Soviet Consular Contact
Oswald visits the Soviet diplomatic compound and seeks a visa for entry into the Soviet Union.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Lee Harvey Oswald Biography and Timeline — Page 7
Follow Lee Harvey Oswald through 351 dated historical records for United States of America.
Lee Harvey Oswald, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
351Distinct records
7 of 9Page
1963–1963Years on this page
1963
Soviet Embassy Telephone Call
A caller later identified as Oswald telephones the Soviet Embassy at about 10:37 a.m. seeking consular assistance for visas.
Soviet Embassy Visa Request
During his Mexico City visit, Oswald went to the Soviet Embassy and unsuccessfully sought a Soviet visa.
Soviet Residence Evidence Presented
Oswald presents his previous Soviet residence as supporting evidence while seeking permission to travel through Cuba.
Soviet Visa Not Issued
Oswald fails to obtain a Soviet visa during his initial visit to the Soviet diplomatic compound.
Soviet Work Permit Presented
Oswald shows a Russian-language work permit from his Soviet residence while pressing his Cuban visa request.
Visa Delay Anger
Oswald becomes angry when informed that the Cuban visa cannot be issued before Soviet entry permission is obtained.
Cuban Visa Application
Oswald visits the Cuban consulate and applies for an in-transit visa to Cuba while claiming that he intends to continue to the Soviet Union.
Pro-Castro Documents Presented
Oswald presents documents intended to demonstrate his Marxist and pro-Castro credentials while seeking permission to travel through Cuba.
Repeated Embassy Contacts
Oswald again contacts the Soviet and Cuban diplomatic establishments after failing to secure the required visas on his first day.
Second-Day Visa Failure
By the end of September 28, Oswald has still failed to obtain either Soviet entry permission or a Cuban in-transit visa.
Bullfight Visit Recounted
Marina later recalls Oswald saying that he attended a bullfight while in Mexico City, most plausibly on Sunday afternoon.
H O Lee Reservation Entry
The return-bus reservation is recorded as H. O. Lee, apparently from the name order shown on Oswald's tourist card.
Return Ticket Purchase
Oswald purchases international exchange orders for bus travel from Mexico City to Laredo and onward to Dallas.
Return Travel Cost
The travel orders for Oswald's return journey cost $20.30, covering Mexican and United States bus segments.
Seat 12 Reservation
Oswald's travel agency reservation assigns seat 12 for the northbound Transportes del Norte journey.
Transportes del Norte Bus 332 Reservation
A travel agency reserves Oswald a seat on Transportes del Norte bus 332 scheduled to leave Mexico City on October 2.
Cinema Visit Evidence
The Commission concludes that Oswald apparently attended one or more motion pictures during his Mexico City stay.
Cuban Consulate Dispute
Oswald became agitated during unsuccessful visa discussions, and Cuban consul Eusebio Azcue rejected his demand for immediate permission to enter Cuba.
Cuban Visa Condition
Cuban officials told Oswald that a Cuban transit visa depended on his obtaining Soviet permission for onward travel to the Soviet Union.
Economical Mexico Meals
Restaurant evidence indicates that Oswald chose low-cost lunches and spent roughly forty to forty-eight cents per meal.
Embassy Travel Across City
Because the Soviet and Cuban diplomatic compounds were distant from his hotel, Oswald repeatedly crossed a substantial part of Mexico City.
Hotel Morning Absences
The Hotel del Comercio maid recalls that Oswald was generally gone by the time she arrived for work at about 9 a.m.
Jai Alai Plan
Notes in Oswald's dictionary and city map suggest that he considered attending a jai alai match but probably did not go.
Late Hotel Returns
The Hotel del Comercio night watchman recalls that Oswald usually returned to the hotel around midnight.
Mexico City Sightseeing
Oswald later describes sightseeing during the period when he was no longer occupied continuously with visa applications.
Museum Visits Recounted
After returning to Texas, Oswald tells Marina that he visited museums during his stay in Mexico City.
No Hotel Companion Observed
Witnesses at the hotel and nearby restaurant report seeing Oswald alone rather than in the company of known associates.
Requested Records Not Purchased
Despite a reminder in his dictionary, Oswald does not buy the Mexican phonograph records Marina had asked him to obtain.
Restaurant Lunch Routine
Oswald eats several inexpensive lunches at a small restaurant immediately beside the Hotel del Comercio.
Restaurant Menu Pointing
Unable to communicate comfortably in Spanish, Oswald orders food at a nearby restaurant by pointing to the menu.
Souvenir Bracelet
Oswald brings Marina a bracelet bearing her name, although the Commission doubts that the item was actually purchased in Mexico.
Tourist Postcards Purchased
Oswald buys postcards showing bullfights and tourist attractions and later brings them back to Marina.
Alfredo Mirabal Identification
Cuban diplomat Alfredo Mirabal states that he observed Oswald at the consulate and later recognized him as the man photographed being shot by Jack Ruby.
Azcue Description of Alleged Impostor
Azcue describes the man he remembers as about thirty years old, approximately five feet six inches tall, with a long face and pointed nose.
Consulate Closure Date Question
HSCA investigators examine conflicting evidence over whether someone identifying himself as Oswald met Silvia Duran on a day the Cuban consulate was closed.
Duran Identifies Visa Applicant as Oswald
Despite descriptive discrepancies, Duran states that the man who applied for the Cuban transit visa was Lee Harvey Oswald.
Duran Identifies Visa Photograph
Duran identifies the photograph attached to Oswald's visa application as depicting the same man who personally visited the Cuban consulate.
Eusebio Azcue Impersonation Claim
Former Cuban consul Eusebio Azcue later states that the man seeking a Cuban transit visa did not resemble the Oswald identified after the assassination.
Silvia Duran Physical Description
Silvia Duran identifies the consulate visitor as Oswald but gives a physical description that differs in several respects from Oswald's documented appearance.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.