Cuban missile crisis: 50 years on

Cuban missile crisis : Members of the Cuban militia

Members of the Cuban militia mobilised during the missile crisis in October 1962 Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Cuban militiamen manning an anti-aircraft battery

A handout picture released by Cuban newspaper Granma, showing Cuban militiamen manning an anti-aircraft battery of Czechoslovakian-made M53 12.7mm quad guns at Havana's Malecón during the 1962 missile crisis Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Cuban leader Fidel Castro inspecting an artillery unit

Another handout picture released by the Cuban newspaper Granma, showing Cuban leader Fidel Castro inspecting an artillery unit at an undisclosed spot during the 1962 missile crisis Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : The crew of a field artillery battery with Castro

Another Granma picture, showing Cuban leader Fidel Castro talking with the crew of a field artillery battery at an undisclosed place during the 1962 missile crisis Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Women trike For Peace

A group from Women Strike for Peace holding placards relating to the Cuban missile crisis. They were part of a larger group of 800 women strikers for peace on 47th St near the United Nations building in New York in 1962 Photograph: Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Cuban man watching President Kennedy speak on TV

Miami, Florida, 22 October 1962: Federico Fidel Fernandez, a Miami Cuban refugee, listens to President Kennedy's television address in which the president explained the United States' position on the Cuban situation to the American people and the world Photograph: Bettmann/CORBIS

Cuban missile crisis : An official showing aerial views

A Kennedy administration official showing aerial views of one of the Cuban medium-range missile bases, taken in October 1962, to the members of the United Nations security council, at the request of Adlai Stevenson, US ambassador to the United Nations Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Aerial view of one of the Cuban bases

An aerial view of one of the Cuban medium-range missile bases, taken October 1962 Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Aerial picture of the Soviet freighter 'Anosov'

An aerial picture taken 9 November 1962 off the Cuban coast of the Soviet freighter Anosov carrying missiles in accordance with the US-Soviet agreement on the withdrawal of the Russian missiles from Cuba. American planes and helicopters flew at low level to keep close check on the dismantling and loading operations, while US warships watch over Soviet freighters carrying missiles back to the Soviet Union Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : Aerial picture taken December 4 1962, Cuba

Aerial picture taken 4 December 1962 of the Soviet freighter Okhotsk carrying Ilyushin IL 28 missiles in accordance with the US-Soviet agreement Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis : The coffin of Major Rudolf Ande

The coffin of Major Rudolf Anderson Jr, the sole casualty of the Cuban missile crisis, is lifted on to a Swiss plane at Havana's airport on 6 November 1962. Major Anderson's U-2 spy plane was shot down by a Soviet-supplied SA-2 missile, on 27 October 1962 over Cuba Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Cuban missile crisis: 50 years on – in pictures