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Castro becomes the leader of Cuba
After years of poor leadership and fighting, Fidel Castro was able to take over Cuba as its leader. He immediately calls for an end to all special privileges for US citizens. -
Kennedy is Elected
Kennedy defeated Nixon and became the youngest US president ever. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
CIA trained Cuban exiles land at the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Castro and take over the island of Cuba. The US was quickly implicated in this failed invasion, intensifying the conflict between the US and Cuba as well as the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
US intelligence discovers that the Soviets have placed missiles capable of launching a nuclear attack on the United States in Cuba. 13 days of intense negotiations result in the removal of US weapons from Turkey and the removal of the Soviet weapons from Cuba.