John F. Kennedy was the leader responsible for the negotiations during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. This 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union was prompted by the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coastline. Kennedy's administration navigated this tense standoff through a combination of diplomatic communications and a naval blockade, referred to as a "quarantine" to prevent further Soviet shipments of military equipment. Ultimately, a deal was struck in which the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba and to remove its missiles from Turkey, contributing to a crucial moment of de-escalation in Cold War tensions.