On this day

September 16, 1961

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

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Headlines from September 16, 1961

Control of Capital Is Still Uncertain -- More U.N. Troops Going In; Tshombe's Local Support Is a Major Factor in His Struggle With the U.N. for Control of Katanga U.N. FORCES GAIN IN ELISABETHVILLE

By David Halberstam Special To the New York Times

Fierce UN-Katangese fighting continues, Elisabethville; UN unit surrounded, Jadotville; Katangese bomb airport; O'Brien hopes to conf with Tshombe; confirms Kibwe was freed to negotiate cease-fire; Radio Free Katanga reptdly threatens execution of 10 UN prisoners for every Katangese killed; Davidson-Bochely and staff ordered by UN to stay at airport; dispatch sent from N Rhodesia because of Elisabethville communications shutdown; fighting, Tshombe illus; map

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Notable Births

Bilinda Butcher

1961Bilinda Butcher, English singer-songwriter and guitarist[†]

Bilinda Jayne Butcher is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, who achieved international fame as a vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991) established Butcher as a pioneering figure in the shoegaze genre.

1961Philip Lafon, Canadian wrestler[†]

Philippe Lafon is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Phil Lafon and with All Japan Pro Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name Dan Kroffat.

Annamária Szalai

1961Annamária Szalai, Hungarian journalist, economist, and politician (died 2013)[†]

Annamária Szalai was a Hungarian journalist, politician, Member of Parliament (MP) for Zala County, Fidesz (1998–2004). She became a member of the National Radio and Television Commission (ORTT) in 2004, and as a result resigned from her parliamentary seat. Szalai served as President of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) from 2010 until her death.

Notable Deaths

Hasan Polatkan

1961Hasan Polatkan, Turkish politician, 15th Turkish Minister of Finance (born 1915)[†]

Hasan Polatkan was a Turkish politician and Minister of Labor and Finance, who was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other cabinet members.

Fatin Rüştü Zorlu

1961Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, Turkish diplomat and politician, 21st Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1910)[†]

Fatin Rüştü Zorlu was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians.

Historical Events

Hurricane Esther

1961The United States National Hurricane Research Project drops eight cylinders of silver iodide into the eyewall of Hurricane Esther. Wind speed reduces by 10%, giving rise to Project Stormfury.[†]

Hurricane Esther was the first large tropical cyclone to be discovered by satellite imagery. The fifth tropical cyclone, named storm, and hurricane of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, Esther developed from an area of disturbed weather hundreds of miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands on September 10. Moving northwestward, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Esther on September 11, before reaching hurricane intensity on the following day. Early on September 13, Esther curved westward and deepened into a major hurricane. The storm remained a Category 3 hurricane for about four days and gradually moved in a west-northwestward direction. Late on September 17, Esther strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) on September 18. The storm curved north-northeastward on September 19, while offshore of North Carolina. Esther began to weaken while approaching New England and fell to Category 3 intensity on September 21. The storm turned eastward early on the following day, and rapidly weakened to a tropical storm.

Typhoon Nancy (1961)

1961Typhoon Nancy, with possibly the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people.[†]

Super Typhoon Nancy, also known as the 2nd Muroto Typhoon , was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone of the 1961 Pacific typhoon season and one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record. The system possibly had the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, with 345 km/h (215 mph) winds, tied with Hurricane Patricia of 2015. Nancy caused extensive damage, as well as at least 202 deaths and nearly 5,000 injuries in Japan and elsewhere, in September 1961.

SUPARCO

1961Pakistan establishes its Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission with Abdus Salam as its head.[†]

The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, commonly referred to as SUPARCO, is the national space agency of Pakistan.

Historical Context for September 16, 1961

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