  Because of its proximity and its youth, the Pleiades open cluster of stars
has been extensively studied and serves as a cornerstone for our understanding
of the physical properties of young stars. This role is called into question by
the "Pleiades distance controversy" wherein the cluster distance of 120.2+/-1.5
pc as measured by the optical space astrometry mission Hipparcos is
significantly different from the distance of 133.5+/-1.2 pc derived with other
techniques. We present an absolute trigonometric parallax distance measurement
to the Pleiades cluster that uses very long baseline radio interferometry. This
distance of 136.2+/-1.2 pc is the most accurate and precise yet presented for
the cluster and is incompatible with the Hipparcos distance determination. Our
results cement existing astrophysical models for Pleiades-age stars.
