1960s Timeline

Dec. 17, 1961 - Tonight on “Bonanza,” Little Joe is tired of being considered the baby of the family by his older brothers and accepts a...

Dec. 16, 1961 - Tonight on “Gunsmoke,” a homesteader hires a man to create a fake scandal with his wife (Lois Nettleton, pictured) so...

Dec. 16, 1961 - Tonight on “The Defenders,” Dwight Harkavy (Kent Smith, pictured) has killed a prowler on his property — the ex-husband...

Dec. 16, 1961 - Tonight on “Leave It to Beaver,” Beaver and Gilbert don't know if they should tell their English teacher that they scored...

Dec. 15, 1961 - Tonight on “The Twilight Zone,” janitor Woodrow Mulligan (Buster Keaton) gets a trip from 1890 to 1962 courtesy of his...

Dec. 14, 1961 - Tonight on “Dr. Kildare,” after his son's arm is paralyzed in a car accident, a man refuses to allow doctors to perform...

Dec. 13, 1961 - Tonight on “Naked City,” George Bick (Mickey Rooney, pictured) is a 40-year-old who never grew up. Fed up with his...

Dec. 12, 1961 - Tonight on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” a man who can't remember who he is has a $1000 bill and the address of a doctor....

Dec. 12, 1961 - Tonight on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” Rob buys Laura a hideous necklace but Laura can't bring herself to tell Rob how she...

Dec. 11, 1961 - Tonight on “Ben Casey,” Dr. Casey tells off a lackluster new intern and convinces a sad young epileptic that being...

Dec. 11, 1961 - Tonight on “The Andy Griffith Show,” when Andy and Barney have a chance to join an exclusive men's club, Andy wonders how...

Dec. 10, 1961 - Tonight on “Bonanza,” Hoss insults a feisty Frenchman who demands satisfaction with swords. It is then discovered that...

Dec. 9, 1961 - Tonight on “Gunsmoke,” a young outlaw (Ben Cooper) finds he has a knack for medicine and turns straight, telling Doc...

Dec. 9, 1961 - Tonight on “The Defenders,” the Prestons defend a policeman who killed the teenage boy that attacked his five-year-old...

Dec. 8, 1961 - Dick Van Dyke and Cara Williams will star with Henry Fonda and Carol Lynley on a CBS-TV special. The two additions to the...

Dec. 8, 1961 - Tonight on “Rawhide,” a woman (Phyllis Thaxter) wanders into camp needing help. She is an actress who one of the men...

Dec. 7, 1961 - A son was born on Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Orbach (pictured at their 1958 wedding) at New York’s Lenox Hill...

Dec. 7, 1961 - Tonight on “Dr. Kildare,” a surgeon is diagnosed with a progressive paralytic disease and fears its effect on his career...

Dec. 4, 1961 - Tonight on “The Rifleman,” Lucas and Mark meet writer Mark Twain (Kevin McCarthy). Later they find out that he has a sad...

Dec. 4, 1961 - Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (pictured), star of television’s “77 Sunset Strip,” was divorced today by Mrs. Stephanie Zimbalist....