In a stunning display of diplomatic agility, President John F. Kennedy announced the end of the U.S. naval quarantine of Cuba, marking a triumphant conclusion to the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis. With Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's agreement to dismantle and withdraw Soviet missile sites from the island, Kennedy's bold move averted a nuclear war, cementing his reputation as a shrewd leader in the face of adversity.