January 4 » Topsy, an elephant, is electrocuted by the owners of Luna Park, Coney Island. The Edison film company records the film Electrocuting an Elephant of Topsy's death.
February 23 » Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity".
March 14 » Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the first national wildlife refuge in the US, is established by President Theodore Roosevelt.
May 29 » In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
November 18 » The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama, giving the United States exclusive rights over the Panama Canal Zone.
December 16 » Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Bombay first opens its doors to guests.
Day of death August 15, 1961
The temperature on August 15, 1961 was between 11.6 °C and 17.1 °C and averaged 14.1 °C. There was 4.0 mm of rain during 3.2 hours. There was 4.4 hours of sunshine (30%). The heavily clouded was. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the west. Source: KNMI
January 8 » In France a referendum supports Charles de Gaulle's policies in Algeria.
January 17 » U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military–industrial complex" as well as the dangers of massive spending, especially deficit spending.
February 15 » Sabena Flight 548 crashes in Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team along with several of their coaches and family members.
April 27 » Sierra Leone is granted its independence from the United Kingdom, with Milton Margai as the first Prime Minister.
May 4 » Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather attain a new altitude record for manned balloon flight ascending in the Strato-Lab V open gondola to 113,740 feet (34.67km).
October 17 » Directed by their chief Maurice Papon, Paris police massacre scores of Algerian protesters.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Charles Olson, "Olson's Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/olsons-tree/P25057.php : accessed May 1, 2025), "John Churchill (1903-1961)".
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