On this day

May 19, 1961

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

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Headlines from May 19, 1961

R.C.A. WILL BUILD SATELLITE FOR TV; N.A.S.A. Approves Offer -- '62 Launching Planned in Phone-Video Project R.C.A. WILL BUILD SATELLITE FOR TV

By John W. Finney Special To the New York Times

NASA approves RCA bid to build experimental active communications satellite able to relay telephone calls and TV programs across Atlantic; to negotiate contract for about $3.25 million; launching set for mid-'62; project called Relay; RCA chosen from among 7 bidders; AT&T holds project not competitive with own plan; chief aim of satellite is to determine durability of electronic parts in space; tech aspects of project discussed

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SOUTH IS LOSING SEGREGATION BID IN EDUCATION BILL; Opposition to Aid Guarantee Rises in Senate -- Move to Limit Debate Fails SOUTH IS LOSING SCHOOL-AID FIGHT

By John D. Morris Special To the New York Times

some Dem leaders back Talmadge move; strategy, backed by Mansfield, was to persuade Metcalf to offer modified version but opposition caused Metcalf to drop sponsorship; Morse sees provision defeated; Repubs threaten to revive version of Powell amendment offered by Dirksen; Sen Scott to offer such a provision; Sen Keating offers amendment to bar any aid without ruling by Educ Comr that funds would not be used in violation of Const; Adm renews assurances that aid would not be withheld from any state because pss are segregated, Ribicoff lr

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Notable Births

1961Vadim Cojocaru, Moldovan politician (died 2021)[†]

Vadim Cojocaru was a Moldovan politician.

Gregory Poirier

1961Gregory Poirier, American director, producer, and screenwriter[†]

Gregory Stephen Poirier is an American film and television writer, director, and producer.

1961Wayne Van Dorp, Canadian ice hockey player[†]

Wayne Van Dorp is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks and Quebec Nordiques. In The Netherlands he played for Feenstra Flyers Heerenveen and Gijs Groningen. He has a Stanley Cup ring with Edmonton for playing three regular season games and three playoff games in 1987. However, Van Dorp did not play enough regular season games (40) or a game in the finals to get his name on the Stanley Cup. Van Dorp played for the Netherlands national ice hockey team in the 1986 World Ice Hockey Championships, Pool B.

Historical Events

Venera

1961Venera program: Venera 1 becomes the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).[†]

The Venera program was a series of space probes developed by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1984 to gather information about the planet Venus.

Silchar

1961At Silchar Railway Station, Assam, 11 Bengalis die when police open fire on protesters demanding state recognition of Bengali language in the Bengali Language Movement.[†]

Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is second largest city of Assam after Guwahati in terms of population and GDP. It is also administrative capital of Barak Valley division. It is located 343 kilometres south east of Guwahati. It was founded by Captain Thomas Fisher in 1832 when he shifted the headquarters of Cachar to Janiganj in Silchar. It earned the moniker "Island of Peace" from Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. Silchar is the site of the world's first polo club and the first competitive polo match. In 1985, an Air India flight from Kolkata to Silchar became the world's first all-women crew flight. Silchar was a tea town and Cachar club was the meeting point for tea planters.

Historical Context for May 19, 1961

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