Movies set in 1961
18th Llewyn Davis sells a novelty song for $200
2nd humans make contact with aliens
12th Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person in space
12th Yuri Gagarin becomes the first person to orbit the earth
15th the Bay of Pigs in Cuba is invaded
6th London burns
16th Rudolf Nureyev defects from Russia, seeking asylum in France
4th New York freezes
12th Eddy, David and Bobby are born
16th Dodd Mitchell Darin is born