On this day

April 13, 1961

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Portrait 1080 × 1920 PNG · created on your device

Filter by:

Headlines from April 13, 1961

RUSSIAN ORBITED THE EARTH ONCE, OBSERVING IT THROUGH PORTHOLES; SPACE FLIGHT LASTED 108 MINUTES; FLIER ACCLAIMED Talked to the Ground by Radio-Reported Visibility as Good Russian Orbited Earth Once, Observing It Through Portholes, on 108-Minute Flight SPACE FLIER WINS WORLD'S ACCLAIM Hailed by Soviet Premier as an 'Immortal' -- Talked to Ground by Radio

By Osgood Carruthers Special To the New York Times

MOSCOW, April 12 -- Man's first flight into space took a 27-year-old Russian on a 108-minute single spin around earth today at a speed of more than 17,000 miles an hour.

None0 words

KENNEDY PRAISES SOVIET SPACE TRIP; Also Says U.S. Will Remain Behind for 'Some Time' President Congratulates the Soviet Union on Putting the First Man Into Space SEES U.S. LAGGING FOR 'SOME TIME' Capital Takes Feat in Stride Showing Little of Shock of the First Sputnik

By John W. Finney Special To the New York Times

feat hailed as example to world of USSR scientific achievement by Premier Khrushchev

None0 words

New Element Made By Atom Scientists; NUCLEAR PROCESS CREATES ELEMENT

By Special to The New York Times

Calif U Lawrence Radiation Lab scientists create Element 103 that no longer exists naturally on earth; some hold it may have been present when universe was formed but decayed out of existence; element has 1/2-life of 8 secs, was created by bombarding californium with baron nuclei

None0 words

U.S. Ready to Drop Powell Tax Charge; U.S. IS DROPPING POWELL TAX CASE

By Unknown Author

US to drop Fed income tax fraud charge for lack of evidence; US Atty Robson recommended action after questioning of Powell's ex-wife H Scott elicited little data on '51 return; action approved by Atty Gen Kennedy

None0 words

EICHMANN CALLED KEY NAZI PLANNER; Prosecutor Says Jews Will Never Forgive or Forget His Role in Mass Killings EICHMANN CALLED KEY NAZI PLANNER

By Homer Bigart Special To the New York Times

Pors and illus

None0 words

1961John A. Bennett, American soldier (born 1936)^[†]

John Arthur Bennett was a U.S. Army soldier who remains the last person to be executed after a court-martial by the United States Armed Forces. The 19-year-old private was convicted of the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl in Austria. Despite last minute appeals for clemency and pleas to President John F. Kennedy by the victim's family to spare his life, Kennedy refused; Bennett was hanged at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1961.

Historical Context for April 13, 1961

In 1961, the world population was approximately 3,064,869,675 people^[†]

Headlines from April 13, 1961

KENNEDY PRAISES SOVIET SPACE TRIP; Also Says U.S. Will Remain Behind for 'Some Time' President Congratulates the Soviet Union on Putting the First Man Into Space SEES U.S. LAGGING FOR 'SOME TIME' Capital Takes Feat in Stride Showing Little of Shock of the First Sputnik

New Element Made By Atom Scientists; NUCLEAR PROCESS CREATES ELEMENT

U.S. Ready to Drop Powell Tax Charge; U.S. IS DROPPING POWELL TAX CASE

EICHMANN CALLED KEY NAZI PLANNER; Prosecutor Says Jews Will Never Forgive or Forget His Role in Mass Killings EICHMANN CALLED KEY NAZI PLANNER

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for April 13, 1961