The 1962 crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba is known as what?

• A. Space Race
• B. Cuban Missile Crisis
• C. Berlin Wall
• D. Bay of Pigs Invasion

Answer: (B)

This question tests knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a major Cold War confrontation in 1962 when the United States and the Soviet Union nearly went to war over Soviet missiles placed in Cuba. After the U.S. discovered the missiles, President Kennedy and his advisors chose a careful, high-stakes response: a naval quarantine (blockade) around Cuba and demands for removal of the missiles. For about two weeks, the world watched as diplomacy and brinkmanship played out, aiming to avoid a direct military clash. The crisis ended with the Soviets agreeing to remove the missiles in Cuba in exchange for the United States pledging not to invade Cuba, along with a later secret understanding to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey and Italy. This event is distinct from the Space Race, which focused on competing in space exploration; the Berlin Wall, which split East and West Berlin; and the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a failed 1961 attempt to overthrow Castro.