The following events happened in August 1961:
August 1, 1961 (Tuesday) U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara issued DOD Directive 5105.21, ordering the creation of the Defense Intelligence Agency. From August 1 to 3, seaworthiness characteristics of the operational Mercury spacecraft were evaluated. Born: Danny Blind, Dutch footballer and coach, in Oost-Souburg Peter Evans, Australian Olympic swimming champion, in Perth
August 2, 1961 (Wednesday) Cyrille Adoula became the new Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after his nomination by President Joseph Kasavubu was confirmed by the parliament in a closed session in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). Sixteen foreign tourists drowned in Switzerland's Lake Lucerne after their tour bus was sideswiped by a truck, then plunged down an embankment into the lake, near Hergiswil. There were 22 survivors, including the driver, the tour conductor, and his wife. All of the dead were Americans, and all but two were women. Most were schoolteachers who had been on a European trip organized by Gateway Holiday Tours of New York. Born: Cui Jian, Korean Chinese singer-songwriter, in Beijing Died: Michael John O'Leary, 70, Irish winner of the Victoria Cross for valor during World War One.
August 3, 1961 (Thursday) In the United Kingdom, the Suicide Act 1961 was given royal assent and took effect immediately in England and in Wales, removing any criminal penalties previously assessed against people who had unsuccessfully attempted suicide. In the UK, the Trustee Investments Act 1961 received royal assent. Tommy Douglas, the Premier of Saskatchewan, was elected as the first leader of Canada's newly formed New Democratic Party on the penultimate day of the party's organizational convention. Delegates elected Douglas with 1,391 votes to 380 for MP Hazen Argue. The day before, the delegates had chosen the NDP name rather than the name "New Party" by the narrow margin of 784 to 743. The nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher was commissioned at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Naval Shipyard. On April 10, 1963, the Thresher would be lost along with all 129 of its crew during deep diving tests. Representatives of Martin Company briefed Director Robert R. Gilruth and some of the senior staff of Space Task Group on Titan II technical characteristics and expected performance. At a senior staff meeting four days later, August 7, Gilruth commented on the Titan II's promise for human spaceflight, particularly its potential ability to place larger payloads in orbit than could Atlas, which would make it "a desirable booster for a two-man spacecraft." Martin had estimated the cost of procuring and launching nine Titan II boosters, with cost of ancillary equipment, at $47,889,000 spread over fiscal years 1962 through 1964. Born: Nicola Jane Chapman, British disability activist and sufferer of brittle bone disease, who was appointed, as Baroness Chapman, to the House of Lords in 2004 as one of the "People's peers" (d. 2009) Art Porter, Jr., American jazz saxophonist, in Little Rock, Arkansas (drowned, 1996) Died: Nicola Canali, 87, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal who was the first President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State from 1931 until his death Zoltán Tildy, 71, last Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary (1945–1946) and first President of Hungary (1946–1948)
August 4, 1961 (Friday) Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, made a "secret" speech at the Conference of first secretaries of Central Committees of Communist and workers parties of socialist countries for the exchange of views on the questions related to preparation and conclusion of a German peace treaty. Describing his encounter with U.S. envoy John J. McCloy, he said, "I told him to let Kennedy know...that if he starts a war then he would probably become the last president of the United States of America." Clarence Earl Gideon, charged with burglary, represented himself at his criminal trial after his request for an attorney was denied. After being sentenced on August 25 to five years in prison, Gideon petitioned the United States Supreme Court for review of his conviction, citing the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution.