When This Dropped

December 28, 1961

President
Kennedy
Dow (EOY)
731
Gas/gal
$0.31
Min Wage
$1.15

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 28, 1961

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of December 28, 1961

Pledges Of Peace Made By Kennedy And Khrushchev; Leaders Acknowledge Grave Responsibility To Humanity In New Year'S Greetings Notes Are Exchanged President Stresses Hope For 'Improvement In Relations' Between Two Countries Message To Armed Forces Two Leaders Give Pledges Of Peace Cites Vienna Meeting Kennedy Gives Pledge Sacrifices Are Noted No Fish For Kennedy

World Events — December 1961

Time Person of the Year — 1961

U.S. Scientists
Person of the Year
U.S. Scientists

On the radio

Billboard Charts — December 28, 1961

The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Tokens
Hot 100 #1
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
The Tokens
Days Of Wine And Roses
Andy Williams
Billboard 200 #1
"Days Of Wine And Roses"
Andy Williams

Grammy Awards

Judy at Carnegie Hall
Judy Garland
Grammy Album of the Year
"Judy at Carnegie Hall"
Judy Garland
Moon River
Henry Mancini
Grammy Song of the Year
"Moon River"
Henry Mancini
Moon River
Henry Mancini
Grammy Record of the Year
"Moon River"
Henry Mancini
Peter Nero
Grammy Best New Artist
Peter Nero

On the bookshelf

The Agony and the Ecstasy
Irving Stone
NYT Fiction #1
"The Agony and the Ecstasy"
Irving Stone
The Making of the President 1960
Theodore H. White
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The Making of the President 1960"
Theodore H. White
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
Harper Lee
The Waters of Kronos
Conrad Richter
National Book Award Fiction
"The Waters of Kronos"
Conrad Richter
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
William L. Shirer
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich"
William L. Shirer

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1961–62 Season

Gunsmoke
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1961–62 Season

Emmy Winners — 1961

The Defenders
Emmy Drama Series
The Defenders
The Bob Newhart Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Bob Newhart Show
E.G. Marshall
The Defenders
Emmy Lead Actor
E.G. Marshall
The Defenders
Shirley Booth
Hazel
Emmy Lead Actress
Shirley Booth
Hazel

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — December 28, 1961

Flower Drum Song
Box Office #1
Flower Drum Song
The Apartment
Oscar Best Picture
The Apartment
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
West Side Story
Oscar Best Director
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
West Side Story
Maximilian Schell
Judgment at Nuremberg
Oscar Best Actor
Maximilian Schell
Judgment at Nuremberg
Sophia Loren
Two Women
Oscar Best Actress
Sophia Loren
Two Women

On the field

Sports Champions — December 28, 1961

NFL Champion
Green Bay Packers
AFL Champion
Houston Oilers
World Series
New York Yankees
def. Cincinnati Reds
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. St. Louis Hawks
Stanley Cup
Chicago Blackhawks
def. Detroit Red Wings

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