The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union. It began when the U.S. discovered that the Soviets were secretly placing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. This alarming development raised fears of a potential nuclear war, as both superpowers were on high alert. President John F. Kennedy responded by imposing a naval blockade around Cuba to prevent further shipments of missiles. After intense negotiations, the crisis ended when the Soviets agreed to remove their missiles in exchange for a U.S. promise not to invade Cuba and the secret removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey.