The construction of the Berlin Wall began on 13 August 1961

1. R2-D2 is a character in the Star Wars movies.
2. The construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961.

Bob Dylan dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year in January 1961

1. Richard (Rick) Francis Dennis Barry III, has the second highest free-shooting percentage of all-time at 90%. Rick Barry shot his free-throws underhand.
2. Bob Dylan dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year in January 1961.

Stranger in a Strange Land is a best-selling 1961 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein

1. Stranger in a Strange Land is a best-selling 1961 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians on the planet Mars, after his return to Earth in early adulthood.

Otto Adolf Eichmann, sometimes referred to as "the architect of the Holocaust," was a German Nazi who was captured by Israeli Mossad Operatives

1. Otto Adolf Eichmann, sometimes referred to as "the architect of the Holocaust", was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer (equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel). He was captured by Israeli Mossad operatives in Argentina and found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, and executed in 1962. Eichmann is the only person to have been executed in Israel on conviction by a civilian court.

Ernest Miller Hemingway, winner of 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature, was an American writer who committed suicide on July 2, 1961

1. Ernest Miller Hemingway, winner of 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature, was an American writer who committed suicide on July 2, 1961.

The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil from in the First Republic of the Congo from 1960-1966

1. Allie Reynolds of the New York Yankees, Nolan Ryan of California Angels, Virgil Trucks of the Detroit Tigers, and Johnny Vander Meer of th Cincinnati Reds are the only pitchers to ever throw TWO no-hitters in one season.
2. Wham-O bought the rights of “Frisbee” in 1957 from Walter Frederick Morrison who came up with the idea in 1938.
3. The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil from in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium in 1960 and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu in 1966.

The movie Psycho is a 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock

1. The movie Psycho is a 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted the screenplay from the 1959 novel by Robert Bloch. The novel was based on the crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein.

Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, is an American singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the the dance-style Twist

1. Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, is an American singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the dance style Twist with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist."

JFK was the only president to have won the Pulitzer prize

1. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy was the only president to have won the Pulitzer prize. He won this prestigious award in literature during his convalescence in 1956 when he published Profiles in Courage. The work was co-authored by Sorensen.

Payola is the illegal practice of payment by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio

1. Payola is the illegal practice of payment by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio, in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast. The term has come to refer to any secret payment made to cast a product in a positive light. A good example would be paid Yelp reviews.

Syngman Rhee was the first president of South Korea from August 1948 to April 1960

1. Syngman Rhee (Yi Seungman) was the first president of South Korea from August 1948 to April 1960. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and led South Korea through the Korean War. His resigned from the presidency following popular protests against a disputed election.

The Lockheed U-2, a surveillance craft used by the United States Military is nicknamed "Dragon Lady"

1. The Lockheed U-2, a surveillance craft used by the United States Military is nicknamed "Dragon Lady."

Edsel Ford is the son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford

1. Edsel Ford is the son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford. In honor of his son who died on May 26, 1943, Henry made the car Edsel that debuted on September 4, 1957.
2. Coin operated pool-tables separate the cue ball from the rest either by size or a magnet within the cue ball. The cue-ball is 1/8 of an inch larger in the case of the former.

Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and leader of the Cuban Revolution

1. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician, and leader of the Cuban Revolution, who served as the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then as the President of the Council of State of Cuba until his resignation from the office in February 2008. He invaded Cuba to overthrow Fulgencio Batista in 1956.

In 1957, an Australian company began making wood rings. The next year Wham-0 manufactured the Hula-hoop

1. In 1957, an Australian company began making wood rings. The next year Wham-0 manufactured a plastic hoop in a variety of bright colors and called it Hula-hoop.

The Mafia Monograph was written by the FBI in 1958 as a study of the origin, nature, and activities of the Mafia and its affect on US

1. The Mafia Monograph was written by the FBI in 1958 as a study of the origin, nature, and activities of the Mafia in its native Sicily and how it was transplanted to the United States.

On May 28, 1959 two monkeys were successfully sent to space and recovered back on earth aboard Jupiter MRBM AM-18

1. A hiccup (medical term, Synchronous Diaphragmatic Flutter, or SDF) is an involuntary action involving a reflex arc that leads to the contraction of the diaphragm several times a minute. In humans, the abrupt rush of air into the lungs causes the epiglottis to close, creating a "hic" sound. Hiccups often occur after consuming carbonated beverages, alcohol, or spicy foods. Prolonged laughter is also known to cause hiccups.
2. On May 28, 1959 two monkeys were successfully sent to space and recovered back on earth aboard Jupiter MRBM AM-18. American-born rhesus monkey "Able," and South American squirrel monkey "Baker," rode to the altitude of 59 miles. Although not the first monkeys to make it to space, they were the first ever to survive the trip home and land alive.

Ben-Hur is a 1959 film directed by William Wyler based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

1. Ben-Hur is a 1959 film directed by William Wyler based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The film went on to win a record of eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a feat equaled only by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

On February 3, 1959 Buddy Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, died in a plane crash near Clear Lake Iowa

1. On February 3, 1959 Buddy Holly, along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson, died in a plane crash near Clear Lake Iowa. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song "American Pie."

Thalidomide was sold in a number of countries across the world from 1957 until 1961 as a sedative to treat morning sickness of pregnant women

1. Strangers Almanac is an album by the alternative country band Whiskeytown, released on July 29, 1997
2. Thalidomide was sold in a number of countries across the world from 1957 until 1961 as a sedative to treat morning sickness of pregnant women. However, it was withdrawn from the market after being found to be a cause of birth defects for 10,000 to 20,000 children. Today, thalidomide has been found to be a valuable treatment for a number of medical conditions such as Multiple Myeloma and Leprosy.

Starkweather was an American spree killer who who at the age of 19 murdered eleven people

1. Charles Raymond Starkweather was an American spree killer who who at the age of 19 murdered eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming during a two-month road trip with his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate. The 11 murders occurred from November 30, 1957 until the couple was captured on January 29, 1958. Starkweather was later sentenced to death, and Fugate was handed a 17-year prison sentence.

In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California

1. Initially, "play it by ear" referred to the playing of music without reference to printed notation. More recently it is also used figuratively to mean 'handle a situation in an impromptu manner', i.e. without reference to pre-determined rules or guidelines.
2. In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to California to become the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II

1. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. In 1958 he founded the French Fifth (and current) Republic and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969.

In July 1958, Lebanon was threatened by a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims

1. At higher-altitude areas, a typical naturally-aspirated engine draws in less air mass per cycle due to the reduced density of the atmosphere. This directly translates to less fuel and reduced absolute compression in the cylinder, therefore deterring knock. It is safe to fill up a carbureted car that normally takes 87 AKI fuel at sea level with 85 AKI fuel in the mountains.
2. Although being at higher altitude can impair some abilities, studies suggest that it does not make alcohol more potent as BAC readings at ground level and altitude remain the same.
3. In July 1958, Lebanon was threatened by a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims after tensions with Egypt had escalated earlier in 1956 when pro-western President Camille Chamoun, a Christian, did not break diplomatic relations with the Western powers that attacked Egypt during the Suez Crisis, angering Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British WWII film that is preserved in the US Library of Congress National Film Registry

1. Altitude causes the Sun to rise earlier and set later than it would at that same location from the ground.
2.The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on the novel, written by French writer Pierre Boulle. In 1997, this film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.
3. The National Film Registry is a collection of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board. Each year the board selects up to 25 "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films" that showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage to increase awareness for its preservation. Inclusion on the list is not a guarantee of actual preservation. The librarian of Congress is the one who each year actually selects the 25 films that are preserved in the Library of Congress.

Zhou Enlai was instrumental in the Communist Party's rise to power, and subsequently in the development of the Chinese economy and society

1. Ginger Rogers was an American stage actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century.
2. Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976. Zhou was instrumental in the Communist Party's rise to power, and subsequently in the development of the Chinese economy and restructuring of Chinese society.

The Sputnik program, literally meaning "co-traveler," was a series of robotic spacecraft missions launched by the Soviet Union

1. The Sputnik program, literally meaning "co-traveler," was a series of robotic spacecraft missions launched by the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 was the first human-made object to orbit the Earth. That launch took place on October 4, 1957.

Kerouac was an American writer most well-known for his work On the Road, published in 1957

1. Jean-Louis "Jack" Kerouac was an American writer most well-known for his work On the Road, published in 1957. On the Road is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across America during the 1950's. On the Road is a representation of postwar American Beat Generation.

Micky Mantle won the AL MVP in 1957

1. Roy Kelton Orbison was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads.
2. Micky Mantle won the AL MVP in 1957.

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Nobel Prize-winning Russian and Soviet poet, novelist and translator of Goethe and Shakespeare

1. Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Nobel Prize-winning Russian and Soviet poet, novelist and translator of Goethe and Shakespeare. In the West he is best known for his epic novel Doctor Zhivago first translated and published in 1957.

The Little Rock Nine were the 9 Black students who attempted Little Rock Central High starting on September 23, 1957

1. The number 57 on the slogan "57 Styles" printed on Heinz ketchup bottles has no practical significance. It is simply just the combination of Henry John Heinz's favorite number, 5, and his wife Sally Sloan's, 7.
2. Little Rock Senior High School, later to be renamed Little Rock Central High was the site of nine African-American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, who were denied entrance to the school in defiance of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling ordering integration of public schools on the morning of September 23, 1957. The next day, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the 1,200-man 101st Airborne Battle Group of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to escort the nine students into the school.