S&P 500 in 1961

The S&P 500 rose 23.1% in 1961, from 58.11 at the end of 1960 to 71.55. Its highest close was 72.64 on Dec 12 — a record that stood until September 3, 1963, and its lowest 57.57 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −3.6% on Apr 18 and the biggest rise +3.5% on Apr 17. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 22.3%.

Change in 1961

+23.1%

58.11 → 71.55

High

72.64

Dec 12

Low

57.57

Jan 3

After inflation

+22.3%

US CPI

Up days

148 of 250

longest run 10 up, 5 down

Record highs

closing records

S&P 500, daily closes 1961

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1961

What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Friday, January 27 From the data

S&P 500 sets the first of 39 record closing highs this year, at 61.24.
2
Monday, April 17 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +3.5%.
3
Tuesday, April 18 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −3.6%.
4
Sunday, August 13

East Germany begins construction of the Berlin Wall. Source

S&P 500: −0.5% next trading day (Aug 14) · −0.1% a month later
5
Monday, November 6 From the data

S&P 500 closes above 70 for the first time (70.01).
6
Tuesday, December 12 From the data

Last record close of the year: 72.64.

Biggest days of 1961

Best days		Worst days
Apr 17	+3.5%	Apr 18	−3.6%
Jun 8	+1.6%	Apr 24	−2.1%
Oct 9	+1.4%	Jun 7	−1.9%
Apr 25	+1.4%	Sep 19	−1.7%
Jan 4	+1.4%	Sep 25	−1.4%

Volatility: 10.1% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	61.78	+6.3%	61.97	57.57
Feb	63.44	+2.7%	63.44	61.14
Mar	65.06	+2.6%	65.06	63.38
Apr	65.31	+0.4%	68.68	64.40
May	66.56	+1.9%	67.39	65.17
Jun	64.64	−2.9%	67.08	64.47
Jul	66.76	+3.3%	66.76	64.41
Aug	68.07	+2.0%	68.44	66.94
Sep	66.73	−2.0%	68.46	65.77
Oct	68.62	+2.8%	68.62	66.73
Nov	71.32	+3.9%	71.85	68.73
Dec	71.55	+0.3%	72.64	70.86

Other Markets in 1961

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
S&P 500	+23.1%	71.55
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1961	+18.7%	731.14

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

S&P 500 in 1961: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 rise in 1961?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1961?

Highest: 72.64 on December 12, 1961. Lowest: 57.57 on January 3, 1961. It closed higher on 148 of 250 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on August 13, 1961?

East Germany begins construction of the Berlin Wall. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% on the next trading day (August 14, 1961), and was −0.1% a month later.

Did the S&P 500 reach a record high in 1961?

Yes — 39 record closing highs, the last at 72.64 on December 12, 1961.

Data: Daily closes since 1950 (price index, excluding dividends). Price index: dividends are not included. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.

Cite this page

For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.

APA 7

Corgano. (2026, October 31). S&P 500 in 1961. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1961

MLA 9

“S&P 500 in 1961.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1961. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Corgano. “S&P 500 in 1961.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed October 31, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1961.

BibTeX

@misc{corgano2026sp500in1961, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1961}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1961}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}

Link

S&P 500 in 1961 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1961