Significant Events during the month include the election of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American in the Major Leagues, into the Baseball Hall of Fame (1/23); the commissioning of the United States Navy SEALs (1/8), and the signing of a trade pact between Cuba and the Soviet Union (1/9) – this economic alliance between the two communist countries would morph into a global Cold War crisis later in the year.
In entertainment, future comedian-actor Jim Carrey is born (1/17). On the pop music charts, The Twist by Chubby Checker rises to No. 1 on January 13, after previously topping on September 19, 1960, the largest return gap in music history. 
The original release spawned a dance music craze that lasted into the mid-60s; 14 various twist recordings by different artists land in the top ten throughout the year. Other top ten recordings peaking this month include The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens, Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen by Neil Sedaka, Unchain My Heart by Ray Charles, and When I Fall in Love by The Lettermen.
Moviegoers make two Broadway musical adaptations, Flower Drum Song and West Side Story (the latter in its exclusive roadshow engagements, only playing in major cities) the top two grossing movies of the month. The Leonard Berstein-Stephen Sondheim musical would dominate the box office for months (a new version, directed by Steven Spielberg, was finally released in the Fall of 2021 after pandemic delays, becoming a critical success but a notorious flop at the box office). Other January hits include the 1961 holdovers El Cid, King of Kings, and ’62 newcomer Murder She Said, a surprise art-house sleeper.
