Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, April 17.
In 1961, U.S. invasion forces with the help of Brigade 2506 – which consisted of Cuban exiles – storm the Bay of Pigs in an effort to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. While the invasion kicked off during the Kennedy administration, the plan was devised years in advance during the Eisenhower administration. Diplomatic tensions had been bubbling between the neighboring countries for decades, with the U.S. constantly seeking regime change. This invasion in particular only added gas to the fire, especially amid rumors that the Cubans knew that the invasion was coming. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a disaster, with all of Brigade 2506 being either killed or captured, and 4 U.S. service members killed. This only emboldened Castro as he strengthens ties with the Soviet Union. The following year, the world would be held hostage under the closest situation we had ever gotten to total nuclear war: the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In 1962, the Ford Mustang is introduced to the world and goes on sale during the World’s Fair in New York. The classic American car sold 400,000 of this model within one year of production. Models throughout the decades can be seen driving on the roads today.