A brave man who averted a nuclear war between the US and the USSR and a genius inventor that shed new light on the world’s grey days made this day in Russian history.
Soviet colonel averts nuclear war
Soviet colonel averts nuclear war
On this day in 1983, a nuclear war might have started had it not been for the Soviet Colonel Stanislav Petrov.
While on duty, he received a missile attack warning, but identified that it was a false alarm and no missiles were in fact approaching his country.
He was neither rewarded nor punished for his actions – in fact his wise act remained unknown until the 1990s.
He was decorated in the US in recognition of the part he played in averting a catastrophe. He is now a pensioner living in Moscow Region.
Russian inventor enlightens world
The Russian father of the contemporary light bulb, inventor Pavel Yablochkov, was born today in 1847.
He created a new type of electric arc lamp called a Yablochkov candle in his honor. It was cheaper and easier to use then any existing analogues.
Yablochkov displayed his invention during the international exhibition in London – and in one day became famous.
Later his lamps were used to illuminate central streets and famous monuments in Paris, London, Berlin and Rome, and turned the inventor into a successful entrepreneur.