The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

13 Days that Shook the World

The closest the world ever came to nuclear war. It began when the US discovered Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba.

Key Figures:

• John F. Kennedy (USA): Opted for a naval blockade (quarantine) instead of an airstrike.
• Nikita Khrushchev (USSR): Agreed to remove missiles in exchange for US promise not to invade Cuba.

Use our AI Tutor to generate a timeline of these 13 days to help memorize the sequence of events.