December 8, 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 — December 8, 1961
NY Times Headlines — Week of December 8, 1961
Soviet Test Gain Said To Imperil U.S. Atomic Lead; Capital Reported Concerned By Progress In Developing Large Missile Warheads Soviet'S Gain In Nuclear Tests Reported To Imperil U.S. Lead
Rusk Asks A Rise In Aid To Saigon By Other Nations; Red Threat Termed Great -- Booklet On Vietnam Tells Of 'Program Of Terror' Rusk Urges A Rise In Aid To Saigon
Russians Recall Envoy In Albania As Split Widens; Tirana Embassy In Moscow Is Ordered Closed -- Soviet Seen Warning China Russians Recall Envoy In Albania
Eichmann Guilty; Calm At Verdict Of Israeli Court; Death By Hanging Is Set By Law -- Crimes Against The Jewish People Found Long Decision Begins Presiding Judge Reads It In Hebrew With Translation To German For Prisoner Tribunal In Jerusalem Returns Verdict Of Guilty On Eichmann
Goans Calmly Face Build-Up By Indians; Goans Calm As India Builds Up Forces On Border Of Enclave
World Events — December 1961
Time Person of the Year — 1961
On the radio
Billboard Charts — December 8, 1961
Grammy Awards
On the bookshelf
On the television
Nielsen Top 10 — 1961–62 Season
Emmy Winners — 1961
At the movies
Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 8, 1961
On the field
Sports Champions — December 8, 1961
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