A plan to overthrow Castro was presented to the new U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, soon after his inauguration in 1961. CIA agents had been secretly training Cuban exiles to invade their homeland. They thought the Cuban people would welcome such an invasion and rise up to overthrow Castro. Kennedy agreed to the invasion plan -- but demanded crucial changes to hide U.S. involvement.

On April 15, 1961, six U.S. bombers disguised as Cuban aircraft took off from Nicaragua and attacked Cuban airfields -- but caused only minimal damage. The next day, a CIA-trained force of 1,500 guerrillas arrived at the Bay of Pigs, 125 miles south of Havana. But their plans soon turned into disaster.

Kennedy, now faced with international condemnation for the bombing, canceled additional air support for the invasion. Castro's remaining air force quickly destroyed ships carrying vital ammunition supplies for the invaders. Without American air support or supply, the invasion force was quickly outnumbered and outmaneuvered. All of the invaders were captured or dead within 72 hours.
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