Steps in which the crisis started.

• Bay of pigs: In 1961, Kennedy was humiliated by failed attempt to invade Cuba, resulting in Cuba being promised weapons of defense from the Soviet Union to protect against America.  
• Soviet missiles in Cuba were discovered by flyovers from U-2 airplanes.
• The presence of air defense missiles was confirmed from pictures taken on August 29.
• John F. Kennedy did not believe the Soviet Union would have missiles; however, later, he found out otherwise.
  
• Kennedy’s advisers told him he had 10 days before Cuba could fire the missiles at targets in America.
• The United States placed an embargo on Cuban sugar and tobacco in an attempt to eliminate the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro.
• The United States placed missiles in Turkey that were aimed at the Soviet Union.
• The U.S. quarantined Cuba on October 16, 1962.
  

This British cartoon of 29 October 1962 shows Kennedy and Khrushchev arm-wrestling for power, sitting on nuclear weapons.   The caption read: 'OK Mr. President, let's talk'