20. The Man Who Averted Nuclear War
PHOTO: mirror.co.uk
You probably don’t know his name, but this man is responsible for averting nuclear war between Russia and the United States during the Cold War. His name is Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov. He was in charge of the command center for the Oko Nuclear Early Warning System when, on September 26, 1983, he was given a standing order to report the launch of American nuclear missiles. He disobeyed, suspecting it was a false alarm. He knew that if he told his superiors, then they would immediately retaliate, and World War III would begin. Because of his actions, the world was saved from nuclear disaster. He’s a true hero.
