1961

Feature films

 * January 25 - One Hundred and One Dalmatians
 * March 16 - The Absent-Minded Professor
 * June 21 - The Parent Trap
 * July 12 - Nikki, Wild Dog of the North
 * July 17 - Greyfriars Bobby
 * December 14 - Babes in Toyland

Shorts

 * March 16 - The Saga of Windwagon Smith
 * June 21
 * Donald and the Wheel
 * The Litterbug
 * December 20 - Aquamania

Theme parks

 * The Disneyland Monorail System extends to the Disneyland Hotel.

Events

 * The California Institute of the Arts is founded.

Character debuts

 * January 25 - Pongo, Perdita, Roger Radcliffe, Anita Radcliffe, Nanny, Cruella De Vil, Jasper and Horace, Thunderbolt, Dirty Dawson, Lucky, Patch, Rolly, Penny, Freckles, Pepper, Dalmatian Puppies, Danny, Scottie, Towser, Lucy, Captain, Sergeant Tibbs, Colonel, Prissy, Collie, The Cows, Labrador
 * March 16 - Professor Brainard, Alonzo Hawk
 * June 21 - Susan Evers, Sharon McKendrick, Mitch Evers, Maggie McKendrick, Vicky Robinson, Charles McKendrick, Louise McKendrick, Abbey Inch, Andromeda, Verbena
 * September 24 - Ludwig Von Drake
 * December - Magica De Spell
 * December - John D. Rockerduck
 * December 14 - Tom Piper, Mary Contrary, Barnaby, Gonzorgo and Roderigo, Mr. Toymaker, Grumio, Mother Goose, Sylvester J. Goose, Boy Blue

Births

 * Jim Reardon (animation director and storyboard consultant)
 * January 4 - Graham McTavish (actor and voice actor)
 * January 9 - Candi Milo (voice actress and singer)
 * January 12 - Simon Russell Beale (actor, author, and historian)
 * January 13 - Julia Louis-Dreyfus (actress, comedian, and producer)
 * January 18 - Bob Peterson (animator, screenwriter, director, producer, storyboard artist, and voice actor)
 * February 12 - Brian Haley (actor and comedian)
 * February 13 - Henry Rollins (actor, comedian, musician, and TV and radio host)
 * March 4 - Steven Weber (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
 * March 8 - Camryn Manheim (actress)
 * March 12 - Titus Welliver (actor and painter)
 * March 13 - Paul Berry (stop-motion animator and director)
 * March 14 - Penny Johnson Jerald (actress)
 * March 24 - Mitsuru Ogata (voice actor)
 * March 29 - Amy Sedaris (actress, voice actress, comedian, author, and writer)
 * April 1 - Kujira (voice actress)
 * April 2 - Christopher Meloni (actor)
 * April 3 - Eddie Murphy (stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, director, producer, and singer)
 * April 13 - Liz Callaway (actress and singer)
 * April 14 - Mau Heymans (comic artist and writer)
 * April 18 - Jane Leeves (actress, comedian, producer, singer, and dancer)
 * April 21 - Cathy Cavadini (actress, voice actress, and singer)
 * April 23 - George Lopez (actor and comedian)
 * May 6 - George Clooney (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
 * May 16 - Kevin McDonald (voice actor)
 * May 27 - Peri Gilpin (actress)
 * May 29 - Melissa Etheridge (singer)
 * May 31 - Lea Thompson (actress, director, and producer)
 * June 5 - Mary Kay Bergman (voice actress)
 * June 9 - Michael J. Fox (actor)
 * June 12 - Alber Elbaz (fashion designer)
 * June 15 - Jim Hanks (voice actor)
 * June 25 - Ricky Gervais (actor and comedian)
 * June 27 - Tim Whitnall (actor)
 * July 4 - Ted Elliott (screenwriter and producer)
 * July 15
 * Forest Whitaker (actor)
 * Lolita Davidovich (actress)
 * July 23 - Woody Harrelson (actor)
 * July 30
 * Elio (musician and singer)
 * Laurence Fishburne (actor, playwright, director, and producer)
 * August 2 - Mark Moseley (actor and comedian)
 * August 4
 * Lauren Tom (voice actress)
 * Barack Obama (44th President of the United States of America)
 * August 5 - Janet McTeer (actress)
 * August 7 - Maggie Wheeler (actress)
 * August 17 - Takashi Aoyagi (scholar and voice actor)
 * August 25 - Billy Ray Cyrus (actor)
 * August 28 - Jennifer Coolidge (actress and comedian)
 * September 11 - Elizabeth Daily (voice actress)
 * September 15 - Noel MacNeal (puppeteer, screenwriter, performer, and director)
 * September 18
 * James Gandolfini (actor)
 * Andrew Airlie (actor)
 * September 20 - James Colby (actor)
 * September 22 - Bonnie Hunt (voice actress)
 * September 23 - Chi McBride (actor, singer, and songwriter)
 * September 25 - Heather Locklear (actress)
 * October 10 - Jodi Benson (actress and singer)
 * October 11 - Russ Edmonds (animator)
 * October 16 - Robert Hughes (animator, director, producer, screenwriter, and storyboard artist)
 * November 2 - K.D. Lang (singer-songwriter and occasional actress)
 * November 14 - D. B. Sweeney (voice actor)
 * November 19 - Meg Ryan (actress)
 * November 29 - Kim Delaney (actress)
 * December 10 - Nia Peeples (actress and singer)
 * December 13 - Harry Gregson-Williams (composer and songwriter)
 * December 16
 * Shane Black (screenwriter, director, producer, and actor)
 * Jon Tenney (actor)

1961