1961 in Norway

• Monarch – Olav V.^[1]
• Prime Minister – Einar Gerhardsen (Labour Party)

• 12 January – Princess Astrid marries Johan Martin Ferner.
• March – Ingrid Bjerkås, ordained as first female minister in the Church of Norway
• 15 April – The Socialist People's Party was founded.
• 9 August – Holtaheia Accident: A British passenger plane crashes in Strand Municipality in Rogaland. All 39 passengers aboard, including 34 children, are killed.
• 11 September – The 1961 Parliamentary election takes place.

• 2 January – Ole Bremseth, ski jumper.^[2]
• 4 January – Kristin Kloster Aasen, sports leader.^[3]
• 5 January – Bjørnar Laabak, politician.^[4]
• 7 January – Irene Johansen, politician
• 8 January – Tore Hagebakken, politician.^[5]
• 11 January
  • Carl Morten Amundsen, dramaturg and theatre director.^[6]
  • Vegard Opaas, ski jumper.^[7]
• 13 January – Sinikka Langeland, traditional folk singer and musician.^[8]
• 15 January – Guttorm Schjelderup, economist.^[9]
• 16 January – Kenneth Sivertsen, guitarist, singer and composer (died 2006).^[10]
• 18 January – Linn Siri Jensen, handball goalkeeper and coach.^[11]
• 29 January – Per Axel Koch, media executive.^[12]

• 3 February – Karoline Frogner, filmmaker, photographer and writer.^[13]
• 4 February
  • Kristin Midthun, handball player.^[14]
  • Kari Veiteberg, bishop.^[15]
• 12 February – Knut Reiersrud, blues guitarist.^[16]
• 14 February – Raymond Johansen, politician.^[17]
• 21 February – Per Arne Olsen, politician.^[18]
• 22 February (in Switzerland) – Rolf Thorsen, competition rower.^[19]
• 24 February – Erna Solberg, Prime Minister.^[20]
• 28 February – Bjørn-Inge Larsen, physician and civil servant.^[21]

• 3 March
  • Anita Hegerland, singer
  • Knut Nærum, comedian, author and comics writer.^[22]
• 6 March – Knut Hjeltnes, architect.^[23]
• 7 March – Øystein Jarlsbo, ice hockey player.^[24]
• 8 March – Odd W. Surén, writer.^[25]
• 12 March – Erik Kristiansen, ice hockey player.^[26]
• 18 March
  • Ingvild Bryn, journalist and news anchor
  • Kyrre Nakkim, journalist
• 19 March – Rune Bratseth, footballer.^[27]
• 22 March
  • Arne Bergseng, ice hockey player.^[28]
  • Bente Pedersen, novelist.^[29]
• 23 March
  • Eivind Aarset, guitarist.^[30]
  • Jørgen Sigurd Lien, software developer
• 24 March – Henning Warloe, politician.^[31]
• 28 March
  • Herborg Finnset, bishop.^[32]
  • Åsne Havnelid, businessperson and sports official.^[33]
• 30 March – Per Arne Nilsen, sailor.^[34]

• 6 April – Dag Hopen, cyclist.^[35]
• 12 April
  • Henry Nilsen, speed skater.^[36]
  • Torfinn Opheim, politician.^[37]
• 14 April – Hilde Britt Mellbye, businesswoman.
• 22 April – Atle Norstad, bobsledder.^[38]
• 25 April – Truls Mørk, cellist.^[39]
• 29 April – Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass, cross-country skier.^[40]

• 5 May – Tore Johnsen, athlete.^[41]
• 6 May – Geir Bergkastet, cultural director.^[42]
• 9 May – Odd Reidar Humlegård, civil servant.^[43]
• 12 May – André Krogsæter, footballer.^[44]
• 23 May – Pål Brekke, astrophysicist
• 30 May – Erik Thyness, judge.^[45]
• 31 May – Ove Lemicka, politician.^[46]

• 5 June – Kjetil Osvold, footballer.^[47]
• 9 June – Ragnhild Bratberg, orienteering competitor and a cross country skier.^[48]
• 21 June – Rolf Morgan Hansen, cyclist.^[49]
• 22 June – Asbjørn Schaathun, composer.^[50]
• 26 June – Kari Ofstad, canoeist.^[51]
• 28 June – Ann-Magrit Austenå, journalist and organizational leader.^[52]

• 8 July – Karl Seglem, jazz musician.^[53]
• 12 July – Espen Andersen, Nordic combined skier.^[54]
• 13 July
  • John Hugo Pedersen, ice hockey player.^[55]
  • Kjetil Rolness, sociologist and writer.^[56]
• 23 July – Akhtar Chaudhry, politician.^[57]
• 25 July
  • Johan H. Andresen Jr., industrialist and investor.^[58]
  • Petter Thoresen, ice hockey player.^[59]

• 1 August – Marianne Andreassen, civil servant.^[60]
• 12 August
  • Kristin Krohn Devold, politician.^[61]
  • Ingrid Heggø, politician.^[62]
• 19 August – Frank Vestreng, ice hockey player.^[63]
• 27 August
  • Anders Giæver, journalist.^[64]
  • Margit Tveiten, diplomat.^[65]
• 28 August – Kim Leine, writer.^[66]
• 29 August – Signy Fardal, magazine editor.^[67]

• 6 September – Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, A-ha lead guitarist
• 8 September – Espen Borge, middle-distance runner.^[68]
• 11 September – Birgit Oline Kjerstad, politician.^[69]
• 13 September – Leif Johan Sevland, politician.^[70]
• 18 September – Linn Stokke, actress, singer and writer.^[71]
• 25 September – Fridtjof Thoen, judoka.^[72]

• 3 October – Bård Eker, industrial designer.^[73]
• 6 October – Ib Thomsen, politician.^[74]
• 8 October – Rune Lorentsen, wheelchair curler.^[75]
• 18 October – Rolf Einar Fife, diplomat.^[76]
• 20 October – Audun Kleive, jazz drummer.^[77]
• 21 October – Arve Lønnum Jr., politician.^[78]
• 24 October – Gunnar Stavrum, newspaper editor.^[79]
• 27 October – Mia Gundersen, singer and actress.^[80]

• 4 November – Olaug Bollestad, politician.^[81]
• 12 November – Tomas Espedal, writer.^[82]
• 20 November – Ingeborg Midttømme, bishop.^[83]
• 24 November – Brit Pettersen, cross-country skier.^[84]

• 3 December – Dag Usterud, sailor.^[85]
• 14 December – Guri Schanke, singer and actress.^[86]
• 16 December – Anders B. Werp, politician.^[87]
• 19 December – Anne Kristine Linnestad, politician.^[88]
• 24 December – Gaute Larsen, football manager.^[89]
• 25 December – Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo, biathlete and cross-country skier.^[90]
• 30 December – Rolf Lislevand, lute player.^[91]

• Espen Bergh, judge.^[92]
• Leiv Lunde, politician.^[93]
• Cecilie Mauritzen, oceanographer.^[94]
• Rune Rebne, composer.^[95]

• 23 January – Andreas Baalsrud, engineer (b. 1872)^[96]
• 3 March – Henny Astrup, actress (b. 1876)^[97]
• 13 March – Lise Lindbæk, war correspondent (b. 1905).^[98]
• 27 March – Jacob Pedersen, track and field athlete (b. 1889)
• 2 April – Arne Torolf Strøm, politician (b. 1901)
• 26 April – Anna Sethne, educator (born 1872).^[99]
• 2 May – Petter Jamvold, sailor and Olympic gold medallist (b. 1899)
• 24 May – Rachel Grepp, journalist and politician (b. 1879)^[100]
• 7 June – Harald Gram, jurist, politician and genealogist (b. 1887)
• 8 June – Olav Bjaaland, ski champion and polar explorer (b. 1873)
• 9 June – Arnstein Arneberg, architect (b.1882)^[101]
• 30 June – Lars Sverkeson Romundstad, politician (b. 1885)
• 14 August – Thomas Aas, sailor and Olympic gold medallist (b. 1887)
• 16 September – Johanne Samueline Pedersen, politician (b. 1887)
• 17 September – Henrik Ameln, jurist and politician (b. 1879)
• 25 September – Olav Gullvåg, playwright, novelist, poet and editor (b. 1885)^[102]
• 3 October – Anne Grimdalen, sculptor (b. 1899)
• 17 October – Jens Olai Steffensen, politician (b. 1891)
• 7 November – Johan Andreas Lippestad, NS politician (born 1902).^[103]
• 9 November – Ferdinand Bie, long jumper and Olympic gold medallist (b. 1888).^[104]
• 13 November – Herman Smitt Ingebretsen, politician (b. 1891)
• 20 November – Kitty Wentzel, writer, journalist (born 1868).^[105]
• 21 November – Hjalmar Olai Storeide, politician (b. 1901)
• 22 November – Ole Hallesby, Lutheran neo-orthodox pietist (b. 1879)
• 2 December – Sven Sømme, zoologist and ichthyologist (born 1904).^[106]
• 4 December – Ingvar Wedervang, economist and statistician (b. 1891)
• 12 December – Hauk Aabel, comedian and actor (b. 1867)^[107]
• 26 December – Kristofer Uppdal, poet and author (b. 1878)^[108]

• Haakon Hauan, politician and Minister (b.1871)
• Lars Høgvold, ski jumper (b.1888)
• Kristian Løken, military officer (b.1884)
• Niels Nielsen, sailor and Olympic silver medallist (b.1883)
• Vaadjuv Nyqvist, sailor and Olympic silver medallist (b.1902)
• Arnold Rørholt, military officer (b.1884)
• Olav Martinus Knutsen Steinnes, politician and Minister (b.1886)