October 22, 1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis put the US as close to war with a superpower as we have ever been.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was part of the ongoing "Cold War" between the United States and the Soviet Union. The government of Cuba under Fidel Castro was being financially supported by the Soviet Union, and in return, the Cubans allowed the Russians to place nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba. Cuba's location so close to the United States made this a very real threat to the US. President Kennedy of the US and President Khrushchev of the Soviet Union were able to talk about their differences in the end, and the Soviets removed the missiles and averted a disaster.
For more information...
Cuban Missile Crisis
From the Kennedy Library, this site gives an overview of the events, plus has recordings of Kennedy's speeches, and a slide slow of maps and photos from the time period. The site is very comprehensive.
Cuban Missile Crisis: Summary
Designed for high school students, this is a review of the Cuban missile crisis, a quiz about the crisis and a summary of important questions related to the impact of the crisis.
Cold War
A more general site by the History Channel on the Cold War.
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