Mmastodon WarNuclear first seen 1 d ago, last 4 h ago, peak #5
Remembering the Soviet officer who averted nuclear war in 1983
Original: 41 years ago today, one man saved us from world-ending nuclear war
Anniversaries are marking September 26, 1983, when Soviet lieutenant colonel Stanislav Petrov was on duty at a nuclear early-warning command center. His system falsely reported incoming American missiles; Petrov judged the alert to be a malfunction and did not report it as an attack, averting a possible retaliatory strike. Commenters are sharing his story as a reminder of how close the world came to catastrophe and of one man's calm judgment.
Why now: The 41st anniversary of the event prompted renewed discussion of Stanislav Petrov's role in preventing nuclear war.
Stanislav PetrovSoviet UnionSoviet early-warning system OkoVox
Evidence
- 41 years ago today, one man saved us from world-ending nuclear war · Vox
On September 26, 1983, a Soviet colonel saved the world.