January 3, 1961
By the winter of 1961, Kennedy was in the White House and the federal minimum wage stood at $1.15/hr — the Adolf Eichmann trial was delivering its guilty verdict in Jerusalem, marking the first time an international war crimes tribunal had captured and prosecuted a top Nazi official on Israeli soil. On the cultural front, Bert Kaempfert's "Wonderland By Night" was the number one song in the country, while "Spartacus" was packing movie theaters across the nation. The Green Bay Packers claimed the NFL championship that season, the same winter that Ham the chimpanzee became the first great ape launched into space aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket, a direct step toward putting American astronauts in orbit.
On the cover
Magazine Covers — January 3, 1961
NY Times Headlines — Week of January 3, 1961
U.S. Increases 'Readiness' To Meet Crisis Over Laos; Seato Studying 'Invasion'; Forces On Alert White House Meeting Considers Political Steps To Bar War U.S. Alerts Force In Laotian Crisis
U.S. Says Soviet And Red Vietnam Aid Laos Rebels; Asserts 180 Air Drops Were Made In Nineteen Days -- President Sees Advisers U.S. Says Soviet Aids Laos Rebels
Kennedy Warned Income Tax Cut May Be Needed; Temporary Relief Suggested By Task Force To Arrest Decline In Economy Downward Trend Seen President-Elect Meets Here With Farm Leaders And Gets Their Support Kennedy Warned On U.S. Economy
School Aid Plan Costing 9 Billion Goes To Kennedy; Task Force Offers Program For All Education Levels Over Next 4 1/2 Years Opposition Is Expected Ribicoff Sees Difficulties In Congress -- Report Hailed By President-Elect School Aid Plan Is Given Kennedy
Hammarskjold Warns Belgium; Soviet Bids U.N. Meet On Congo; U.N. Chief Warns Belgium On Congo
World Events — January 1961
Time Person of the Year — 1961
On the radio
Billboard Charts — January 3, 1961
Grammy Awards
On the bookshelf
On the television
Nielsen Top 10 — 1960–61 Season
Emmy Winners — 1961
At the movies
Box Office & Oscar Winners — January 3, 1961
On the field
Sports Champions — January 3, 1961
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