When UN Secretary-General U Thant requested U.S. military equipment for UN operations in the Congo, his request included an item that didn’t make much sense.
Articles
Short-form history articles about this, that, and the other thing.
JFK Discusses his Plans for his Presidential Library
JFK never got to visit his presidential library. But that doesn’t mean he hadn’t already given it some thought. Here’s what he said about it in 1962.
The Most Dangerous Moment in Human History
A quote by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. is often used in recent years in talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis. But where and when did he say it?
U Thant’s Appointment as Secretary General of the United Nations
U Thant was officially appointed Secretary General of the United Nations on November 30, 1962, meaning he could drop the “Acting” prefix that he had borne through his important role in the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Nehru Appeals for JFK’s Help in Fighting China
As the Indian defenses crumbled in the face of the Chinese assault, Prime Minister Nehru sent two highly sensitive and remarkable letters to President Kennedy asking for help in fighting China.
Members of the United States Intelligence Board 1962-63
The United States Intelligence Board was often referred to during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Here’s a list of its members at the time.
Castro’s Five Points
Shortly after Nikita Khrushchev backed down in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Fidel Castro laid out five conditions he said needed to be met before a pledge from Kennedy not to invade Cuba could be taken seriously.
Australian America’s Cup Yacht Buzzed by the US Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis
When the unsuccessful challenger for the 1962 America’s Cup was on its way home to Sydney, it ran into the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade line.
West Coast Culture Shock: An Englishman in Los Angeles, 1964
Four months after arriving as the British consul in Los Angeles, P.G.F. Dalton offered his observations of the city. He was not impressed.
Playing Golf with JFK
Ben Bradlee wrote of the “harrowing experience” of playing golf with JFK in 1963.
Mikoyan’s Visit to Cuba after the Cuban Missile Crisis
When Anastas Mikoyan and his son visited Havana in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, they found a very different city than they had seen on their first visit less than three years earlier.