-
Day 1: Ex-Comm Had Its First Meeting
The day before, a U2 skyplane discovered Soviet missiles in Ex-Comm, a group of American political leaders, met to discuss them for the first time. It would meet several more times throughout the crisis and its members rarely agreed on what to do. -
Period: to
Cuban Missile Crisis -- 13 Days
-
Day 2: Photos Showed Evidence of Long-Range Missiles
Photos of the missile sites were analyzed and showed that Cuba also had long-range Soviet missiles capable of traveling 2,200 miles. There were 16 to 32 of them. After attending a service at St. Matthew's Cathedral and having lunch with Crown Prince Hassan of Libya, President Kennedy made a political visit to Connecticut in support of Democratic congressional candidates. -
Day 3: Robert Kennedy Met With Soviet Foreign Minister Andrea Gromyko
Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko Attorney General Robert Kennedy did not mention the missiles when he met with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko. Gromyko told him the only help the Soviet Union was giving to Cuba was assistance growing crops and missiles that were only for defense. Kennedy warned Gromyko that serious consequences would occur if significant Soviet weapons were introduced into Cuba. -
Day 4: Ex-Comm Suggested Quarantining Cuba
Ex-Comm met and discussed sending U.S. ships to prevent Soviets from reaching the island. They called this a "quarantine" because a blockade is an act of war. President Kennedy left for Ohio and Illinois for a scheduled campeign trip. -
Day 5: Robert Kennedy Gave Ex-Comm's Recommendation to the President
Robert Kennedy told President Kennedy about the quarantine. President Kennedy was in Chicago, but lied about having a cold, so he could return to Washington and deal with the crisis. After five hours of discussion with top advisors, he decided on the quarantine. -
Day 6: Ted Sorenson Wrote One of the Most Important Speeches President Kennedy Ever Gave
Ted Sorenson wrote a speech which President Kennedy delivered to the nation. This speech informed Americans that there were Soviet missiles pointing at them in Cuba. This was one of the most frightening speeches a president has ever given. -
Day 7: President Kennedy Gave a Televised Speech to the Nation
Preisdent Kennedy delivered his famous speech. In it, he told Americans he had ordered a navy quarantine around Cuba and ordered the Soviets to remove the missiles. -
Day 8: Soviet Ships on Their Way to Cuba Were Stopped
Khrushchev ordered Soviet ships on their way to Cuba in the Atlantic to stop about 750 miles away. This prevented a confrontation with U.S. ships around Cuba. However, Soviet submarines trailed behind U.S. ships as they moved into place. -
Day 9: Khrushchev Refuses to Remove the Missiles from Cuba
Khrushchev said the U.S. would fail to intimidate the Soviets, so he would not remove the missiles. He accused Kennedy of putting the world at risk of having a nuclear war because of the quarantine. -
Day 10: Kennedy Ordered increased Flights Over to Cuba
Because he was making no success with Khrushchev, President Kennedy ordered flights over Cuba to be increased from once to twice a day. As the U.S. monitored the Cuban missiles, pilots prepared for night flights. U.N. Secretary General U Thant called for a cooling off period, but President Kennedy declined because it would leave the missiles in place. -
Day 11: The U.S. Began Discussions About Invading Cuba
Ex-Comm discussed invading Cuba to take control of the missiles if the Soviets didn't remove them first. This would most definitely result in nuclear war. In a private letter, Fidel Castro urged Khrushchev to initiate a nuclear first strike at the U.S. should they try to invade Cuba. -
Day 12: President Kennedy Agreed to Not Invade Cuba
Khrushchev said that he would agree to remove the missiles if the U.S. didn't invade Cuba. Kennedy agreed to this. He also secretly agreed to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. The world now had to wait and see if Khrushchev would accept the arrangement and bring the crisis to an end. -
Day 13: Khrushchev Agreed to Remove the Missiles
Khrushchev gave a speech on Radio Moscow, saying he had agreed to Kennedy's arrangement. The missiles were removed and Cuba was not invaded. The thirteen days, marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban Missile Crisis, had ended.
