Historical Events
- Emergency crisis proclaimed in South Vietnam due to communist attack
West Side Story
Film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical "West Side Story", directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, and starring Natalie Wood, premieres (Academy Award - Best Picture, 1962)
Event of Interest
NY's Museum of Modern Art displays Henri Matisse's picture "Le Bateau" upside down, takes 47 days and 116,000 people before someone notices [1]
Famous Birthdays
- Eric Jespersen, Port Alberni BC, star sailor (Olympic bronze 1992, 96)
- Gladstone Small, English cricketer, born in St. George, Barbados
- Wynton Marsalis, American 9-time Grammy Award-winning jazz and classical trumpeter (Pulitzer Prize for "Blood on the Fields"; Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Famous Deaths
- Tsuru Aoki, Japanese-born American silent film actress (The Dragon Painter), dies at 69
Died in 1961 1961 Highlights
About October 18, 1961
Day of the Week: Wednesday
How Long Ago? 62 years, 6 months and 8 days
Leap Year: No
Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Ox
Star Sign: Libra
Music Charts
#1 Song: Runaround Sue - Dion
#1 Song: Walkin' Back To Happiness - Helen Shapiro
