Cuba Missile Crisis

The Cuba Missile Crisis occurred in October 1962, during the Cold War, when the United States discovered Soviet nuclear missiles stationed in Cuba, just 90 miles from its coast. This prompted a tense 13-day standoff between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade to prevent more missiles from arriving and demanded their removal. The crisis escalated fears of nuclear war but ultimately resulted in a negotiation, with the Soviets withdrawing their missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey later.