Anti-Castro Military Contacts
Sturgis maintained contacts with armed anti-Castro activists during the period surrounding the Bay of Pigs invasion and subsequent exile operations.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1961 in United States of America — Page 7
Explore 334 historical events and records for United States of America in 1961.
Historical records for United States of America in 1961
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 334 unique records.
334Unique records
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34Named events on this page
32Named people on this page
11Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Apollo Planning
Helps organise NASA management for the lunar landing goal.
Arrest of John Allen Hendrix
Arrested for stealing a car & given a choice between spending two years in prison or joining the army, Hendrix chooses the latter and enlists
Assistant Secretary of State for Defence
Appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Defence
Atlantic Free Trade Zone
Passes the Trade Expansion Act to try & establish an Atlantic Free Trade Zone
Atomic Energy Commission
Appointed 5th Chairman of the AEC
Attorney General
Appointed Attorney General
Beach Boys
The original group comprises singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love & friend Alan Jardine
Beach Boys
Helps form the Beach Boys
Beach Boys
The original group comprises singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love & friend Alan Jardine
Begins Work at Pal Recording Studio
Works at Paul Buff's Pal Recording Studio while composing and recording material for film and independent music projects.
Between Past and Future
Arendt published Between Past and Future, a collection of essays in political thought.
Birth of Barack Hussein Obama
Born at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyangoma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya, & Ann Dunham, a white American from Wichita, Kansas of English and Irish descent
Break in Diplomatic Relations with Cuba
Breaks off diplomatic relations with Cuba
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Stars in, "Breakfast at Tiffanys"
Carolyn Hester
Plays harmonica on Carolyn Hester's third album.
Carolyn Hester
Bob Dylan plays harmonica on folk singer Carolyn Hesters eponymous third album, which brings his talents to the attention of the albums producer John Hammond
Carolyn Hester
Hears Dylan's harmonica work on Carolyn Hester's album.
Carolyn Hester
Bob Dylan plays harmonica on folk singer Carolyn Hesters eponymous third album, which brings his talents to the attention of the albums producer John Hammond
Catch 22
Publication of "Catch 22"
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
The Interpen group of experienced soldiers are involved in training members of the anti-Castro groups funded by the CIA in Florida in the early 1960s
Chief of Staff
Appointed US Air Force Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
Appointed US Air Force Chief of Staff
Commits $20 billion to the sister republics in aid to Latin America
Commits $20 billion to the "sister republics" in aid to Latin America over 10 yrs
Cosmic Microwave Background
Dicke revives interest in detecting relic radiation from a hot early universe
Coup
Assures Kennedy that invasion of Cuba will result in the overthrow of Castro
Cuban Exile Operations
Sturgis became a recurring figure in federal records concerning independent and exile-backed operations directed against Castro's Cuba.
Cuban Revolutionary Council Delegate
Arcacha Smith served as the Cuban Revolutionary Council's New Orleans delegate while exile organizations prepared political and military opposition to Castro.
Discovery of Lawrencium
Helps identify lawrencium, element 103, extending the actinide series to the end of the seventh period's inner transition sequence.
Discovery of Moon
"The goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon"
Dismissal
Dismissed for circulating racist literature to his troops
Doctrine of Domino Theory
If Vietnam falls it will be impossible to hold South East Asia
Duplex
Starts a new career as a stand-up comedian, debuting in a Greenwich Village club called the Duplex
Economy of USA
Passes the Trade Expansion Act to try & establish an Atlantic Free Trade Zone
El Cid
Stars in, "El Cid"
Emmy Award Perry Mason Actor
Raymond Burr won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series for portraying defense attorney Perry Mason.
FBI
The FBI begins wiretapping King fearing that Communists are trying to infiltrate the Civil Rights Movement, when no such evidence emerges, the bureau uses incidental details caught on tape over six years in attempts to force King out of the SLCLC
Financial Secretary of Treasury
Appointed Secretary of the Treasury
Florida Training Contacts
Federal intelligence files documented Sturgis's continuing contact with Cuban exile figures involved in paramilitary training in Florida.
Franny and Zooey
Publication of "Franny and Zooey"
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.