and we had the Cuban Missle affair....and came THIS close
1. February 7th A U.S. embargo ordered by President Kennedy goes into effect on all imports from Cuba including tobacco, seafood, fruits and vegetables
2. April to October Cuban and Soviet governments secretly began to build 9 missile bases in Cuba for launching medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, Missiles capable of reaching 2,800 miles covering most of the United States
3. on August 6th United States begins to suspect Soviets building Missile Bases in Cuba
4. August 7th United States Protests to Soviet Union who refute the allegations
5. October 14th United States Air Force U-2 plane on a photo reconnaissance mission captured photographic proof of Soviet missile bases under construction in Cuba
6. October 16th President Kennedy is informed proof of Cuban Missile Installations
7. October 17th U-2 flight discovers intermediate range (IRBMs) SS-5 nuclear missiles installed in Southern Cuba.
8. October 18th at a Personal meeting between Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Gromyko and President John F. Kennedy, Gromyko assures Kennedy that installations are purely defensive.
9. October 20th President Kennedy cancels remainder of his campaign trip because of an "upper respiratory infection."
10. October 21st U-2 flight discovers further missile bases in Northern Cuba.
11. October 21st U-2 flight reveals Soviet bombers and Migs numbers increasing.
12. October 22nd President Kennedy addresses the nation in a televised speech, announcing the presence of offensive missile sites in Cuba.
13. October 22nd US Forces Go to DEFCON 3
14. October 23rd U.S. ships take up position 500 miles offshore to blockade Cuba.
15. October 24th Most Soviet Shipping slows down or turns round except 1 ship
16. October 24th US Forces Go to DEFCON 2
(1,436 B-52 bombers dispersed and made ready to take off, fully equipped, on 15 minutes notice. 145 intercontinental ballistic missiles stood on ready alert, while Air Defense Command re deployed 161 nuclear-armed interceptors to 16 dispersal fields within nine hours including one-third maintaining 15-minute alert status.)
17. October 25th Discussions focus over withdraw of U.S. missiles from Turkey in exchange for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles in Cuba
18. October 26th Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev proposes removing soviet missiles if President Kennedy publicly announces U.S. would never invade Cuba.
19. October 27th Khrushchev proposes in letter public trade of Soviet missiles in Cuba for U.S. missile in Turkey.
20. October 27th American U-2 is shot down over Cuba while on reconnaissance killing the pilot, Major Rudolf Anderson.
21. October 27th Kennedy writes Khrushchev a letter stating that he will make a statement that the U.S. will not invade Cuba if Khrushchev removes the missiles from Cuba.
22. October 28th Khrushchev announces over Radio Moscow that he has agreed to remove the missiles from Cuba.
23. November 20th Following confirmation missiles had been removed from Cuba the United States blockade of Cuba ends
Although no formal announcement was ever made by the United States following the Soviet dismantling of Missiles in Cuba the United States did Withdraw all nuclear missiles from Turkey by April 24th 1963 and because the Soviet Union and the United States came the closest in history to all out war a direct communications hot line was established between Moscow and Washington, D.C..