U.S. troops invade Grenada on Oct. 25, 1983, after anti-U.S. Marxists execute the nation’s more moderate Marxist leader, Maurice Bishop. Up to 1,000 Americans are on the Caribbean island, most of them medical students. President Ronald Reagan labels the invasion a rescue operation. However, the United States has been worried for several years that Grenada is moving closer to Cuba and the Soviet Union. Reagan notifies Congress late on the day the invasion occurs; legislators dispute whether that meets War Powers Act rules. On Nov. 1, Congress imposes a 60-day limit on troop involvement. The military operation ends Nov. 2. Interim leadership is installed. Free elections are held in a year.