On 16 October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted when US President John F Kennedy was presented with damning photographic evidence confirming the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.
These missile installations, captured by American U-2 spy planes, were a mere 90 miles from US shores, sparking an intense 13-day confrontation between the superpowers.
Faced with this unprecedented threat, Kennedy convened an emergency meeting with his advisors, setting the stage for a tense geopolitical standoff that would bring the world to the brink of nuclear war.
