apr 17, 1961 - Bay of Pigs Invasion

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In 1961 The Bay of Pigs invasion was an unsuccessful US, backed operation to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba. The Bay of Pigs invasion was an anti-Castro exile trained and equipped by the CIA to invade Cuba and trigger an anti-communist revolution. On April 17, the Cuban-exile invasion force, known as Brigade 2506, landed at beaches along the Bay of Pigs and immediately came under heavy fire. Cuban planes strafed the invaders, sank two escort ships, and destroyed half of the exile's air support. The Bay of Pigs invasion begins when a CIA-financed and -trained group of Cuban refugees lands in Cuba and attempts to topple the communist government of Fidel Castro. The attack was an utter failure. Fidel Castro had been a concern to U.S. policymakers since he seized power in Cuba with a revolution in January 1959. The failed invasion strengthened the position of Castro's administration, which proceeded to openly proclaim its intention to adopt socialism and pursue closer ties with the Soviet Union. It also led to a reassessment of Cuba's policy by the Kennedy administration.

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