Timeline December 1961

Events in December 1961 11

• 1860 – 1961 Grandma Moses (1860-1961) Died 13 December 1961, aged 101 American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson Moses, who began painting in her seventies and became internationally celebrated for her nostalgic depictions of rural American life. Her work brought self-taught folk art into mainstream popularity.
• 1904 – 1961 Moss Hart (1904-1961) Died 20 December 1961, aged 57 American playwright and director known for collaborations with George S. Kaufman, including You Can't Take It with You, and for directing the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1937.
• 1925 – 1961 Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) Died 6 December 1961, aged 36 Martinique-born psychiatrist and philosopher whose writings, including The Wretched of the Earth, became foundational texts of anti-colonial and postcolonial thought. He was an active supporter of the Algerian independence movement and died of leukemia shortly before his best-known book was published.
• 1958 – 1961 Working with Marlene Dietrich Worked as conductor and arranger for Marlene Dietrich's nightclub shows and tours.
• 1961 1961: Phil Hill Ferrari Hill became the first American World Champion, but his title was won amid tragedy — his teammate Wolfgang von Trips was killed at Monza in the penultimate race.
• 1961 First Major Hit Scored his first major songwriting hit with Tower of Strength for Gene McDaniels, beginning an extraordinary run of chart success.
• 1961 Tanganyika independence Ends British trusteeship Tanganyika became independent from British trusteeship administration, with Julius Nyerere as its first Prime Minister. It later merged with Zanzibar in 1964 to form Tanzania.
• 1961 United States expands military advisers in Vietnam First US helicopter units arrive in Saigon President Kennedy authorized a significant increase in American military advisers and support units to South Vietnam, including the arrival of the first US Army helicopter companies. The escalation marked a deepening of direct American involvement ahead of full-scale war later in the decade.
• 1961 Adolf Eichmann sentenced to death Jerusalem trial concludes for Holocaust organizer An Israeli court sentenced former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann to death after a trial that presented extensive testimony about the organization of the Holocaust. The trial, broadcast internationally, brought unprecedented public attention to the mechanics of the Nazi genocide.
• 1961 Umkhonto we Sizwe founded ANC launches armed wing against apartheid The African National Congress, with Nelson Mandela among its founders, established Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation") as an armed wing after concluding that peaceful protest could not end apartheid. The group began a sabotage campaign against government infrastructure.
• 1961 India annexes Goa Operation Vijay ends Portuguese colonial rule Indian military forces invaded and seized the Portuguese enclaves of Goa, Daman, and Diu after negotiations for a peaceful transfer failed. The brief operation ended over four centuries of Portuguese colonial presence on the Indian subcontinent.