Cold War

Stanislav Petrov made a split-second decision that probably averted a nuclear conflagration. “I told myself I won’t be the cause of World War III. I won’t. Simple as that,” he said.

The unsung Soviet officer who averted nuclear war

Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov committed an act of bravery in 1983 that probably prevented a nuclear conflict. Yet he was largely unheralded in Russia.

The unsung Soviet officer who averted nuclear war
Airmen Second Class Joe Andrew and Airmen Second Classes Richard Brooks man the launch control console for a Matador Missile at Osan AB Korea in 1961.

America's missileers stand ready to launch nuclear weapons — and pray they won't have to

America's missileers stand ready to launch nuclear weapons — and pray they won't have to
Omar Hernandez in downtown Moscow. He says problems that came from speaking his mind too freely in Cuba led him to leave in the early 90s. Now he's lives in Russia.

Is Russia's romance with Cuba coming to an end?

Is Russia's romance with Cuba coming to an end?
Clyde Foster analyzing data for NASA

How JFK made NASA his secret weapon in the fight for civil rights in America

How JFK made NASA his secret weapon in the fight for civil rights in America
Cuba_Russia2

Miami’s Soviet time machine gives Cuban expats a nostalgia fix

Miami’s Soviet time machine gives Cuban expats a nostalgia fix
El Salvador's defense minister, General Rafael Humberto Larios, speaks during a news conference in San Salvador in a 1990 file photo. Larios and eight other former Salvadoran soldiers were arrested in 2011 for suspected involvement in the 1989 killing of

How justice for slain Americans took a backseat to Cold War politics

The killing of four Americans in El Salvador in 1980 exposed the brutality of US-backed governments in Latin America. But at the time, the fight against communism obscured justice for the victims — even in the eyes of their own government.

How justice for slain Americans took a backseat to Cold War politics
People walk under the "Lichtgrenze" installation along the River Spree in Berlin on November 8, 2014. A part of the inner city of Berlin was temporarily divided with a light installation to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

This Berlin friendship began over the radio and in the shadow of the Wall

In 1989, Leslie and Cornelia were two young Berlin students living on opposites sides of the wall. But when the border opened, a shared love of radio brought them together in a friendship that is still alive today.

This Berlin friendship began over the radio and in the shadow of the Wall
Crew members onboard a Swedish Navy fast-attack craft stand guard at the Stockholm archipelago during a hunt for a suspected Russian submarines on October 18, 2014.

The current situation in Europe is looking more like the Cold War

A new report from the European Leadership Network details a surge in incidents involving Russian planes and submarines, raising fears of a "new Cold War." And without better coordination, the risk of an unintended conflict could rise along with tensions.

The current situation in Europe is looking more like the Cold War
A part of the inner city of Berlin will be temporarily divided from November 7 to 9, 2014, with a light installation featuring 8,000 luminous white balloons to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here a woman walks in front of

During the Cold War, buying people from East Germany was common practice

East Germany never had a lot of cash on hand. What it did have was political prisoners, and plenty of them. So during the Cold War, the communist regime ransomed hundreds of thousands of people to the West in exchange for much-needed hard currency.

During the Cold War, buying people from East Germany was common practice
A rider checks a map along the Iron Curtain Trail.

It was once the world's most important political border — now it's a bike path

The once frightening and desolate border that separated western Europe from the Communist countries is taking on a new role. The Iron Curtain is now a 5,000-mile network of bicycle paths that go past guard towers, barbed wire fences and other historical landmarks from the Cold War.

It was once the world's most important political border — now it's a bike path
Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze speaking to reporters at the US Pentagon on Oct. 5, 2001.

For former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, ending the Cold War was his greatest legacy

Eduard Shevardnadze, the former Soviet foreign minister and president of Georgia, died Monday at the age of 86. He was a major player in the final days of the USSR, but in the post-Soviet era, his legacy was complicated by charges of corruption in Georgia.

For former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, ending the Cold War was his greatest legacy

The U2 spy plane, the road to Lake Baikal, and the presidential trip to Russia that never happened

The imminent demise of the American U-2 spy plane reminded The World's environment editor Peter Thomson of an odd story linking the plane with one of his favorite places, Siberia's Lake Baikal.

The U2 spy plane, the road to Lake Baikal, and the presidential trip to Russia that never happened

Wayne Coyne & Rocky and Bullwinkle

In this Winter Pledge Special, Kurt Andersen talks with Wayne Coyne, the mastermind of the Flaming Lips, about a near-death experience. Rocky and Bullwinkle make the Cold War kid-frie...

Wayne Coyne & Rocky and Bullwinkle

Bomb Scare

Bomb Scare

Remembering Sputnik

Remembering Sputnik