure on some of the provinces annexed by the neighboring Morocco under Sultan Mohamed V and sought support from Arab neighbors. He also maintained relations with French government and sought the help to station its troops in Mauritania which would go on until 1966.


1961 Meadowdale SCCA National Championship Races
The July 23, 1961, race at Meadowdale International Raceway was the eighth racing event of the eleventh season of the Sports Car Club of America's 1961 Championship Racing Series.


1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
The 1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship is the 35th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for intermediate graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 9 teams. The championship format consists of a league stage.


1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
At the end of the season Ballinabrackey, Clonard and Navan O'Mahonys 'B' applied to be regraded to the 1962 J.F.C.


1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
On 20 August 1961, Drumree claimed their 1st Intermediate championship title when they defeated Slane 2–7 to 1–3 in the final at Pairc Tailteann.


1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1960 championship season.


1961 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Group stage
There are 2 groups called Group A and B. The top finisher in each group will qualify for the Final. Some results were unavailable in the Meath Chronicle.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship
The 1961 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 69th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 13 teams. The championship employed a straight knock-out format.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship
This season saw Athboy's debut in the top flight after claiming the 1960 Meath Intermediate Football Championship title.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship
Navan O'Mahonys were the defending champions after they defeated Drumbaragh in the previous years final, and they successfully defended their crown to claim their 6th S.F.C. title (5-in-a-row) by defeating Trim in the final at Pairc Tailteann by 1-8 to 0-8 on 17 September 1961. Jim Fitzsimons raised the Keegan Cup for the Hoops.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship
At the end of the season Kells Harps and St. Mary's Bettystown were regraded to the 1962 I.F.C. after 10 and 3 years respectively as senior clubs.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship, Team Changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1960 championship season.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship, First Round
12 teams enter this round selected by random draw. The winner progresses to the Quarter-Finals.


1961 Meath Senior Football Championship, Quarter-Finals
The remaining club (Skryne) along with the Round 1 winners enter this round. Athboy received a bye to the Semi-Finals by random draw.


1961 Meistaradeildin, Overview
It was contested by 4 teams, and KÍ Klaksvík won the championship.


1961 Memorial Cup
The 1961 Memorial Cup final was the 43rd junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Edmonton Oil Kings of the Central Alberta Hockey League in Western Canada. In a best-of-seven series, held at the Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta, St. Michael's won their 4th Memorial Cup, defeating Edmonton 4 games to 2.


1961 Memorial Cup
CAHA vice-president Art Potter was in change of the playoffs in Western Canada and the final championship series. During the Western Canada final between the Winnipeg Rangers and the Edmonton Oil Kings, Potter assessed 10-minute misconduct penalties to five players and ordered them to begin the third game of the series in the penalty box. The Winnipeg Free Press described the decision as "an unusual scene" and that it had resulted from an on-ice stick-swinging brawl during game two of the series.


1961 Memorial Cup, Winning roster
Arnie Brown, Andre Champagne, Gerry Cheevers, Jack Cole, Paul Conlin, Terry Clancy, Bruce Draper, Dave Draper, Dave Dryden, Roger Galipeau, Paul Jackson, Larry Keenan, Duncan MacDonald, Bill MacMillan, Barry MacKenzie, Peter Noakes, Terry O'Malley, Sonny Osborne, Brian Walsh. Coach: Father David Bauer.


1961 Memphis State Tigers football team
The 1961 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In its fourth season under head coach Billy J. Murphy, the team compiled an 8–2 record and outscored opponents by a total of 332 to 75. Don Coffey and Jack Carter were the team captains. The team played its home games at Crump Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.


1961 Memphis State Tigers football team
The team's statistical leaders included James Earl Wright with 604 passing yards, fullback Dave Casinelli with 646 rushing yards and 54 points scored, and Don Coffey with 312 receiving yards.


1961 Men's British Open Squash Championship
The 1961 Open Championship was held at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London from 29 November - 4 December 1960.Once again the Open championship was held during the previous December to avoid a clash with the professional championship. This method would be used until 1969. Azam Khan won his third consecutive title beating Mo Khan in the final. A third place play off also took place in which Roshan Khan defeated Denis Hughes 9-3 9-0 9-3.


1961 Men's South American Volleyball Championship
The 1961 Men's South American Volleyball Championship, the 4th tournament, took place in 1961 in Lima ( Peru).


1961 Mestaruussarja, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and HIFK Helsinki won the championship.


1961 Mexican legislative election
Legislative elections were held in Mexico on 2 July 1961. The Institutional Revolutionary Party won 172 of the 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.


1961 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1961 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami as an independent during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. Led by 14th-year head coach Andy Gustafson, the Hurricanes played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes finished 7–4 and were invited to the Liberty Bowl, where they lost to Syracuse.


1961 Miami Redskins football team
The 1961 Miami Redskins football team was an American football team that represented Miami University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. In its sixth season under head coach John Pont, Miami compiled a 6–4 record (3–2 against MAC opponents), finished in third place in the MAC, held six of ten opponents to six or fewer points, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 153 to 115.


1961 Miami Redskins football team
Joe Galat and Bill Triplett were the team captains. Triplett, who led the team with 648 rushing yards, received the team's most valuable player award. Other statistical leaders included Jack Gayheart with 551 passing yards and Bob Jencks with 359 receiving yards (including 143 receiving yards against Ohio) and 50 points scored (five touchdowns, 13 extra points, and two field goals).


1961 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1961 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In their eighth season under head coach Duffy Daugherty, the Spartans compiled a 7–2 overall record (5–2 against Big Ten opponents), finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference, and were ranked #8 in the final AP Poll.


1961 Michigan State Spartans football team
Two Spartans were selected as first-team players on the 1961 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Halfback George Saimes received first-team honors from the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI), and tackle Dave Behrman received first-team honors from the AP. Halfback Sherman Lewis received second-team all-conference honors from the AP. Dave Behrman also received first-team recognition from the AP and Football Writers Association of America on the 1961 College Football All-America Team.


1961 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1961 Spartans won all three of their annual rivalry games. In the annual Indiana–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Hoosiers by a 35 to 0 score. In the Notre Dame rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Fighting Irish by a 17 to 7 score. And, in the annual Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry game, the Spartans defeated the Wolverines by a 28 to 0 score. In non-conference play, the Spartans also defeated Stanford, 31-3.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1961 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1961 Big Ten Conference football season. In its third year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 6–3 record (3–3 against conference opponents), finished in sixth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 212 to 163.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
After opening the season with convincing wins over No. 9 UCLA (29–6) and Army (38–8), Michigan was ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Poll. The team fell from the rankings after being shut out by Michigan State (0–28) the following week.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
Right end George Mans was the team captain, and center/guard John Walker received the team's most valuable player award. Left halfback Bennie McRae was selected by both the Associated Press and United Press International (UPI) as a first-team player on the 1961 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Fullback Bill Tunicliff also received second-team honors from the UPI.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team
The team's statistical leaders included Dave Glinka with 588 passing yards, Dave Raimey with 496 rushing yards and 36 points scored, and Bennie McRae with 210 receiving yards.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
The 1960 Michigan Wolverines football team compiled a 5–4 record and tied for fifth place in the Big Ten. At the end of the 1960 season, end George Mans was selected by his teammates to be the captain of the 1961 team.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
Michigan's 1961 recruiting class included Mel Anthony, Jim Conley, John Henderson, Arnie Simkus, and Bob Timberlake.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
In May 1961, halfback Dave Raimey received the Meyer W. Morton Trophy as the player who showed the most improvement in spring practice.


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
In June 1961, halfback Harvey E. Chapman received the John F. Maulbetsch Scholarship, presented each year to a freshman player "on the basis of scholarship, need, and promise and desire for leadership."


1961 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Week 1: UCLA
On September 30, 1961, Michigan opened its season with a 29-6 victory over 1961 AAWU champion UCLA (ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll) before a crowd of 73,019 (including 13,000 high school band members) at Michigan Stadium. Michigan gained 253 yards, including 227 rushing yards, and held UCLA to 172 total yards. The Wolverines took a 16-0 lead at halftime on touchdowns by Bill Tunnicliff (one-yard run) and Dave Raimey (20-yard run) and a 29-yard field goal by Douglas Bickle. Michigan extended its lead to 29 points in the third quarter on a four-yard touchdown run by Bennie McRae and a 92-yard interception return by Ken Tureaud. UCLA scored its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Dimkich.