In October 1962, a U-2 spy plane captured aerial photographs revealing that the Soviet Union was secretly installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. U.S. intelligence, led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), promptly analyzed these images, verifying that the missiles could strike major U.S. cities within minutes. Upon being informed, President John F. Kennedy convened his Executive Committee of the National Security Council (ExComm) to devise a response strategy. The discovery was alarming, as it signaled a significant escalation in the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Kennedy faced a critical decision: whether to retaliate militarily, which could lead to a full-scale war, or to pursue a diplomatic solution. The United States ultimately decided on a naval quarantine of Cuba to prevent further shipments of military supplies, while Kennedy publicly demanded the removal of the missiles. Over the course of the following days, intense negotiations ensued between the U.S. and Soviet leaders, with the world holding its breath as the situation continued to escalate toward potential nuclear war. Each side acted cautiously, knowing that miscalculations could have catastrophic consequences.

The crisis reached a pivotal moment when U.S. forces were placed on high alert, and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev faced mounting pressure from hardliners in his government. Ultimately, a negotiated settlement was reached, which involved the U.S. agreeing to remove its Jupiter missiles from Turkey in exchange for the dismantling of the Soviet missiles in Cuba. While the immediate crisis abated, it had profound implications for future U.S.-Soviet relations and the balance of power during the Cold War.