132: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Ill-Equipped History

For 13 terrifying days in 1962, the world was on the precipice of nuclear war. The United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union were in a standoff regarding missiles stationed on the island, only 90 miles from US soil. Listen to find out how President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev negotiated for the continuance of humanity.

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Sources

“Cold War” (Oct 27 2025)
https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War

“Nikita Khrushchev” (Jun 11 2020)
https://www.biography.com/political-figures/nikita-khrushchev

“The Bay of Pigs Invasion” (Apr 18 2016)
https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/the-bay-of-pigs-invasion/

“Cuban Missile Crisis” by History.com editors (updated May 28 2025)
https://www.history.com/articles/cuban-missile-crisis

“Cuban Missile Crisis”
https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/cuban-missile-crisis

“The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962”, U.S. Office of the Historian
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis

“The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zyt42p3/revision/5

“Cuban missile crisis: 13 stormy days in Oct 1962 when US, USSR came to brink of nuclear conflict” by Ankita Thakur (Oct 18 2025)
https://theprint.in/world/cuban-missile-crisis-13-stormy-days-in-oct-1962-when-us-ussr-came-to-brink-of-nuclear-conflict/2766198/

Sound Credits:

John F. Kennedy Speech, October 22, 1962, published on 1962-10-22 00:00:00. Uploaded on 2004-05-19 17:12:28 by mdg
https://archive.org/details/jfks19621022

Breaking news intro music by humanoide9000 -- https://freesound.org/s/760770/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

Laugh Group of Children.wav by FunWithSound -- https://freesound.org/s/416703/ -- License: Creative Commons 0