October 29th, 1962, marked the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy stood firm and we forced 2 Nikita Khrushchev, head of the Soviet Union, to withdraw its nuclear-capable missiles from Cuba after fifteen tense days that marked the worst period of the Cold War. There’s a terrific summary of what transpired at the Beeb. If you’re looking for a film about this period, I found Costners’ Thirteen Days quite excellent and gripping.