Which US president was in office during the Cuban Missile Crisis?

John F. Kennedy was the president during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which occurred in October 1962. This critical event unfolded when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union was installing nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from U.S. shores. Kennedy's administration faced intense pressure as tensions escalated between the two superpowers, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war.

Kennedy's decisive actions included the implementation of a naval blockade around Cuba, which he referred to as a "quarantine," and diplomatic negotiations with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. His leadership during this crisis is often cited as a pivotal moment in Cold War history, as it marked the first major confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union regarding nuclear weapons.

The other options pertain to presidents who were not in office during this significant event. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served prior to Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, who served after, did not have the direct involvement or the same level of decision-making authority during the Cuban Missile Crisis that characterized Kennedy's presidency.