THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

​The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (1962) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (October 16 – November 20, 1962) confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.

​It escalated into an international crisis when American deployments of missiles in Italy and Turkey. In response, the Soviet Union deployed similar ballistic missiles in Cuba.
​
Despite the short time frame, the Cuban Missile Crisis remains a defining moment in American national security and nuclear war preparation. The confrontation is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale conflict, nuclear war. It began a series of clashes between atomic states, beginning with the Korean War and continuing with Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen.

---

FIDEL CASTRO ASSUMES POWER

JAN 1ST 1959

​Fidel Castro assumes power after the Cuban Revolution.

CUBA ALIGNS WITH THE SOVIET UNION

DEC 19TH 1960

​Cuba openly aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies.

US TERMINATES DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

JAN 3RD 1961

​The U.S. terminates diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.

INVASION ON THE BAY OF PIG'S

APRIL 17TH 1961

​A group of US-backed Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in what became a failed attempt to trigger an anti-Castro rebellion.

​USSR & US HOLD SUMMIT TALKS

​JUNE 3/4 1961

​Nikita Khrushchev and John F Kennedy held summit talks in Vienna, Austria, with regards to the Cuban Missile Crisis

​EVIDENCE OF MISSILES IN CUBA

​AUGUST 31 1962

​US Senator Kenneth Keating informs the US Senate that there is evidence of Soviet missile installations in Cuba

​SOVIET UNION WARNS THE USA

SEPT 11 1962

​Soviet Foreign Minister, Andrei Gromyko, Makes a statement in which he warns that an attack by the USA on Cuba soil could mean war with the Soviet Union

​US SPY PLANE OVER CUBA

OCT 14 1962

​An American U-2 spy plane flew over western Cuba and obtained photographs of Soviet missile sites being constructed.

​KENNEDY ADVISED TO CONDUCT IMMEDIATE AIR STRIKES ON CUBA.

OCT 14 - 17 1962

​The US Joint Chiefs of Staff strongly advised US President John F Kennedy to conduct an air strike based upon the evidence seen ( these discussions are referred to as the EX-COMM's briefings)

​GROMYKO ASSURES KENNEDY.

OCT 18 1962

​Andrei Gromyko, the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs (1957–1985), assured Kennedy that all Soviet Cuban aid had been delivered only for the "defensive capabilities of Cuba."

​CONGRESS SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

OCT 22 1962

​US Congressional leaders are shown the photographic evidence collected by the U-2 spy plane, the Soviet missile installations in Cuba and the President addresses the nation in a televised broadcast regarding the Cuban crisis.

​DEFCON 3

OCT 22 1962

​The U.S. military is forced to raise its Defence Condition to level 3 (DEFCON 3)

​KENNEDY RECEIVES A LETTER FOR KHRUSHCHEV

OCT 23 1962

​Kennedy receives a letter from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in which Khrushchev states that there is a "serious threat to the peace and security of peoples." Robert Kennedy speaks with Ambassador Dobrynin

​FLEET OF SOVIET SHIPS HEAD TO CUBA

OCT 24 1962

​A fleet of Soviet ships en route to Cuba reverses their course except for one. This forces the US Military to raise its Defence Condition. We are now at DEFCON 2

​KENNEDY SEND LETTER TO KHRUSHCHEV

OCT 25 1962

​US President John F Kennedy sends a letter to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. In this letter, Kennedy placed the responsibility for the crisis on the Soviet Union.

​MISSILE REMOVAL IS PROPOSED

OCT 26 1962

​Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev sent a letter to US President Kennedy proposing to remove his missiles if Kennedy publicly announced never to invade Cuba.

​SPY PLANE SHOT DOWN OVER CUBA

​OCT 27 1962

​An American U-2 Spy Plane is shot down over Cuba. The pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson, was killed.

​US SPY PLANE INTERCEPTED.

OCT 27 1962

​A U-2 Spy Plane strayed into Soviet airspace near Alaska; Soviet fighters nearly intercepted the U-2.

​KENNEDY PLEDGES NOT TO INVADE CUBA

OCT 27 1962

​US President John F Kennedy sent Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev a letter stating that he would make a statement that the U.S. would not invade Cuba if Khrushchev removed the missiles from Cuba.

​THE END OF THE CRISIS

OCT 28 1962

​Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced on Radio Moscow that he had agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba.

In return, the US has agreed to withdraw US nuclear missiles from Turkey. These actions brought an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.