한국어

Born in 1961

If you were born in 1961, you're 64 or 65 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the White Ox.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age64 or 65
  • Korean age66
  • Year age65
    • The year 1961
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)White Ox
  • Sexagenary cycleSin-chuk (辛丑年)
  • Five element Metal (金)
  • Leap yearCommon year
Was this page helpful?
White OxSin-chuk (辛丑年) · Metal (金)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1961 is Sin-chuk (辛丑年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Metal (金), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the White Ox (丑).

Born 12 years apart - same Ox
1925age 1011937age 891949age 771973age 531985age 411997age 29

The year you were born: 1961

Here's what the world was up to that year 👀

📰 What happened that year
  1. February 15✈️ A Boeing 707 crashed into a residential area near the airport in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73 people, including the U.S. figure skating team.
  2. April 12🚀 The Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly in space.
  3. May 16⚔️ The May 16 coup took place in South Korea, putting the country under military rule.
  4. June 10🕵️ The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) was created.
  5. August 10🕐 South Korea moved its standard time forward 30 minutes, to the 135°E meridian.
  6. August 13🧱 The Berlin Wall went up between the eastern and western halves of Berlin in a Germany divided by the Cold War.
  7. October 30☢️ The Soviet Union detonated the Tsar Bomba over Novaya Zemlya in a nuclear test.
  8. December 31📺 KBS TV went on the air, broadcasting four hours a day.
⭐ Born that year
Diana, Princess of Wales, former wife of Britain's Prince Charles (d. 1997)George Clooney, American actor and film directorBernard Werber, French writer and novelistAndy Lau, Hong Kong actorJoo Hyun-mi, singerChoi Hwa-jung, actor
🎬 Films and TV from that year
Film "The Houseguest and My Mother"Film "Aimless Bullet"Film "The Coachman"Film "Seong Chun-hyang"Film "The Evergreen Tree"
🏆 Nobel Prizes that year
  • LiteratureIvo Andrić
  • PhysicsRobert Hofstadter, Rudolf Mössbauer
  • Physiology or MedicineGeorg von Békésy
  • PeaceDag Hammarskjöld
  • ChemistryMelvin Calvin

Source: Wikipedia · retold from the record

Life timeline for people born in 1961 🗓️

What someone born in 1961 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1961Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    1968Age 6 · elementary

    The March after turning 6 - Korean school years start in March, not September.

  3. Starts middle school
    1974Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    1976Age 15

    Ages 13-14 can work only with an employment permit (Labor Standards Act).

  5. Starts high school
    1977Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    1978Age 17

    Issued from the first day of the month after turning 17 (Resident Registration Act).

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    1979Age 18

    Class 2 ordinary licence. Mopeds are allowed from 16 (Road Traffic Act).

  8. Can vote
    1979Age 18

    Must be 18 on election day (Public Official Election Act).

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    1980Year age 19

    From January 1 of the year you turn 19 - this one uses year age, not your birthday (Youth Protection Act).

  10. Legal adulthood
    1980Age 19

    Adulthood begins on the 19th birthday (Civil Act, Article 4).

  11. Military service examination
    1980Year age 19

    Held in the year a man turns 19 (Military Service Act · year age · men only).

  12. Statutory retirement age
    2021Age 60

    The floor employers must set, not a fixed date (Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination · reference).

  13. National Pension starts
    2024Age 63

    Between 63 and 65 depending on your birth year, with at least 10 years of contributions (National Pension Act · reference).

Ages follow international age unless noted. Buying alcohol or tobacco and the military service examination use year age - the calendar year you turn that age - so they can land a year earlier than you expect. School entry, retirement and the National Pension are general rules and can differ case by case.

1961 by the numbers

What Korea's statistics office recorded about 1961.

People born in 1961, as of 2025

874,748people

Source: Statistics Korea - Birth Statistics(1970~2025) and Life Tables(~2024); Ministry of the Interior and Safety - Resident Registration Population(as of 2025) (KOSIS)

Famous people born in 1961 ⭐

Jeong Bo-seokActorMay 2, 1961 · 65 years old🤍 White OxChoi Hwa-jungActorFebruary 10, 1961 · 65 years old🤍 White OxJoo Hyun-miSingerSeptember 27, 1961 · 64 years old🤍 White OxNam Gi-aeActorSeptember 13, 1961 · 64 years old🤍 White OxShin Bok SookActorJanuary 10, 1961 · 65 years old🤍 White Ox
Who else was born in 1961?Everyone born in 1961

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 1961 is 65 if they've already had their birthday this year and 64 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 66, and their year age is 65.
Counting from 2026, a 64-year-old was born in 1961.
1961 is the year of the White Ox. In the sexagenary cycle it's Sin-chuk (辛丑), and because the heavenly stem carries the element Metal (金), the animal picks up the color White. One catch: the tti turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
No. 1961 is a common year - 365 days, and February ends on the 28th.
Korean age starts at 1 the day you're born, and everybody adds a year together on January 1 instead of on their birthday. That makes it one or two years higher than international age. Since June 2023, Korean law, contracts, and official documents all use international age, but you'll still hear Korean age in everyday conversation.

Sources 🌐