The Book of Me, Written By You - Prompt 12: The Year You Were Born

This weeks prompt is the year you were born.

What happened:

• Historical
• Films
• Music
• Books 
• Televison

Or use any other historical (well known or otherwise) event.

HISTORICAL

• John F. Kennedy was inagurated as President of the United States January 20 (three days before my birthday January 23).
• The Peace Corps was established by John F. Kennedy
• Construction of the Berlin Wall begins
• Bay of Pigs (US Cuban exiles and CIA mount unsuccessul attempt to overthrow Castro.
• Last journey of the Orient Express Paris-Bucharest.
• Soviet Union lauches launches the first spacecraft to take man into space the Vostok 1 carrying Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin.
• The United States lauches first man in space Alan Shepard on the Freedom 7.

FILMS

• The Guns of Navarone
• The Parent Trap
• The Absent-Minded Professor
• 101 Dalmations
• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• El Cid
• The Misfits
• The Hustler 
• West Side Story (Best Picture of 1961)

MUSIC (1961 Grammy Awards)

• Song Of The Year: Moon River (Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini)
• Record Of The Year: Moon River (Henry Mancini)
• Album Of The Year: Judy At Carnegie Hall
• Best Rock 'n' Roll Recording: Let's Twist Again (Chubby Checker)
• Best Rhythm & Blues Recording: Hit The Road Jack (Ray Charles)
• Best Jazz Performance, Big Band: West Side Story (Stan Kenton)
• Best Country & Western Performance: Big Bad John (Jimmy Dean)
• Best Folk Performance: The Belafonte Folk Singers At Home And Abroad.
• Best Spoken Word: Humor In Music (Leonard Bernstein)
• Best Comedy Recording: An Evening With Mike Nichols And Elaine May)
• Best Soundtrack Album - Original Cast: West Side Story
• Best Soundtrack Album - Score: West Side Story

MOST POPULAR RECORDED SONGS

• Wonderland By Night - Burt Kaempfert
• Will You Love Me Tomorrow - The Shirelles
• Calcutta - Lawrence Welk
• Pony Time - Chubby Checker
• Surrender - Elvis Presley

BOOKS

Fiction Bestsellers  

• To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Pulitzer Fiction)
• The Agony And The Ecstasy - Irving Stone
• Fanny And Zooey - J.D. Salinger
• Mila 18 - Leon Uris
• The Carpet Baggers - Harold Robbins
• Tropic Of Caner - Henry Miller
• Winnie Ille Pooh -Alexander Lenard
• Daughter Of Silence - Morris West
• The Winter Of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck

Non-Fiction Bestsellers  

• The New English Bible-The New Testament
• The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich - William L. Shirer
• Better Homes And Garden Sewing Book
• A Nation Of Sheep - William Lederer
• The Making Of The President - Theodore H. White
• Calories Don't Count - Dr. Herman Taller
• Betty Crocker's New Picture Cookbook: New Edition
• Ring Of Bright Water - Gavin Maxwell

TELEVISION

• Wagon Train
• Bonanza
• Gunsmoke
• Perry Mason
• The Red Skelton Show
• Andy Griffith
• Candid Camera 
• My Three Sons
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• The Twilight Zone
• Mister Ed
• The Avengers (debuts in the UK)

 EMMY AWARDS

• BEST DRAMA: Hallmark Hall of Fame: Macbeth (NBC)
• BEST ACTOR: Raymond Burr: Perry Mason
• BEST ACTRESS: Barbara Stanwyck: The Barbara Stanwyck Show
• SUPPORTING ACTOR: Don Knotts: The Andy Griffith Show
• BEST COMEDY: The Jack Benny Show (CBS)
• BEST VARIETY: Astaire Time (NBC)

SPORTS (I happen to love baseball)

• GIANTS BEAT THE BRAVES 14-4 IN MILWAUKEE AND WILLIE MAYS MAKES BASEBALL HISTORY (Hitless in this series until today, Willie Mays smashes his first of four home runs in a single game)
• ROGER MARIS BREAKS THE BABE'S HOME RUN RECORD ( New York Yankee Roger Maris leads the assault to break Babe Ruth's 60 home run record set in 1927)
• MVP: National League: Frank Robinson (Cincinnati) American League: Roger Maris (New York)
• Home Run Leaders: National League: Orlando Cepeda ( San Francisco, 46) American League: Roger Maris (New York, 61)
• Batting Champions: National League: Roberto Clemente (Pittsburgh, .351) American League: Norm Cash (Detroit, .361)
• Rookie Of The Year: National League: Billy Williams (Chicago) American League: don Schwall (Boston)
• World Series: New York Yankees over the Cincinnati Reds, 4-1
• The All-Star Game: 2 games played, National over American 5-4; Tie 1-1
• No-Hit Game: Warren Spahn for Milwaukee over San Francisco, 1-0 

BORN THIS YEAR (besides me)

• Scott Baio - Sept 22
• Barack Obama - August 14
• Peter Jackson - Oct 31
• Nadia Comaneci - Nov 12
• Frank Bruno - Nov 16
• George Clooney - May 6
• Lawrence Fishburne - July 30
• Michael J. Fox - June 9
• Wayne Gretzky - Jan 26
• Woody Harrelson - July 23
• Wynton Marsalis - Oct 18

COST OF LIVING

• Average Cost of a New House: $12,500.00
• Average Income Per Year: $5,315.00
• Cost of a Gallon of Gas: 27 cents
• Average Cost of a new Car: $2,850.00
• Bacon for 1lb: 67 cents
• Eggs per dozen: 30 cents
• First Class Stamp: 4 cents
• A Gallon of Milk: 49 cents

(Sources used: http://www.1960sflashback.com/1961; http://www.1960sflashback.com/1961