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Launch of Sputnik
At 10:59 pm the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite called Sputnik I. The launch of the Sputnik incorporated new scientific, political, military, and technological advancements. It signified the start of the space age and began the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Sputnik was declared as a satellite intended for research but a majority of America feared more malicious intentions. This launch resulted in immediate satellite funding by the U.S. -
U2 Incident
On this day Khrushchev declared that an American spy plane had been shot down and categorized it as an act of aggression. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers survived and was taken to Moscow. The U.S. denied having any intel about the flight path, but Moscow did not believe them. As a result, tensions increased and the Soviet Union pulled out an international summit in Paris. Eventually, on Feb. 10, 1962, Francis Gary Powers was exchanged for Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel. -
Bay of Pigs
The CIA had recruited and trained a group of Cuban exiles with the promise that they would invade Cuba to restore freedom. The CIA misinformed JFK and told him an invasion would be an easy victory. Even with this knowledge, Kennedy declared there would be no American intervention in Cuba. With no reinforcements, the group of Cuban exiles was outmanned and outgunned by the Cuban military. The invasion was a complete disaster. -
Vienna Summit
Khrushchev and Kennedy met in Vienna, Austria for a proposed, informal exchange of views; because of this, there was no real agenda for the talks. The meetings did not go well. Khrushchev took a firm stance on Berlin and berated Kennedy with a plethora of Cold War issues. It was clear that Khrushchev was not there to ease tensions and carried a so what attitude towards the dangers of nuclear weapons. As a result of the failed summit, Congress allocated $3.25B for defensive spending. -
Construction of the Berlin Wall
Between 1949 and 1961, about 2.5M people fled East Germany for West Germany. Of the 2.5M, many were contributing members of society and as a result of their exodus, East Germany's economy failed. Khrushchev recommended that access to West Berlin be closed off. Then, on Aug. 13, East German soldiers laid out over 30 miles of barbed wire in Berlin. For the remainder of the year, the barbed wire fence was replaced with fifteen feet high walls of concrete and the border became heavily guarded. -
Cuban Missile Sites Discovered
In 1959, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba and aligned himself with the Soviet Union. Under Castro, Cuba became dependents of the Soviets for military and economic aid. The U.S. was definitely suspicious of the relationship between Cuba and the Soviet Union but had no hard evidence. Then on Oct. 24, 1962, an American U-2 spy plane made a high altitude pass over Cuba and photographed a Soviet missile. This started the Cuban Missile Crisis, the very edge of nuclear war. -
Military Forces Go To DEFCON 2
After one of our U-2 spy planes discovered the medium range, Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba, our military declared its highest level of alert ever, DEFCON 2. This resulted in many B-52 planes being left in the air. This was the closest we have ever been to nuclear war. -
American U2 Is Shot Down
Rudolf Anderson Jr., an Airforce pilot was shot down by a Cuban missile. Originally, Anderson Jr. was not meant to fly this path, but he pushed for the assignment. During his path, he flew over Cuba, and he stayed there for >60 min until a Cuban lieutenant, worried that Anderson Jr. was taking pictures, ordered for the plane to be shot down. News reached the White House fast, and officials urged Kennedy for action, but Kennedy suspected Khrushchev was in the dark and stuck to diplomacy. -
Khrushchev Announces Removal of Missiles
The Cuban Missile Crisis entailed the tensest days in American history. It was a political and military standoff between the U.S. and USSR. During the crisis, Kennedy announced a complete naval blockade around Cuba to prevent the arrival of more missiles. As more Soviet ships were reaching Cuba, Khrushchev sent a military order that turned them back. The order also commanded the removal of missiles in Cuba. We had essentially stared the Soviet Union down and pressured them into backing down. -
Kennedy's Speech At The Berlin Wall
During Kennedy's visit to Europe, he delivered a speech to a large crowd in Berlin. The crowd greatly approved of him not only for the content of his speech but for his use of the phrase Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner). During the speech, Kennedy harshly criticized Communism and rallied the crowd towards capitalism. In essence, the speech showed that Communism and capitalism could not coexist and that Berlin was a large example of this.
