On what date did a U.S. spy plane photograph a missile base in Cuba?

• A. Oct 20, 1962
• B. Oct 14, 1962
• C. Oct 28, 1962
• D. Oct 16, 1962

Answer: (B)

Reconnaissance over Cuba in October 1962 produced the crucial evidence of a Soviet missile presence. A U-2 spy plane photographed missile bases on October 14, 1962, giving the first clear, verifiable images of deployment on Cuban soil. That moment turned suspicion into certainty and pushed the crisis from intelligence into urgent decision-making, including the decision to impose a naval quarantine and pursue a diplomatic path to resolution. Later flights that month provided more detail, but this mid-October photograph is the turning point—the first confirming sighting of the bases. The other dates reflect subsequent milestones in the crisis, not the initial sighting.