the 13-Day Standoff That Almost Ended the World

• The ongoing war in Ukraine and increasingly escalatory rhetoric from Russia has raised fears of nuclear war.
• These developments have led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis, a 13-day standoff between the US and the Soviet Union that could have led to war.
• This month marks the 60th anniversary of the crisis.

The ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened tensions between Russia and NATO have caused growing concerns about the possible use of a nuclear weapon, and such concerns have led to some comparisons to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis

The crisis was a period of extreme tension between the US and Soviet Union that could have ended in a nuclear catastrophe but fortunately did not.

In October 1962, a dangerous 13-day standoff took place, with disaster being only narrowly avoided by careful diplomacy when it mattered most. This month marks the 60th anniversary of the missile crisis.

Here’s what went down: