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October 16, 1962. The beginning of 13 days
President Kennedy discuss on how to respond the challenge. Two principal courses are offered: an air strike and invasion, or a naval quarantine with the threat of further military action. -
Period: to
13 days of Cuban Missile Crisis
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October 17, 1962. Day 2
American military units begin moving to bases in the Southeastern U.S. President Kennedy attends a brief service at St. Matthew's Cathedral in observance of the National Day. -
October 18, 1962. Day 3
President Kennedy is visited by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, who asserts that Soviet aid to Cuba is purely defensive and does not represent a threat to the United States. -
October 19, 1962. Day 4
President Kennedy leaves for a scheduled campaign trip to Ohio and Illinois. In Washington, his advisers continue the debate over the necessary and appropriate course of action. -
October 20, 1962. Day 5
Plans for deploying naval units are drawn and work is begun on a speech to notify the American people. -
October 21, 1962. Day 6
President meets with General Walter Sweeney of the Tactical Air Command who tells him that an air strike could not guarantee 100% destruction of the missiles. -
October 22, 1962. Day 7
Meetings to coordinate all actions continue. Kennedy formally establishes the Executive Committee of the National Security Council and instructs it to meet daily during the crisis. -
October 23, 1962. Day 8
The ships of the naval quarantine fleet move into place around Cuba. Soviet submarines threaten the quarantine by moving into the Caribbean area. Soviet freighters bound for Cuba with military supplies stop dead in the water, but the oil tanker Bucharest continues towards Cuba. -
October 24, 1962. Day 9
Chairman Khrushchev replies indignantly to President Kennedy's October 23 -
October 25, 1962. Day 10
Soviet freighters turn and head back to Europe. The Bucharest, carrying only petroleum products, is allowed through the quarantine line. U.N. Secretary General U Thant calls for a cooling off period, which is rejected by Kennedy because it would leave the missiles in place. -
October 26, 1962. Day 11
A Soviet-chartered freighter is stopped at the quarantine line and searched for contraband military supplies. None are found and the ship is allowed to proceed to Cuba. -
October 27, 1962. Day 12
Over Cuba, An American U-2 plane is shot down by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile and the pilot, Major Rudolph Anderson, is killed. -
October 28, 1962. Last day of 13 days
The thirteen days marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban missile crisis end. Radio Moscow announces that the Soviet Union has accepted the proposed solution and releases the text of a Khrushchev letter affirming that the missiles will be removed in exchange for a non-invasion pledge from the United States.
