Timeline April 1961

Events in April 1961 6

• 1895 – 1961 Zog I of Albania (1895-1961) Died 9 April 1961, aged 65 Self-proclaimed King of Albania from 1928 until Italy's invasion forced him into exile in 1939. He spent his remaining years in exile in England and France, never returning to Albania.
• 1961 Gagarin in space First human orbit Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, completing one orbit of Earth in 108 minutes aboard Vostok 1.
• 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion Failed CIA-backed invasion of Cuba A brigade of Cuban exiles trained and financed by the CIA landed at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Fidel Castro's government. Cuban forces defeated the invasion within three days, embarrassing the Kennedy administration and pushing Cuba closer to the Soviet Union.
• 1961 Algiers putsch French generals attempt coup over Algerian independence talks Four retired French generals led a failed military coup in Algiers to prevent President de Gaulle from negotiating Algerian independence. The putsch collapsed within days after conscript soldiers refused to back it, weakening the pro-French Algeria movement.
• 1961 Sierra Leone independence Ends British colonial rule Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom, becoming a self-governing dominion within the Commonwealth. Milton Margai became the country's first Prime Minister.
• 1961 – present Isiah Thomas Zeke Leader of the Detroit "Bad Boys" Pistons; 2-time NBA champion.