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U-2 Plane
October 14th, 1962, a US U-2 aircraft captures several photos of nuclear MRBMs and IRBMs in Cuba. About 80 miles of the coast of Florida. -
Period: to
Cuban Missle Crisis
Height of the cold war - the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war. -
EX-COMM
President Kennedy is now informed of the current developments. He then calls for a meeting between necessary secretaries and top advisors to discuss possible actions to be taken (Do nothing, blockade, air strike, invasion, diplomacy). This group will eventually be referred to as EX-COMM. -
October 18, 1962
President Kennedy meets with Soviet Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Gromyko. He assaures the President that the only Soviet aid given to Cuba is only for defense capabilities. Only a day before, another U-2 plane finds more nuclear silos, some operational. -
EX-COMM
President Kennedy meets again with EX-COMM. Advisors and the President are discussing possible actions to be taken. In the end, President Kennedy orders a quarantine. -
October 22, 1962 - DEFCON 3
Address to the nation President Kennedy informs fellow citizens on current developments in Cuba. U.S. military forces now on DEFCON 3. -
October 23, 1962
Quarantine is now effective against Cuba. Chairman Khrushchev sends a letter to President Kennedy, establishing a line of communication for negotiations. -
October 24, 1962
Military forces now on DEFCON 2, highest ever in US history. In addition, world brought to the brink of nuclear war when US ship fires a warning shot to Soviet sub. Unknown at the time, the sub was armed with a nuclear war head. -
October 26, 1962
EX-COMM discusses possible withdraw of quarantine after Chairman Khrushchev sends a letter to President Kennedy saying he will remove the missiles if President Kennedy publicly announes that the US will never invade Cuba. -
October 28, 1962
Chairman Khrushchev announces over the radio that the Soviet Union will remove its missiles from Cuba. In closed door negotiations, it was agreed that the USSR will remove their missiles from Cuba, if the US removes their's from Turkey, however the Turkey agreement was not made public.
