A National Archives Foundation educational resource using primary sources from the National Archives
In October 1962, a U.S. spy plane photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba. President John F. Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade, or a ring of ships, around Cuba to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. He also demanded the removal of the missiles and the dismantling of the sites. This photograph shows President Kennedy signing the proclamation of naval quarantine of Cuba on October 23, 1962.
This primary source comes from the Collection JFK-WHP: White House Photographs.
National Archives Identifier: 595956
Full Citation: Photograph of President John F. Kennedy Signing the Proclamation for the Interdiction of the Delivery of Offensive Weapons to Cuba; 10/23/1962; Abbie Rowe White House Photographs, December 6, 1960–March 11, 1964; Collection JFK-WHP: White House Photographs,; John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, MA. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/president-jfk-signing-proclamation-offensive-weapons-cuba/, May 30, 2026]
Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
