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Map of the western hemisphere showing the full range of the nuclear missiles under construction in Cuba, used during the secret meetings on the Cuban crisis.

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The Cuban missile crisis begins on this day. President Kennedy and principal foreign policy and national defense officials are briefed on the U-2 findings. There is two principal courses are offered: an air strike and invasion, or a naval quarantine with the threat of further military action. To avoid arousing public concern, the president maintained his official schedule, meeting periodically with advisors to discuss the status of events in Cuba and possible strategies.

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A map of Cuba, with a partial listing of Soviet military equipment, used during the President's meetings with political and military advisors.

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American military units begin moving bases in the southeastern U.S. There was 16 to 32 missiles that were shown from photos. Kennedy attended a service at St. Mathew’s cathedral and after that he has lunch with crown prince Hasan and makes a political visit to Connecticut in support of democratic congressional candidates.

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President Kennedy meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union Andrei Gromyko in the Oval Office. The President does not reveal that he is now aware of the missile build-up.

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By October 18, the president and his advisers weighed only two options: blockade or invasion. President Kennedy is visited by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, who asserts that Soviet aid to Cuba is purely defensive and does not represent a threat to the United States. Kennedy, without revealing what he knows of the existence of the missiles, reads to Gromyko his public warning of September 4 that the "gravest consequences" would follow if significant Soviet offensive weapons were introduced into Cuba.

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President Kennedy leaves for a scheduled campaign trip to Ohio and Illinois. In Washington, his advisers continue the debate over the necessary and appropriate course of action.

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President Kennedy, in Chicago campaigning for congressional candidates, decides to return to the White House as the crisis reaches a new urgency. To avoid public suspicion the president consults his physician and together they fabricate the diagnosis of a cold, allowing JFK to return to Washington without arousing panic

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President Kennedy returns suddenly to Washington and after five hours of discussion with top advisers decides on the quarantine. Plans for deploying naval units are drawn and work is begun on a speech to notify the American people.

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The day book of Evelyn Lincoln, the president's personal secretary, shows JFK's frenetic schedule of meetings, phone calls and conversations

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After attending Mass at St. Stephen's Church with Mrs. Kennedy, 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.

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President Kennedy phones former Presidents Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower to brief them on the situation. Meetings to coordinate all actions continue. Kennedy formally establishes the Executive Committee of the National Security Council and instructs it to meet daily during the crisis. Kennedy briefs the cabinet and congressional leaders on the situation. Kennedy also informs British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan of the situation by telephone. President Kennedy writes to Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, prior to addressing the American public on live television: ... I have not assumed that you or any other sane man would In this nuclear age, deliberately plunge the world into war which it is crystal clear no country could win and which could only result in catastrophic consequences to the whole world, including the aggressor.

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October 23, 1962: President Kennedy signs Proclamation 3504, authorizing the naval quarantine of Cuba.

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Affairs Edwin Martin seeks a resolution of support from the Organization of American States. Adlai Stevenson lays the matter before the U.N. Security Council. Ships move into place around Cuba. Soviet submarines threaten the quarantine by moving into the Caribbean Sea. Soviets supply Cuba with military supplies. Robert Kennedy meets with Dobrynin.

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First page of chairman Khrushchev’s letter to presidentKennedy of October 24

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Chairman Khrushchev replies indignantly to President Kennedy's October 23 letter stating in part:

"You, Mr. President, are not declaring a quarantine, but rather are setting forth an ultimatum and threatening that if we do not give in to your demands you will use force. Consider what you are saying! And you want to persuade me to agree to this! What would it mean to agree to these demands? It would mean guiding oneself in one's relations with other countries not by reason, but by submitting to arbitrariness. You are no longer appealing to reason, but wish to intimidate us."

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A copy of the handwritten draft of President Kennedy's letter to Khrushchev October 25, 1962.

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The president drafts letter to Soviet leader arguing to ch age the course of events. Soviets head back toward Europe. Ships that are carrying regular products are allowed through the quarantine. General U Thant calls for a cooling off period, which is rejected by Kennedy because it would leave the missiles in place.

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First page of Khrushchev’s October 26th letter to JFK

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A Soviet-chartered freighter is stopped at the quarantine line and searched for contraband military supplies. None are found and the ship is allowed to proceed to Cuba. Photographic evidence shows accelerated construction of the missile sites and the uncrating of Soviet IL-28 bombers at Cuban airfields. In a private letter, Fidel Castro urges Nikita Khrushchev to initiate a nuclear first strike against the United States in the event of an American invasion of Cuba. John Scali, ABC News reporter, is approached by Aleksander Fomin of the Soviet embassy staff with a proposal for a solution to the crisis. Later, a long, rambling letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy makes a similar offer: removal of the missiles in exchange for lifting the quarantine and a pledge that the U.S. will not invade Cuba.

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A working copy of President Kennedy's letter to Major Anderson's wife, on the event of him being shot down over Cuba.

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A second letter from Moscow demanding tougher terms, including the removal of obsolete Jupiter missiles from Turkey, is received in Washington.An American U-2 plane is shot down by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile. President Kennedy writes a letter to rudolf anderson jr. offering condolence.

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President Kennedy's public statement effectively ends the thirteen days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

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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.

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I would have handled it similarly to what actually happened. What happened was the U.S tried to stop communism in Cuba so they tried to invade it but was unsuccessful. The Soviet Union then put missiles in Cuba for defense. The United States has missiles in Turkey and Greece. We made a blockade so they could not get missiles into Cuba and they did not like that. In the end we both took missiles out of Cuba Greece and Turkey. The United States also had to promise not to invade cuba ever again. I learned that we have a lot of power just form having missiles and nukes and the smallest thing can make a difference and could make are break the world. One example was when the Soviet submarine almost launched a torpido at us because there was a miscommunication. The legacy this have the U.S was good and they respect us because we are trustworthy.