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(Tuesday, October 16, 1962, 8:45 a.m. EDT; during the Cuban missile crisis, part of the Cold War) — The Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation between between the United States and the Soviet Union that is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war, began this morning when National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy informed U.S. President John F. Kennedy that a U-2 mission flown over western Cuba two days before had taken photographs of (not yet operational) Soviet nuclear missile sites.

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Kennedy made a quick decision that he would stick to his morning schedule while Bundy arranged for him to meet with his national security team shortly before noon.

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With his morning obligations finally finished, Kennedy met in the Cabinet Room with his national security team at 11:50 a.m. EDT, which would later become known as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or ExCom for short.

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The meeting began with Arthur Lundahl of the CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Center briefing everyone on what the photos were taken during Maj. Richard Heyser’s U-2 flight showed. A decision was made to order more U-2 flights over Cuba. The discussion subsequently moved to how the administration should respond.

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By the time the meeting wrapped up at 12:57 p.m. EDT, Kennedy was seriously considering an air strike, at least to eliminate the missile sites. He indicated that he wanted the Defense Department to begin drawing up plans for an air strike.

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For Kennedy, the removal of the missiles was non-negotiable. Though he hadn’t yet decided on a plan, he said firmly that “We’re going to take out these missiles.”

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