Magnus Ilmjärv

Magnus Ilmjärv, Estonian historian and author

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Born: August 31, 1961
Age in 2026: 65
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Birth year: 1961

About Magnus Ilmjärv

Magnus Ilmjärv (born 31 August 1961 in Viljandi) is an Estonian historian. He graduated from the University of Tartu cum laude in 1988 and defended his MA thesis in 1997. In June 2004 he defended his PhD at the University of Helsinki. Since 2006, Ilmjärv has been the director of the Estonian Institute of History (Estonian: Ajaloo Instituut). He specializes in Baltic history and international relations between two World Wars. His most notable work is arguably the Silent Submission, which covers the loss of independence of the three Baltic states. In Estonia, he is probably best known for his harsh criticism on the Estonian leadership in 1940, incl. Konstantin Päts.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when Magnus Ilmjärv was born

Magnus Ilmjärv was born in 1961. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1961

#1 song"Tossin' and Turnin'" – Bobby Lewis
Top movieWest Side Story
Top TV showGunsmoke
Best-selling bookCatch-22 – Joseph Heller

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentRoger Maris hits 61 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth's record
Top headlineYuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space
Technology milestoneYuri Gagarin becomes first human in space
Defining fadSurfing culture
Notable inventionValium
World population3.08 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderJohn F. Kennedy
Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
U.S. population183.7M

1961 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Magnus Ilmjärv's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1961	2026
Gas	$0.31	$3.45/gal
Average home	$12,500	$435,000
Average income	$7,600	$67,500
Minimum wage	$1.15	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.69	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.04	$0.73
Population	183.7M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Library of Congress. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.