In Focus: 50 Years Ago: The Cuban Missile Crisis

via theatlantic:

On October 15, 1962, a group of CIA analysts assigned to review aerial photographs of Cuba identified several newly established Soviet medium-range ballistic missile installations — bases within 100 miles of the United States. The State Department was notified that night, and President John F. Kennedy was briefed the next morning, setting in motion a crisis that brought the world frighteningly close to nuclear war. The U.S. considered options, deployed troops and weapons to Florida, confronted the Soviets at the UN, and shortly set up a naval blockade of Cuba. For 13 tense days, the crisis deepened and people around the world feared the very real possibility of a new, horrific worldwide conflict. On October 27, the U.S. and Soviets reached a secret agreement, where Kennedy would order the removal of missiles in southern Italy and Turkey, and Khrushchev would remove all missiles in Cuba. Over the following weeks, U.S. forces monitored the departure of 42 missiles aboard eight Soviet ships, and the crisis was averted. Gathered here are a few glimpses from those tense Cold War days, as the world approached, then retreated from, the brink of destruction.

93 notes

Show

  1. anepicureangarden reblogged this from theatlantic
  2. sheltongreen reblogged this from theatlantic
  3. o4cast reblogged this from theatlantic
  4. whatishotiswhatyousee reblogged this from theatlantic
  5. aboriginalpressnews reblogged this from theatlantic
  6. benedictarnolds reblogged this from theatlantic
  7. basedgoodnesstho reblogged this from theatlantic
  8. benjaminldaniel reblogged this from theatlantic
  9. rocketfromearth reblogged this from smithsonianmag
  10. iampatrickw reblogged this from theatlantic
  11. carriganschmerigan reblogged this from theatlantic
  12. chipmunksback reblogged this from theatlantic
  13. dgc123 reblogged this from theatlantic
  14. aleams reblogged this from theatlantic
  15. annaglobal reblogged this from theatlantic
  16. bosehexe reblogged this from schadenfraulein
  17. waitwhuuut reblogged this from theatlantic and added:
    time nearly everyone I knew thought they were likely...next year because Philadelphia...
  18. nomina-nuda-tenemus reblogged this from theatlantic
  19. asinglehistory reblogged this from theatlantic
  20. matthurst reblogged this from theatlantic and added:
    In Focus: 50 Years Ago: The Cuban Missile Crisis via
  21. onthetrailto reblogged this from smithsonianmag

Blog comments powered by Disqus