Imagine the biggest game of chicken you've ever seen, but instead of cars driving towards each other, it was the United States and Soviet Union heading full speed towards nuclear war.

In 1962, the tensions of the Cold War were at an all-time high. The Soviets had slipped some nuclear missiles into Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. When the U.S. found out, it was like discovering your neighbor had started stockpiling bombs in their backyard.

President Kennedy and his advisors had to decide whether to try negotiating the missiles away, invade Cuba, or do something even crazier. The stakes were higher than any poker game - a single wrong move could have led to millions of deaths and set off a catastrophic world war.

For 13 excruciating days, the world held its breath as the two superpowers stared each other down. Naval ships blocked Cuba, planes flew nonstop spying missions, and both leaders' fingers hovered over the nuclear button. It was the closest we ever came to Armageddon.

Finally, after tense back-channel talks, the Soviets agreed to remove their missiles if the U.S. promised not to invade Cuba. A disaster was averted, but it showed just how easily the world could be brought to the brink by mistakes, misunderstandings, and brinkmanship.