PastlasHistorical atlas

Year

The world in 1961

In 1961 the atlas holds 262 states standing across 6 regions. 35 things began that year - South Africa, Lawrencium and Tanganyika among them - and 9 ended; 89 people were born and 61 died.

Only what Wikidata dates to the year is counted here; a thing dated to its decade is on the 1960s page, and to its century on the 20th century.

What began in 1961

By kind, the best known first; a war or a state is listed in the year it began.

States 3

Wars and battles 13

and 3 more in the atlas.

Regime change 5

Unrest and atrocity 5

Famine and plague 1

Treaties 4

Works and ideas 4

What ended in 1961

States that fell or were replaced, and wars and other things that ran past the year they began.

States 6

Wars and battles 1

Unrest and atrocity 1

Famine and plague 1

Born and died

By how many Wikipedias write about them.

Born in 1961 89

and 73 more in the atlas.

Died in 1961 61

and 45 more in the atlas.

Standing in 1961

The states the atlas holds as standing that year, by region, the best known first, with who held the highest office where the record dates it.

Europe: 64 statesEurope64Middle East and North Africa: 60 statesMiddle East and North Africa60Sub-Saharan Africa: 40 statesSub-Saharan Africa40South Asia: 23 statesSouth Asia23East and Southeast Asia: 36 statesEast and Southeast Asia36Americas and Oceania: 36 statesAmericas and Oceania36Location unknown: 3 statesLocation unknown3

Europe64 states

and 54 more; every state of Europe.

Middle East and North Africa60 states

and 50 more; every state of Middle East and North Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa40 states

and 30 more; every state of Sub-Saharan Africa.

South Asia23 states

and 13 more; every state of South Asia.

East and Southeast Asia36 states

and 26 more; every state of East and Southeast Asia.

Americas and Oceania36 states

and 26 more; every state of Americas and Oceania.

Location unknown3 states

Open in the atlas

  • On the timeline, 1936 – 1986: every state, war and life of 1961 and the years either side, region by region.
  • On the map in 1961: the borders of the year, its cities under their names of the year, and what happened where.

Wikidata (CC0) · data built 2026-10-07 · Pastlas v2.13.1, by Oleh Voronko. The published atlas and its data are for non-commercial use.