From doing the twist to reaching space for the first time, 1961 was a year marked by rock ’n’ roll and rocket launches. On the world stage, the Cold War had everyone walking a tightrope; in America, life carried on in living rooms, diners, and night clubs across the country. Elvis made fans swoon on the big screen, jukeboxes blared on every corner, and modern technology started to take over — one transistor radio at a time. These vintage photos from 1961 capture a world on the cusp of change.
Contents
1. ‘Elvis Presley in a Red MG From the Film ‘Blue Hawaii,’ 1961′2. ‘An Enthusiastic Dancer During Amateur Hour at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, 1961’3. A Magazine Clipping of Soviet Astronaut Yuri Gagarin’s Trip to Space. Gagarin Became the First Human To Achieve This Feat on April 12, 19614. Just Weeks After Gagarin, NASA Sent Alan Shepard to Space on a 15-Minute Orbital Flight Aboard the Freedom 7 on May 5, 19615. Shepard Aboard the USS Lake Champlain After Becoming the First American to Go to Space6. A Gathering Takes Place Atop Prospect Point in Vancouver, Canada7. A Young Nancy Pelosi Meets Newly-Elected President John F. Kennedy8. ‘JFK Wearing a Top Hat on the Day of His Inauguration, 1961’9. The Bay of Pigs Invasion Begins After US-Backed Cuban Exiles Launch a Failed Attack on Castro’s Government, April 196110. ‘Cuban Anti-Aircraft Gunners Take Aim at an Incoming American Bomber During the Bay of Pigs Invasion’11. ‘The ‘Theme Building’ at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Under Construction in 1961′12. Colorized Image of a HUS-1 Helicopter Recovering US Astronaut Alan Shepard From the Freedom 7 Capsule in the Waters of Florida13. Out on the Town14. A Festive New Year’s Eve Celebration15. Elvis Presley During the Filming of ‘Follow That Dream’ Alongside Co-Star Anne Helm16. Mattel Introduces the Ken Doll on March 11, 196117. ‘Ann-Margret’s Wardrobe Photo for ‘State Fair,’ 1961′18. The Beatles Perform With Little Richard in Their Early Days of Gigging at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England19. ‘Dancers Doing the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City’20. New York’s Penn Station21. Looking Fabulously Glam in the Streets of New York22. ‘Ballerinas at the Bolshoi Ballet’s Cafeteria in Moscow, Russia, 1961’23. ‘Two Builders Add Broken Glass to the Top of the Freshly-Built Berlin Wall To Prevent East Berliners From Escaping, August 1961’24. Two Weeks After the Berlin Wall Rises, Checkpoint Charlie Becomes a Standoff Between American and Soviet Forces on August 27, 196125. ‘Times Square and Broadway in New York, 1961’26. Behind the Scenes of ‘West Side Story’ in New York City27. Choreographer Jerome Robbins Rehearses a Scene for ‘West Side Story’28. Freedom Riders Arrive at a Guarded Bus Terminal in Washington, D.C., To Protest Against Jim Crow Laws in the South29. ‘College Sorority Yearbook Page From 1961’30. ‘In Line at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, 1961’31. US President John F. Kennedy Delivers His Famous ‘We Choose to Go to the Moon’ Speech at Rice University in Houston, TexasSee more photos of a changing world:
1. ‘Elvis Presley in a Red MG From the Film ‘Blue Hawaii,’ 1961′
2. ‘An Enthusiastic Dancer During Amateur Hour at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, 1961’
3. A Magazine Clipping of Soviet Astronaut Yuri Gagarin’s Trip to Space. Gagarin Became the First Human To Achieve This Feat on April 12, 1961
4. Just Weeks After Gagarin, NASA Sent Alan Shepard to Space on a 15-Minute Orbital Flight Aboard the Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961
5. Shepard Aboard the USS Lake Champlain After Becoming the First American to Go to Space
6. A Gathering Takes Place Atop Prospect Point in Vancouver, Canada
7. A Young Nancy Pelosi Meets Newly-Elected President John F. Kennedy
8. ‘JFK Wearing a Top Hat on the Day of His Inauguration, 1961’
9. The Bay of Pigs Invasion Begins After US-Backed Cuban Exiles Launch a Failed Attack on Castro’s Government, April 1961
10. ‘Cuban Anti-Aircraft Gunners Take Aim at an Incoming American Bomber During the Bay of Pigs Invasion’
11. ‘The ‘Theme Building’ at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Under Construction in 1961′
12. Colorized Image of a HUS-1 Helicopter Recovering US Astronaut Alan Shepard From the Freedom 7 Capsule in the Waters of Florida
13. Out on the Town
14. A Festive New Year’s Eve Celebration
15. Elvis Presley During the Filming of ‘Follow That Dream’ Alongside Co-Star Anne Helm
16. Mattel Introduces the Ken Doll on March 11, 1961
17. ‘Ann-Margret’s Wardrobe Photo for ‘State Fair,’ 1961′
18. The Beatles Perform With Little Richard in Their Early Days of Gigging at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England
19. ‘Dancers Doing the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City’
20. New York’s Penn Station
21. Looking Fabulously Glam in the Streets of New York
22. ‘Ballerinas at the Bolshoi Ballet’s Cafeteria in Moscow, Russia, 1961’
23. ‘Two Builders Add Broken Glass to the Top of the Freshly-Built Berlin Wall To Prevent East Berliners From Escaping, August 1961’
24. Two Weeks After the Berlin Wall Rises, Checkpoint Charlie Becomes a Standoff Between American and Soviet Forces on August 27, 1961
25. ‘Times Square and Broadway in New York, 1961’
26. Behind the Scenes of ‘West Side Story’ in New York City
27. Choreographer Jerome Robbins Rehearses a Scene for ‘West Side Story’
28. Freedom Riders Arrive at a Guarded Bus Terminal in Washington, D.C., To Protest Against Jim Crow Laws in the South
29. ‘College Sorority Yearbook Page From 1961’
30. ‘In Line at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York, 1961’
31. US President John F. Kennedy Delivers His Famous ‘We Choose to Go to the Moon’ Speech at Rice University in Houston, Texas
See more photos of a changing world:
Go back in time with Life at the Turn of the Century: 33 Vintage Photos From the 1890s and 34 Fascinating Photos That Show What Life Was Really Like in the 1900s. Nostalgic for the way people used to shop? Check out 12 Photos of 1960s Department Stores.
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