What happened when a U-2 was shot down?

When a U-2 spy plane was shot down on May 1, 1960, during a reconnaissance mission over the Soviet Union, it marked a significant incident during the Cold War. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was captured by Soviet forces, leading to heightened tensions between the United States and the USSR. Initially, the U.S. government denied the true purpose of the flight, but when the Soviets revealed the captured pilot and intact wreckage, the U.S. was forced to admit the espionage mission. This incident ultimately strained diplomatic relations and contributed to the collapse of a summit between President Eisenhower and Premier Khrushchev.