President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address Friday, January 20, 1961

President John F.
Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

Friday, January 20, 1961
“Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a
new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter
peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human
rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and
around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price,
bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the
success of liberty.”
“So let us begin anew -- remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is
always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.”
Timeline of the Cuban Missile Crisis

From http://www.softschools.com/timelines/cuban_missile_crisis_timeline/108
October A U2 spyplane discovers missiles in Cuba.

15, 1962 Air Force Pilot Richard Heyser flies a spyplane over Cuba and takes photos of Russian medium-range missiles.
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev has asked Cuba President Fidel Castro if he could put them there in May.
October Ex-Comm has its first meeting.

16, 1962 Ex-Comm, a group of American political leaders, meets for the first time to discuss the Soviet missiles. Ex-Comm
would meet several times throughout the crisis and the members rarely agreed on what to do.
October Photos show evidence of long-range missiles.

17, 1962 More photos of the missile sites are analyzed and show that Cuba also has long-range Soviet missiles. These
missiles are capable of traveling 2,200 miles.
October Robert Kennedy meets with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko.
18, 1962 Attorney General Robert Kennedy keeps a previously scheduled meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei
Gromyko, but does not mention the missiles. Gromyko tells Kennedy that the only help the Soviet Union is giving
to Cuba is assistance growing crops and missiles that are only for defense.
October Ex-Comm suggests quarantining Cuba.
19, 1962 Ex-Comm meets and discusses sending U.S. ships to Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from reaching the island. They
are careful to call it a quarantine because a blockade is an act of war.
October Robert Kennedy gives Ex-Comm's recommendation to the president.

20, 1962 After meeting all day the previous day, Robert Kennedy tells the president that Ex-Comm recommends a
quarantine. President Kennedy was in Chicago, but lies about having a cold so that he can return to Washington to
deal with the crisis.
October Ted Sorenson writes one of the most important speeches President Kennedy will ever give.
21, 1962 Attorney and advisor to the president, Ted Sorenson, writes the speech that Kennedy will give to the nation.
Informing Americans that the Soviets have missiles in Cuba that are pointed at the U.S. will be an important
moment in American history and one of the most frightening speech as president ever gives.
October President Kennedy gives a televised speech to the nation.

22, 1962 President Kennedy gives a speech that is carried live on television stations across the country to inform Americans
that missiles have been discovered in Cuba. He tells Americans that he has ordered a Navy quarantine around
Cuba and orders the Soviets to remove the missiles.
October Soviet ships on their way to Cuba are stopped.

23, 1962 Khrushchev orders Soviet ships on their way to Cuba to stop in the Atlantic about 750 miles away. This prevents a
confrontation with U.S. ships that are around Cuba, although Soviet submarines trailed behind the U.S. ships as
they moved into place.
October Khrushchev refuses to remove the missiles from Cuba.

24, 1962 Saying that the U.S. will not intimidate the Soviets, Khrushchev refuses to remove the missiles from Cuba. He also
accuses Kennedy of putting the world at risk of a nuclear war by ordering the quarantine.
October Kennedy orders increased flights over to Cuba.

25, 1962 Making no progress with his communications with Khrushchev, President Kennedy orders flights over Cuba to be
increased from once to twice per day. Pilots also prepare to begin night flights as the U.S. monitors the Cuban
missiles.
October The U.S. begins discussions about invading Cuba.

26, 1962 Concerned that the Soviets may not remove the missiles from Cuba, Ex-Comm begins to discuss plans to invade
Cuba to take control of the missiles. Doing this would most likely result in war.
October An American pilot flies off course into Soviet airspace.

27, 1962 Charles Maultsby, an American pilot, gets lost flying a mission to Alaska and ends up in Soviet airspace. An
American jet rescues him and leads him back to the U.S. before the Soviets can shoot his plane down.
October President Kennedy agrees to not invade Cuba.

27, 1962 After Khrushchev says that he will remove the missiles from Cuba if Kennedy promises not to invade Cuba,
Kennedy agrees to the proposal. He also secretly agrees to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey. The world goes to
bed that night waiting to see if Khrushchev will accept the arrangement and bring the crisis to an end.
October Khrushchev agrees to remove the missiles.

28, 1962 Khrushchev gives a speech on Radio Moscow and says that he has agreed to Kennedy's arrangement. The missiles
will be removed, Cuba will not be invaded, and the crisis comes to an end.
Kennedy as President
Kennedy was president for less than 3 years, and many historians have argued that he had very few
achievements as president. So why is it that his assassination is viewed as such a tragic loss for the
country? And why is he considered by many as being among our greatest presidents? At the end of the
clip, a journalist says ““That assassin’s bullet killed something else.” What did he mean?
As you watch the video clips, consider those questions. Also take notes on important facts, events, and
major ideas, particularly
-His appeal to and impact on young people
-His televised debate with Nixon
-The Bay of Pigs Invasion
-The Berlin situation
-The Cuban Missile Crisis
-The Peace Corps
-The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
-Kennedy’s Assassination and the nation’s response to it

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President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address Friday, January 20, 1961

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President John F.

Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

Timeline of the Cuban Missile Crisis

October A U2 spyplane discovers missiles in Cuba.

October Ex-Comm has its first meeting.

October Photos show evidence of long-range missiles.

October Robert Kennedy gives Ex-Comm's recommendation to the president.

October President Kennedy gives a televised speech to the nation.

October Soviet ships on their way to Cuba are stopped.

October Khrushchev refuses to remove the missiles from Cuba.

October Kennedy orders increased flights over to Cuba.

October The U.S. begins discussions about invading Cuba.

October An American pilot flies off course into Soviet airspace.

October President Kennedy agrees to not invade Cuba.

October Khrushchev agrees to remove the missiles.

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