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The Crisis Begins
President Kennedy is informed about the missiles in Cuba. He and his advisors begin to make military plans. -
Period: to
Cuban Missile Crisis
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More Photos Pour in
As more photos taken from the U-2 pour in, military bases are moved to the southern United States. -
The Missile Sites
Photos show about 16 to 32 missiles on the ships and on Cuba. -
A Russian Visitor
"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." -
A Surprise 'Cold'
President Kennedy leaves on a campaign trip, but comes back early because of a fake cold. -
Kennedy's Idea
Kennedy decides to make a quarantine of Cuba to keep all other possible missle-bearing ships out of Cuba and their schelduled missile site. -
Quarantine Success
Several Soviet freighters go back to Europe. Other ships are let through, but Soviet ships are stopped. -
The Public Discovery
Kennedy asks for help from previous presidents and and establishes the Executive Comittee of the National Security Council, which meets daily during the Crisis. On TV, Kennedy announces to the U.S. about the missiles. Secreatary of State Dean Rusk tells Dobrynin. -
Letter to Khrushchev
Kennedy writes a letter to Khrushchev asking him to stop any more Soviet ships because he was afraid that he would have to fire at the Soviet ships, which could have started a severe war between the two countries. -
Quarantine in Action
Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Edwin Martin attempts to get support from the Organization of American States. The quarantine moves into position. Proclamation 3504 is issued. -
An Angry Reply
Khrushchev refuses to stop his ships, saying "You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force. Consider what you are saying! And you want to persuade me to agree to this! What would it mean to agree to these demands? It would mean guiding oneself in one's relations with other countries not by reason, but by submitting to arbitrariness." -
The Public Debate
Ambassador Adlai Stevenson (U.S.) confronts Valerian Zorin at the United Nations meeting with photographic evidence of the missiles. -
The Desperate Country
Kennedy writes another letter, urging Khrushchev to call off his ships. -
Castro for Trouble
Fidel Castro, the leader of Cuba, sends a letter to Khrushchev, telling him that he should detonate the missiles at first aggression. -
Progress in Danger
A Soviet ship was stopped at the quarantine line and searched. Nothing was found and they proceed. Photos show that the building of missile sites are quickly progressing. -
Ideas for Resolution
John Scali, ABC News reporter, is approached by Aleksander Fomin of the Soviet embassy staff with a proposal for a solution to the crisis. Later, Khrushchev sends Kennedy a letter along the same lines: removal of missiles in Cuba for lifting the quarantine and not attacking Cuba again. -
Shot Down Over Cuba
Major Rudolph Andreson, Jr. is shot down over Cuba from a U-2 plane. -
The Final Agreement
Robert Kennedy (pictured) meets secretly with Anatoly Dobrynin and they agree on the proposed theory of agreement, but the United States has to take the missiles in Turkey out as well. -
It is Over!
The crisis is officially over when Radio Moscow announces Khrushchev's letter.
