On this day

December 16, 1961

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

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Headlines from December 16, 1961

U.N. FORCES BEGIN DRIVE TO CONTROL KATANGA CAPITAL; Troops Push Almost to City Center -- 28 Are Reported Dead and Many Hurt ADVANCE MADE RAPIDLY Another Battle Said to Be Under Way in the North -- Hospitals Are Crowded U.N. FORCES BEGIN DRIVE IN KATANGA

By the Associated Press

UN begins major drive for control of Elisabethville; fighting detailed; casualties mostly civilians; Katanga charges UN aids Congo Govt troops in Kongola battle; G Olivet (IRC) missing; visited UN lines; IRC repr says UN troops fire on ambulance; France bars flights of UN supply planes over French territory; US sources say West unites to seek Tshombe-Adoula conf

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Notable Births

André Andersen

1961AndrĂ© Andersen, Russian-Danish keyboard player, songwriter, and producer[†]

André Andersen is a Russian-born multi-instrumentalist and composer best known as the keyboardist and founder of the Denmark-based progressive metal band Royal Hunt. André started his "music life" at very young age and went the whole circle through studio sessions, live performances and literally anything in between, establishing a remarkable carrier which is still evolving, bringing him to every aspect, every corner of music industry.

Shane Black

1961Shane Black, American actor, director, and screenwriter[†]

Shane Black is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor, known for his distinctive style of action and action comedy films. He is the original creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise, and has also written such films as The Monster Squad (1987), The Last Boy Scout (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). As an actor, Black is best known for his role as Hawkins in Predator (1987).

Bill Hicks

1961Bill Hicks, American comedian and musician (died 1994)[†]

William Melvin Hicks was an American stand-up comedian and satirist. His material— encompassing a wide range of social issues including religion, politics, and philosophy— was controversial and often steeped in dark comedy.

LaChanze

1961LaChanze, American actress, singer, and dancer[†]

LaChanze Sapp-Gooding, known professionally as LaChanze, is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2006 for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple. LaChanze has subsequently received four more Tony Awards for co-producing Kimberly Akimbo, Topdog/Underdog, The Outsiders, and Purpose.

1961Sam Robards, American actor[†]

Sam Prideaux Robards is an American actor. He is best known for his film roles in American Beauty (1999) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). For his performance in the Broadway production of The Man Who Had All the Luck, he received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Jon Tenney

1961Jon Tenney, American actor and director[†]

Jonathan Frederick Tenney is an American actor. He played Special Agent Fritz Howard in TNT's The Closer and continued in its spin-off Major Crimes.

Notable Deaths

Hans Rebane

1961Hans Rebane, Estonian journalist and politician, 8th Minister of Foreign Affairs (born 1882)[†]

Hans Rebane was an Estonian politician, diplomat and journalist. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia from 1927 to 1928 in Jaan TĂ”nisson's third cabinet. Rebane was Estonian envoy in Helsinki 1931–1937, 1937–1940 in Riga.

Historical Context for December 16, 1961

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