1961 in Brazil
Years 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
Flag
22 stars (1960–68)
Timeline of Brazilian history
Second Brazilian Republic
Year of Constitution: 1946

Events in the year 1961 in Brazil.

Incumbents

Federal government

• President:
  • Juscelino Kubitschek (until 30 January)
  • Jânio Quadros (from 31 January to 25 August)
  • Ranieri Mazzilli (from 25 August to September 7)
  • João Goulart (starting September 7)
• Prime Minister: Tancredo Neves (starting 8 September)
• Vice President:
  • João Goulart (until 25 August)
  • Vacant (from August 25)

Governors

• Alagoas:
  • Sebastião Muniz Falcão (until 31 January)
  • Luis Cavalcante (from 31 January)
• Amazonas: Gilberto Mestrinho
• Bahia: Juracy Magalhães
• Ceará: Parsifal Barroso
• Espírito Santo:Raul Giuberti
• Goiás:
  • José Feliciano Ferreira (until 31 January)
  • Mauro Borges (from 31 January)
• Guanabara: Carlos Lacerda
• Maranhão: Newton de Barros Belo (from 31 January)
• Mato Grosso:
  • João Ponce de Arruda (until 31 January)
  • Fernando Corrêa da Costa (from 31 January)
• Minas Gerais:
  • José Francisco Bias Fortes (until 31 January)
  • José de Magalhães Pinto (from 31 January)
• Pará:
  • Luís de Moura Carvalho (until 31 January)
  • Aurélio do Carmo (from 31 January)
• Paraíba:
  • José Fernandes de Lima (until 31 January)
  • Pedro Gondim (from 31 January)
• Paraná:
  • Moisés Lupion (until 31 January)
  • Nei Braga (from 31 January)
• Pernambuco: Cid Sampaio
• Piauí: Chagas Rodrigues
• Rio de Janeiro:
  • Roberto Silveira (until 28 February)
  • Celso Peçanha (from 28 February)
• Rio Grande do Norte:
  • Dinarte de Medeiros Mariz (until 31 January)
  • Aluízio Alves (from 31 January)
• Rio Grande do Sul: Leonel Brizola
• Santa Catarina:
  • Heriberto Hülse (until 31 January)
  • Celso Ramos (from 31 January)
• São Paulo: Carlos Alberto Alves de Carvalho Pinto
• Sergipe: Luís Garcia

Vice governors

• Alagoas:
  • Sizenando Nabuco de Melo (until 31 January)
  • Teotônio Brandão Vilela (from 31 January)
• Bahia: Orlando Moscoso
• Ceará: Wilson Gonçalves
• Espírito Santo: Raul Giuberti
• Goiás:
  • João de Abreu (until 31 January)
  • Antônio Rezende Monteiro (from 31 January)
• Maranhão:
  • Alexandre Alves Costa (until 31 January)
  • Alfredo Salim Duailibe (from 31 January)
• Mato Grosso:
  • Henrique José Vieira Neto (until 31 January)
  • Jose Garcia Neto (from 31 January)
• Minas Gerais:
  • Artur Bernardes Filho (until 31 January)
  • Clóvis Salgado da Gama (from 31 January)
• Pará: Newton Burlamaqui de Miranda (from 31 January)
• Paraíba:
  • Pedro Gondim (until 31 January)
  • André Avelino de Paiva Gadelha (from 31 January)
• Pernambuco: Pelópidas da Silveira
• Piauí: Tibério Nunes
• Rio de Janeiro:
  • Celso Peçanha (until 1 March)
  • Vacant thereafter (from 31 January)
• Rio Grande do Norte:
  • José Augusto Varela (until 31 January)
  • Walfredo Gurgel (from 31 January)
• Santa Catarina: Armindo Marcílio Doutel de Andrade (from 31 January)
• São Paulo: Porfírio da Paz
• Sergipe: Dionísio Machado

Events

January

• January 31: Jânio Quadros becomes the 22nd President of Brazil, succeeding Juscelino Kubitschek.^[1]

August

• August 25-September 7: The Legality Campaign takes place, which aims to defend the inauguration of João Goulart as President of Brazil. ^[2][3]
• August 25: Jânio Quadros resigns as President of the Republic. The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Ranieri Mazzilli, takes over as the 23rd President of Brazil on an interim basis.^[4]

September

• September 2: The National Congress of Brazil approves Constitutional Amendment No. 4, which establishes parliamentarism.^[5]
• September 7: João Goulart is sworn in as the 24th President of Brazil.^[6]
• September 8: The National Congress of Brazil approves the constitution of the first Council of Ministers.^[7]

November

• November 1: A Panair do Brasil plane crashes near Recife airport, leaving 45 dead and 43 injured.^[8]
• November 23: Brazil restores diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, 14 years after their breakup.^[9]

December

• December 17: An arson fire at the Niterói circus, kills more than 300 people and becomes the worst fire disaster in Brazilian history.^[10][11][12]
• December 20: Adilson Marcelino Alves, known as Dequinha, is arrested by the Rio de Janeiro police and confesses to being responsible for the fire at the Niterói circus.^[13]

Births

January

• January 1 – Rita Camata, politician and journalist

March

• 7 March – Miguel Nicolelis, scientist

September

• 8 September – Fernanda Abreu, singer

Deaths

April

• April 25 – Borges de Medeiros, lawyer and politician (born 1863)

June

• June 22 – José de Mesquita (born 1892)

December

• 31 December – Péricles, cartoonist (born 1924)