The Man Who Saved The World

In 1983, a Soviet officer prevented nuclear war by ignoring a computer warning that claimed the U.S. had launched five missiles. He correctly gambled that the alarm was a technical glitch instead of an attack.

Stanislav Petrov was on duty when his radar screens suddenly flashed a massive nuclear strike. Despite strict protocols demanding he report the event immediately, he chose to wait for physical evidence that never came. His calm judgment stopped a potential retaliatory strike that would have ignited a global catastrophe. It was later confirmed that sunlight reflecting off clouds had tricked the satellite sensors.