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The Cuban missile is discovered
President Kennedy and national defense officials find out about the U-2 findings. they begin to talk about what they should do about this. They come up with two ideas: an air strike and invasion, or a naval quarantine with the threat of further military action. -
kennedy decides what to do
American military troops begin moving southeast because of new photo evidence gathered on the missile. President Kennedy begins talking about what the US should do about the missiles. The missiles are capable of traveling 22,00 miles. -
Kennedy negotiates with Soviets
President Kennedy talks to Soviet foreign minister and discusses how the US will not tolerate USSR missiles in Cuba. The Soviet minister denies that there are Soviet weapons in Cuba -
Advisors debate
JFK meets secretary of defense while advisory in Washington debate on what to do about then missile in Cuba. -
Military actions are drawn
Kennedy returns to Washington. Plans for where to put the military unit
S are drawn up and Kennedy works on a speech to notify the people about the missiles in Cuba -
Cuban blockade
President Kennedy orders a Cuban blockade as soon as possible. The President meets with General Walter Sweeney of the Tactical Air Command who tells him that an air strike could not guarantee 100% destruction of the missiles. -
Defcon 13
President Kennedy addresses the America people about the Cuban missile crisis. Announces his plan to implement a naval blockade of Cuba. -
USA quarantines Cuba
The OAS (Organization of American States) supports the decision to put a blockade on Cuba. The ships of the naval quarantine fleet move into place around Cuba. Soviet submarines threaten the quarantine by moving into the Caribbean area. -
Soviet ship reach quarantine line
Soviet ships reach the quarantine line, hold their position. McNamara talks of a very dangerous situation since ships approaching the quarantine line are being shadowed by a Soviet submarine. U.S. military go into DEFCON 2, the highest in U.S. history -
Letter to Khrushchev
Knowing that some missiles in Cuba were now working, President Kennedy writes a letter to Premier Khrushchev, again urging him to change the course of events. Soviet freighters turn and head back to Europe. -
US pilot shot down
A second letter from Moscow demanding tougher terms, including the removal of obsolete Jupiter missiles from Turkey, is received in Washington. Over Cuba, An American U-2 plane is shot down by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile -
The crisis ends
The thirteen days marking the most dangerous period of the Cuban missile crisis end. Radio Moscow announces that the Soviet Union has accepted the proposed solution and releases the text of a Khrushchev letter affirming that the missiles will be removed in exchange for a non-invasion pledge from the United States.
