On October 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy was informed that U-2 photographs showed Soviet nuclear missiles being installed in Cuba. The discovery started what is known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. For several days, Kennedy and his advisers debated options, from airstrikes to diplomacy. They decided to impose a naval “quarantine” on Cuba and demanded removal of the missiles. The crisis brought the United States and the Soviet Union close to nuclear conflict. It ended when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for U.S. assurances and quiet removal of missiles in Turkey.
