On this day in 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced that missile bases of the Soviet Union had been built in Cuba, placing them in range of several major cities in the United States. Kennedy announced that the U.S. wouldn’t permit more weaponry going to Cuba and that the bases’ presence was unacceptable. It was one of the first moves taken in what we now call the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The “quarantine” began the next day, with most Soviet ships stopping before they got to the island, except for one. The U.S. Navy attempted to stop the tanker ship, but was unwilling to forcefully board the ship for fear of ratcheting up tension more. The situation worsened to the point that U.S. was on the precipice of invading Cuba before the Soviets suggested they would shut the bases down to prevent such an invasion.
The de-escalation stopped when the USSR shot down a U.S. spy plane, killing the pilot. Kennedy refused to retaliate to prevent a full-blown war from breaking out, even agreeing to dismantle U.S. missile bases in Turkey. On Oct. 28, the Soviets announced they would dismantle the Cuban bases, defusing the crisis.
You can read more about the Cuban Missile Crisis on the website of the Department of State.
