Playa Larga Beachhead Command
Oliva commands brigade forces establishing the eastern beachhead at Playa Larga.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1961 in Cuba — Page 2
Explore 76 historical events and records for Cuba in 1961.
Historical records for Cuba in 1961
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 36 of 76 unique records.
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31Named events on this page
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10Places on this page
April
San Blas Road Center Seized
Del Valle's paratroop battalion seizes the San Blas road centre and is reinforced by other brigade elements.
Sea Fury Combat Mission
Rudd flies a Sea Fury against the invasion force.
T-33 Combat Patrol
Prendes flies combat patrols against exile aircraft and shipping.
Treason
1,209 captured exiles are tried, a few executed and the rest sentenced to 30 yrs in prison for treason, after 20 months of negotiation with the USA, Cuba releases the exiles in exchange for dollars & medicine
Beachhead Counterattack Intensified
Castro orders large Cuban forces toward the beachhead while armour and aircraft increase pressure on Brigade 2506.
Beachhead Crisis Briefing
Miro Cardona and Revolutionary Council members are briefed that the beachhead is under attack by Cuban tanks and aircraft.
Invasion of Cuba
By about 10:30 on 18 April, Cuban troops and militia, supported by tanks, took Playa Larga after Brigade forces had fled towards Giron in the early hours. During the day, Brigade forces retreated to San Blas along the two roads from Covadonga and Yaguaramas. By then, both Fidel Castro and Jose Ramon Fernandez had re-located to that battlefront area
Invasion of Cuba
By about 10:30 on 18 April, Cuban troops and militia, supported by tanks, took Playa Larga after Brigade forces had fled towards Giron in the early hours. During the day, Brigade forces retreated to San Blas along the two roads from Covadonga and Yaguaramas. By then, both Fidel Castro and Jose Ramon Fernandez had re-located to that battlefront area
Playa Larga Recaptured
Fernandez directs Cuban troops that retake Playa Larga and force a brigade retreat.
Playa Larga Recaptured
Fernandez leads Cuban forces that retake Playa Larga.
Air Defense of Cuba
Rafael del Pino is separately recorded during air defense of cuba at Bay of Pigs.
Air Defense of Cuba
Flies a Cuban T-33 during air combat against Bay of Pigs invasion aircraft.
Air Defense of Cuba
Flies a Cuban Sea Fury during air combat against Bay of Pigs invasion aircraft.
Bay of Pigs Victory Secured
Cuban forces under Castro's command defeat the remaining Brigade 2506 resistance at the Bay of Pigs.
C-46 Resupply Landing
Navarro lands a C-46 at Playa Giron, unloads badly needed supplies and assists evacuation of wounded personnel.
Emergency Resupply Requested
Perez San Roman urgently requests an aircraft landing with ammunition and evacuation space for wounded brigade members.
Playa Giron Resupply Co-Pilot
Pellon serves as co-pilot on the C-46 that successfully lands supplies at Playa Giron.
Withdrawal toward Playa Giron Organised
Oliva helps organise withdrawing brigade elements as Cuban forces close on the remaining invasion positions.
Brigade 2506 Field Command
Perez San Roman serves as field commander of Brigade 2506 for the planned amphibious assault.
Brigade Air Force Command
Villafana commands the exile air arm supporting Brigade 2506 operations.
Brigade Chief of Staff Duties
Ferrer Mena serves as chief of staff for Brigade 2506 during final invasion preparations.
Brigade Deputy Command
Oliva serves as deputy commander of Brigade 2506 as the force prepares for the invasion.
Brigade Prisoners Held after Defeat
Castro's government imprisons most surviving Brigade 2506 members captured after the invasion.
First Paratroop Battalion Command
Del Valle commands the Brigade 2506 First Paratroop Battalion before the airborne phase of the invasion.
Fourth Armoured Battalion Command
Bacallao Ponte commands the Brigade 2506 armoured battalion assigned to the invasion force.
Heavy Gun Battalion Command
Roberto Perez San Roman commands the Brigade 2506 heavy-gun battalion.
Political Leader Assigned to Main Force
Artime is designated as the exile political leader expected to enter Cuba with the main invasion force.
Second Infantry Battalion Command
Sueiro Rios commands the Brigade 2506 Second Infantry Battalion.
May
Constitution of Cuba
Castro forms a dictatorship & declares himself to be a Marxist-Leninist. As hundreds of thousands celebrate May Day, Castro announces Cuba is a socialist nation & abolishes elections
Dictatorship
Castro forms a dictatorship & declares himself to be a Marxist-Leninist
Election
As hundreds of thousands celebrate May Day, Castro announces Cuba is a socialist nation & abolishes elections
May Day
As hundreds of thousands celebrate May Day, Castro announces Cuba is a socialist nation & abolishes elections
October
Nationalization
The revolutionary government nationalizes most remaining large private businesses
Other events (month unknown)
Constitution of Cuba
Appointed a member of the National Leadership of the Integrated Revolutionary PO Organisations
Integrated Revolutionary PO
Appointed a member of the National Leadership of the Integrated Revolutionary PO Organisations
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.