In January 1964, Castro returned to Moscow, officially to sign a new five-year sugar trade agreement, but also to discuss the ramifications of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Castro was deeply concerned by the assassination, believing that a far right conspiracy was behind it but that the Cubans would be blamed.
Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman, on January 25, 1964. The company initially operated in Eugene as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Phil Knight's automobile.