Cu·ban mis·sile cri·sis, the /ˌkjuːbən 'mɪsaɪl ˌkraɪsəs $ -ˈmɪs ə l-/ BrE AmE
a dangerous situation which developed in 1962 when the Soviet Union began to build bases for ↑ nuclear ↑ missile s in Cuba, and US President John F. Kennedy threatened to take military action. It caused a lot of international anxiety until the Soviet Union agreed to remove the missile bases.