Looking Ahead

Bay of Pigs anniversary

A half-century ago on April 17, the Kennedy administration's attempt to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro with CIA-sponsored Cuban exiles began with the invasion of the Bay of Pigs on Cuba's southern coast. When the overthrow attempt failed miserably in just three days, young revolutionary Che Guevara cabled President John F. Kennedy through a proxy thanking him for strengthening the Cuban Revolution.

Green roll

On April 25, the First Family will celebrate the day after Easter with the traditional Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn. But although the tradition probably dates back to Dolley Madison in 1814, the Obamas have decided to break with a rather important part of it: This year, it won't be real eggs that the invited children will roll, but envi­ronmentally friendly wooden eggs made from sustainable forest products.

Chernobyl anniversary

With the world's eyes still fixated on Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will host an international summit on April 26 to ask for money to further enclose reactors damaged by the 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl a quarter century ago. Large protests against nuclear energy are expected around the world as Chernobyl is brought to mind by both the anniversary and the precarious state of Japan's earthquake- and tsunami-damaged reactors.

Security change

Say goodbye to the ubiquitous, color-coded Department of Homeland Security terror warning system. The DHS plans by April 27 to phase out the Homeland Security Advisory System that featured red, orange, and yellow alert levels in favor of a National Terrorism Advisory System with only two, non-color-coded levels: elevated and imminent.

Wedding bells

For celebrity enthusiasts without a ticket to what may be the wedding of the 21st century, the BBC will broadcast the April 29 nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton.