-
Air Force Pilot Richard Heyser flies a spyplane over Cuba to takes photos of Russian missiles. The Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev asked Cuba President Fidel Castro if he could place them there around May.
-
Ex-Comm, a group of American political leaders meet for the first time to discuss Soviet missiles. Ex-Comm would meet several times throughout the crisis. The members of the group would rarely agree on what to do.
-
More photos of the missile sites are found and show that Cuba also has long-range Soviet missiles that are capable of traveling 2,200 miles
-
Attorney General Robert Kennedy had a scheduled meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, but does not mention anything about the missiles. Gromyko informs Kennedy that the only help the Soviet Union is giving to Cuba is assistance growing crops and missiles that are only for defense
-
Ex-Comm meet and discussed the idea of sending U.S. ships to Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from reaching the island. They were careful to call it a "quarantine" because a blockade is an act of war.
-
After meeting all day the previous day, Robert Kennedy tells the president that Ex-Comm recommended a quarantine. President Kennedy was in Chicago, but lied about having a cold so that he can return to Washington to deal with the crisis.
-
Ted Sorenson writes the speech that Kennedy will give to the nation. Informing Americans that the Soviets have missiles in Cuba that are pointed at the U.S. will be an important moment in American history and one of the most frightening speech as president ever gives.
-
President Kennedy gives a speech that is carried live on television stations to inform Americans that missiles have been discovered in Cuba. He tells Americans that he has ordered a Navy quarantine around Cuba and orders the Soviets to remove the missiles.
-
Khrushchev orders Soviet ships on their way to Cuba to stop in the Atlantic about 750 miles away. This prevents a confrontation with U.S. ships that are around Cuba, although Soviet submarines trailed behind the U.S. ships as they moved into place.
-
Saying that the U.S. will not intimidate the Soviets, Khrushchev refuses to remove the missiles from Cuba. He also accused Kennedy of putting the world at risk of a nuclear war by ordering the quarantine.
-
Making no progress with his communications with Khrushchev, Kennedy orders flights over Cuba to be increased from once to twice per day. Pilots also prepare to begin night flights?
-
Concerned that the Soviets may not remove the missiles from Cuba, Ex-Comm begins to discuss plans to invade Cuba to take control of the missiles. Doing this would most likely result in war.
-
After Khrushchev says that he will remove the missiles from Cuba if Kennedy promises not to invade Cuba, Kennedy agrees to the proposal. He also secretly agrees to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. The world goes to bed that night waiting to see if Khrushchev will accept the arrangement and bring the crisis to an end.
-
Khrushchev gives a speech on Radio Moscow and says that he has agreed to Kennedy's arrangement. The missiles will be removed, Cuba will not be invaded, and the crisis comes to an end.
