Timeline: Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 16, 1962

Day 1: October 16

President Kennedy finds out missiles are in Cuba.

Period: Oct 16, 1962 to Oct 28, 1962

13 Days

Oct 17, 1962

Day 2: October 17

President Kennedy discusses what he should do about the missiles in Cuba.

Oct 18, 1962

Day 3: October 18

Kennedy talks with Soviet Foreign and warns him America will not allow Soviet missiles in Cuba. Gromyko denies that there are Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Oct 19, 1962

Day 4: October 19

JFK meets with Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, and some of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to talk about options.

Oct 20, 1962

Day 5: October 20

Kennedy goes back to Washington to discuss the discovery of more missiles in Cuba.

Oct 21, 1962

Day 6: October 21

A Naval Block around Cuba is ordered and approved.

Oct 22, 1962

Day 7: October 22

Kennedy informs the public of the missiles in Cuba. U.S. military go into DEFCON 3

Oct 23, 1962

Day 8: October 23

The OAS (Organization of American States) support the quarantine of Cuba. Pictures show that the missiles in Cuba are ready to launch. Kennedy and McNamara discuss options.

Oct 24, 1962

Day 9: October 24

Soviet ships reach Cuban quarantine. U.S. military go into DEFCON 2, the highest in U.S. history

Oct 25, 1962

Day 10: October 25

U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson tries to talk with Soviet at the UN but Soviet refuse.

Oct 26, 1962

Day 11: October 26

EX-COMM gets a letter from Khrushchev stating that the Soviets would remove missiles from Cuba if the U.S. promised to not invade Cuba. CIA refuses and says the construction of missiles sites will continue.

Oct 27, 1962

Day 12: October 27

U-2 spy plane is flies over Russia and is shot down over Cuba. EX-COMM receives another letter from Khrushchev stating that US will agree to not invaded Cuba and remove missiles from Turkey.