1961 in Brazil

Events in the year 1961 in Brazil.

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

January

 * January 31: Jânio Quadros becomes the 22nd President of Brazil, succeeding Juscelino Kubitschek.

August

 * August 25-September 7: The Legality Campaign takes place, which aims to defend the inauguration of João Goulart as President of Brazil.
 * 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.

September

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

November

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

December

 * December 17: An arson fire at the Niterói circus, kills more than 300 people and becomes the worst fire disaster in Brazilian history.
 * 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.

January

 * January 1 – Rita Camata, politician and journalist

March

 * 7 March – Miguel Nicolelis, scientist

September

 * 8 September – Fernanda Abreu, singer

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)