Cuban Missile Crisis October 16-28, 1962

For thirteen days in October of 1962 the world waited, seemingly on the brink of war. An American U-2 spy plane had secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba threatening the US. President Kennedy met in secret with his advisors for several days to discuss the problem. He decided to place a naval blockade or quarantine around Cuba to prevent the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev from bringing in more military supplies and Kennedy demanded the removal of the missiles. The leaders of both coutries recognized the devastating possilbility of a nuclear war and publicly agreed to resolve the conflict through peaceful means.

This is a selection of artifacts that relates to that tense time period between the two leaders.