1962 16th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy participated in the secret advisory meetings that later became known as ExComm.
Cold War · October 1962 · permanent subject timeline
Robert F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Attorney General's role in ExComm and the secret Dobrynin negotiations. This page combines historical context with 11 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database Cuban Missile Crisis archive.
Historical context
Robert F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis: overview and significance
What happened?
Attorney General Robert Kennedy participated in the secret White House deliberations, argued against a surprise air strike and met Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin during the crisis's decisive final weekend.
Why was it important?
His private meeting with Dobrynin carried the U.S. non-invasion position and the confidential understanding about Jupiter missiles in Turkey.
World History Database records
Robert F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis timeline
The records below are selected from the 195-record Cuban Missile Crisis archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1962
1962 16th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy joined the first crisis discussions and questioned the political and moral consequences of a surprise attack on Cuba.
1962 19th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy argued that an unannounced air strike could resemble the attack on Pearl Harbor.
1962 20th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy supported the quarantine option as a measured response that preserved room for further diplomatic pressure.
1962 24th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy followed quarantine developments while officials debated how much force naval commanders should use against Soviet vessels.
1962 26th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy supported giving diplomacy more time after Khrushchev sent a message offering missile removal for a non-invasion pledge.
1962 27th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy met secretly with Soviet ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin at the Justice Department.
1962 27th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy told Dobrynin that the President could not publicly trade the Turkish Jupiter missiles for Soviet missiles in Cuba.
1962 27th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy warned Dobrynin that events could soon escape political control if the Soviet missiles were not withdrawn.
1962 28th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy participated in discussions on implementing the agreement while maintaining secrecy around the private Turkish missile understanding.
1962 29th October
Cuban Missile Crisis
Robert Kennedy urged continued caution as the administration moved from immediate confrontation toward verification and settlement.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database Cuban Missile Crisis records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
FRUS: Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath · JFK Library · U.S. National Archives
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