KEY WEST, FL, March 1, 2024— The College of the Florida Keys continues its 2024 VIP Series with “Florida and the Untold Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis” on Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theatre on the Key West Campus. The presentation will be led by New York Times bestselling author Michael J. Tougias. In its tenth season, the College’s VIP Series invites the community to learn from the Views, Ideas, and Perspectives of speakers of local, regional, and national prominence. The 2024 season includes presentations that focus on timely topics relevant to Keys’ audiences.

In his presentation, Tougias will chronicle the 13 harrowing days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and outline the steps President Kennedy made to reach a decision on a course of action. His talk will highlight the heroes of the crisis: the U-2 pilots who flew unarmed over Cuba to secure photographic proof of nuclear missiles.

Michael J. Tougias is a New York Times bestselling author and co-author of 30 books for adults and six books for young adults. He is best known for his non-fiction narratives of survival and rescue stories. Disney adapted his book, The Finest Hours, into a film starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck. Tougias speaks to groups across the country about his work.

This VIP Series event is part of the Florida Talks program and was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.

CFK’s 2024 VIP Series is sponsored by First Horizon Bank. Tickets for each event are $5 at the door. Admission is free for students at CFK and Monroe County schools. For more information, call CFK at 305-296-9081 or visit the College’s website at CFK.edu/VIP.