News from 1961
John F. Kennedy becomes the 35th President
Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as Vice President
The Berlin Wall goes up between East and West Germany
U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
Peace Corps is founded
Freedom Riders are attacked in Birmingham, Alabama
Jimmy Hoffa becomes president of the Teamsters Union
Soviets put the first man into orbit when Major Yuri A. Gagarin orbits the Earth on April 12
U.S. launches Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. into space sending him 116.5 miles up on a 302-mile trip
U.S. gets a second astronaut, Virgil Grissom, into space sending him 118 miles up on a 303-mile flight over the Atlantic Ocean
Soviets send Gherman Stepanovich Titov into space on Vostok II achieving 17.5 orbits in 25 hours during a 434,960 mile trip
Soviets test a 50-megaton hydrogen bomb creating the biggest explosion in history
The U.S. now has 2,000 military advisors in Viet Nam
Baseball legend Ty Cobb dies
Roger Maris hits 61 home runs to take the home run record
NY Yankees defeat the Cincinnati Reds to take the World Series
A.J. Foyt sets a new land speed record (139.130 mph) at the Indianapolis 500
