Cuban Missile Crisis

In 1959, Fidel Castro successfully overthrew the Cuban government and established a Communist regime just 90 miles from the United States. This event marked a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region.

The Bay of Pigs invasion was a failed attempt by the CIA-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba. It resulted in a significant loss for the United States and strained its relations with Cuba and the Soviet Union.

On August 29, 1962, reconnaissance photos taken by a U-2 spy plane confirmed the construction of a surface-to-air missile (SAM) site in La Coloma, Cuba, raising concerns during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On September 4, 1962, President Kennedy publicly warned against the introduction of offensive weapons into Cuba.

On October 14, 1962, a U-2 spy plane discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, leading to the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On October 15, 1962, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft discovered several SS-4 nuclear missiles in Cuba, escalating tensions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The CIA U-2 overflights of Cuba discover Soviet nuclear missiles capable of reaching the US, precipitating the Cuban Missile Crisis. This event marks the beginning of a tense confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of nuclear missiles in Cuba.

A 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. It was the closest the world came to nuclear war.

On October 17, 1962, an SS-5 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) site was identified in Cuba, marking the discovery of the first of three such sites during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

President Kennedy held a meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrie Gromyko on October 18, 1962, where he warned against the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, despite Gromyko's initial denial of such weaponry.

A group of American political leaders known as Ex-Comm hold discussions regarding the implementation of a quarantine on Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On October 20, 1962, President Kennedy and his advisors proposed a quarantine of Cuba to prevent new missiles from reaching the island, escalating tensions during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

President John F. Kennedy orders a naval blockade of Cuba as part of the response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The operation is reviewed and approved.

On the same day, President Kennedy sent a letter to Soviet Premier Khrushchev stating that the US would not tolerate offensive weapons being sent to Cuba. Kennedy demanded the dismantling of missile bases already being constructed in Cuba.

Reconnaissance images show that Soviet missiles in Cuba are ready for launch, heightening the tensions of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On October 24, 1962, Khrushchev responded to Kennedy's message regarding the U.S. blockade of Cuba, stating that it was an act of aggression. He also mentioned that Soviet ships bound for Cuba would be ordered to proceed despite the blockade.

On October 25, 1962, U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson confronts the Soviets at the U.N. over the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Soviets refuse to answer, leading American military forces to be instructed to set DEFCON 2 - the highest ever in U.S. history.

Khrushchev agreed to remove the last few missiles from Cuba in exchange for the assurance that missiles in Turkey would be removed in the following months, under the condition of secrecy.

Khrushchev sends a second letter demanding a trade of missiles between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. On the same day, a U-2 plane piloted by Major Rudolf Anderson is shot down over Cuban airspace by a Soviet missile, while another U-2 accidentally violates Soviet airspace near Alaska.

Khrushchev announces the agreement to remove missiles from Cuba, marking the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On October 29, 1962, President Kennedy orders US ships to stay on the quarantine line during the Cuban Missile Crisis, as tensions remain high.

In November 1962, low-level aerial photographs captured the preparation of missile support equipment at Mariel Naval Port in Cuba. The equipment was being readied for loading onto Soviet ships for removal from the country.

Aerial reconnaissance photos taken on November 4, 1962, show missiles and support equipment being prepared for removal from Cuba at Mariel Naval Port. The images captured Soviet freighters Divnogorsk, Metallurg Anosov, and Bratsk at the pier.

On November 7, 1962, the Soviet freighter Fizik Kurchatov was photographed at sea just after leaving Cuba. The ship was returning six missiles to the USSR as part of the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Soviet freighter Volgoles was captured carrying missiles away from Cuba on November 9, 1962. The USS Vesole (DDR-878) was seen alongside the freighter during this operation.

The United States declares the successful removal of the final Soviet missiles from Cuba, marking the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

All Soviet military forces depart from Cuba, marking the official end of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On December 2, 1962, the Soviet freighter Kasimov was at sea with 15 IL-28 Beagle bombers on deck, 11 of which were in crates opened by the Soviet crew for U.S. air inspection. This occurred during the withdrawal of planes from Cuba.

The humiliation faced by the Soviets during the Cuban Missile Crisis is believed to have played a significant role in Khrushchev's fall from power in October 1964, impacting Soviet Union's nuclear strategy.