Today in History: JFK on the Bay of Pigs

On April 21, 1961, President John F. Kennedy accepts 'sole responsibility' for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

“There's an old saying that victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an orphan...I've said as much as I feel can be usefully said by me in regard to the events of the past few days. Further statements, detailed discussions, are not to conceal responsibility, because I'm the responsible officer of the government, but merely because I, and that is quite obvious, but merely because I do not believe that such a discussion would benefit us during the present difficult situation.”

Thanks to WNYC Archivist Andy Lanset