1. Franklin Roosevelt
   James Madison
2. John Kennedy

The crisis occurred in 1962, just as President Kennedy was gathering momentum with his administration. The crisis became one of the scariest moments of the 20th century.

1. Japan
   Germany
2. USSR

The U.S. learned that the USSR was in the process of installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the American coast. The revelation startled U.S. citizens all over the country.

1. Castro requested them.
   The USSR did whatever it wanted.
2. President Kennedy asked for the missiles to create a crisis so that he could "solve" the problem.

Cuba's leader, Fidel Castro, requested the missiles from the USSR. Why? He wanted prevent the U.S. from invading his country.

1. He was a Republican.
   He was a Communist.
2. He was a fascist.

Castro was a Communist who aligned himself with the USSR and its leader Nikita Khrushchev. The U.S. wanted to remove Castro and install a government that was friendlier to American interests.

1. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
   Bay of Pigs Invasion
2. Operation Barbarossa

In 1961, C.I.A.-trained Cuban exiles stormed Cuba in hopes of sparking an uprising. The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a total failure that gave the Americans a round of humiliating headlines across the world.

1. No one really cared.
   There was a presidential election campaign underway.
2. Kennedy was close friends with the USSR.

The Kennedy Administration couldn't run an effective campaign if Americans knew about the missiles heading for Cuba. So the administration denied the missiles' existence for months, until the election was much closer.

1. Brazil
   Turkey
2. South Africa

In 1961, the U.S. deployed nukes in Turkey and Italy, far too close for the comfort of Soviet leaders. It's one reason the USSR felt emboldened to send missiles to Cuba, which would help the Soviets shift the balance of nuclear weapons.

1. interstitial balloon manufacturer
   intercontinental ballistic missile
2. integrated medium bomber

At the core of the crisis were ICBMs or intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were able to carry nuclear warheads for hundreds or thousands of miles. ICBMs in Cuba meant that the USSR could attack and destroy major U.S. cities in very little time.

1. WWI
   WWII
2. Cold War

The crisis happened during the Cold War, in which the U.S. and USSR stared each other down in various places around the world. The missile kerfuffle was probably the scariest moment of the entire Cold War.

1. on TV
   via pamphlet
2. He didn't tell anyone.

JFK and his handsome face appeared on TV and gravely informed America that the Soviets were sending missiles to Cuba. He said that the U.S. would not tolerate the missiles so close to their soil.

1. It started a blockade of Cuba.
   It attacked Cuba.
2. It launched missiles at the USSR.

President Kennedy appeared in a television address and stated that the missile problem was real. But he also said that the U.S. had a plan of action to deal with the Communist threat -- a naval blockade.

1. not at all
   sort of effective
2. very effective

Once the news became public, the U.S. had to do something. Officials sent the Navy to implement a strong blockade of Cuba. Suddenly, the effective blockade meant that the country was cut off from the USSR and the rest of the world.

1. invading Cuba
   bombing the missile sites
2. all of the above

Kennedy's men considered much more drastic action, like bombing the missile sites or even a full-on invasion of Cuba. In the end, Kennedy opted for a blockade, which prevented an immediate escalation into violence.

1. They murdered their neighbors and stole their stuff.
   They started hoarding food.
2. They marched toward Washington from all over the country.

Many Americans went into freak-out mode during the crisis, anticipating a nuclear attack of some sort. They hoarded food and water and hoped that the world wasn't about to end.

1. They just guessed.
   spy planes
2. Cuba sent postcards of the missiles to taunt the U.S.

The U.S. routinely sent spy planes high over Cuban territory. The planes captured images of the missile sites on the little island.

1. all Cuban airports permanently closed
   all existing missiles must be removed
2. Castro must never again enjoy a Cuban cigar.

Kennedy aimed to stop any new missile shipments. He also demanded that the USSR take back any missiles it had already installed in Cuba.

1. nothing at all
   that he would start a war
2. that he would ask for some missiles for Florida, too

Khrushchev figured that Kennedy was too spineless to stand up to the Soviets in Cuba and that he'd never risk war. Instead, JFK threw down the gauntlet and dared the Soviets to challenge him.

1. 10 seconds
   a few minutes
2. a day

The missiles on Cuba were no joke. If the Communists opted to launch them, much of America's East Coast would be fire and ashes in just minutes. And back then, New Jersey was worth saving, so JFK was forced to do something.

1. handcrafted cigars
   missile launching facilities
2. Communist baby factory

On October 14, U.S. officials confirmed the worst-case scenario. Not only did the Cubans have missiles, but they were building missile launching sites, too, meaning it wouldn't be long before the ICBMs were ready for action.

1. true
2. false

The U.S. Navy blockaded all military assistance from reaching Cuba. But it didn't stop food items or other products necessary for civilians.

1. only vodka is onboard
   any interference could lead to war
2. it was acceptable if the U.S. inspected the ships

Krushchev had no intentions of backing down. He said his ships were heading to Cuba and that any U.S. interference would be regarded as an act of aggression.

1. DEFCON 4
   DEFCON 2
2. RED

During the crisis, as tensions escalated, the U.S. Strategic Air Command went to DEFCON 2, the second-highest alert level. Only one other time (during the Persian Gulf War) has America's SAC reached DEFCON 2.

1. He was shot down.
   He found 100 more nukes on Cuba.
2. He became a Soviet double agent.

Anderson was using his U-2 spy plane to monitor activities on Cuba when he was shot down by surface-to-air missile. He was killed, the only U.S. fatality of the crisis.

1. take the missiles and go home
   attack the U.S.
2. ship the missiles via parachute instead of ship

Castro was sure that the U.S. was going to invade his country. He asked he USSR to launch a preemptive strike on America … but fortunately, cooler heads prevailed in Soviet quarters.

1. They sent bombers flying over California.
   They increased flights by 10,000%.
2. They did almost nothing.

In contrast to the U.S., the Soviet air force did almost nothing during the crisis, perhaps understanding that the ships loaded with missiles were already provocation enough.

1. 13 days
   3 months
2. 18 months

The crisis escalated to terrifying heights, worrying families and politicians the world over. After 13 days, the two sides finally deescalated the situation.

1. about 24 hours
   about a month
2. It is still active.

For one month, the U.S. blockade of Cuba slowly but surely ramped up tensions in the area. Finally, on November 21, the blockade (and the crisis) was ended.

1. that it would become a Communist nation
   that it would not invade Cuba
2. that it would be nicer from now on (but its fingers were crossed behind its back)

The Kennedy Administration successfully pressed the USSR to remove its missiles from Cuba. In return, the U.S. (very publicly) announced that it would never invade Cuba again.

1. "It was like a really fun costume party, but with nukes instead of whiskey."
   "I felt like it could've been handled better."
2. “I thought it was the last Saturday I would ever see."

In a book titled "The Cold War," by Martin Walker, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara was quoted as saying, “I thought it was the last Saturday I would ever see." His ominous words show that even top-level U.S. officials were worried that the situation was spiraling out of control.

1. to spread propaganda
   for better pizza delivery
2. for faster communication

After the crisis, the U.S. and USSR installed the Moscow-Washington hotline, a direct line between the two cities. The idea was to provide much faster communication in the event of another crisis. But if there's a busy signal? BOOM.