The Bay of Pigs invasion was an attempt by Cuban exiles, trained and financed by the American Central Intelligence Agency, to overthrow Fidel Castro's government. The force landed at Playa Giron and Playa Larga on Cuba's southern coast, hoping to spark a wider uprising. The plan had been prepared under President Eisenhower and was approved by his successor, John F. Kennedy, who limited American air support. Castro's forces, led personally by the Cuban leader, defeated the invaders within a few days, and the survivors were captured and later released in exchange for food and medicine. The failure embarrassed the Kennedy administration and pushed Cuba closer to the Soviet Union, setting the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Before and after
- 7 March 1961Birth of Sanae Takaichi
- 23 March 1961Construction of National Library of Australia
- 3 April 1961Birth of Eddie Murphy
- 12 April 1961Launch of Vostok 1
- from 17 April 1961 to 19 April 1961Bay of Pigs invasion
- 18 April 1961Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations
- 29 April 1961Founding of WWF International
- May 1961Nirenberg and Matthaei crack the first word of the genetic code
- 4 May 1961Founding of Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 12 March 1947 to 25 December 1991Cold War
- from 3 April 1948 to 1 December 1951Marshall Plan
- 10 December 1948Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- 26 July 1953Cuban Revolution
- from 14 October 1962 to 28 October 1962Cuban Missile Crisis
- 26 December 1991Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.