Operation Deep Freeze: The Cold War-Era Antarctic Expedition That Kickstarted Decades of Research
In the midst of the Cold War, the United States came together with countries around the world to research one of the most remote areas…
Operation Argus: The US Military’s Attempt to Block Soviet Attacks With Artificial Radiation Belts
In 1958, the US Navy participated in Operation Argus, a Cold War-era project designed to test a theory that involved both nuclear weapons and the…
‘Area 52’ Veterans Call Out US Government for Refusing to Acknowledge Health Issues Caused By Radiation Exposure
The United States is home to one of the most controversial military bases in the world – and it’s probable you’ve never heard of it.…
The True Story Behind the Cold War’s Most Iconic Photograph
When asked about the most iconic photograph of the Cold War, odds are the one that comes to mind is of an East German officer…
The Wreck of the RMS Titanic Was Found During a Top-Secret Military Operation
The sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912 was one of the most tragic maritime disasters in history. As such, the discovery of the…
Battle of Palmdale: When a Runaway Unmanned Drone Wreaked Havoc In the Skies Over Southern California
There have been many embarrassing moments in the history of the US Air Force, but none more so than when two Northrop F-89D Scorpion were…
Tököl Airbase Played a Major Role in Germany’s War Machine – That Is, Until the Soviets Took It Over
Hungary’s history is marked by significant instability. During World War II, it fell under German occupation and, in the Cold War era, the Soviet Union…
Veterans Who Served At Top-Secret ‘Area 52’ Claim Base Got Them Sick – But the US Government Refuses to Acknowledge Their Mission
Tonopah Test Range (TTR) – commonly known as “Area 52” – is a highly-restricted base that’s jointly run by the US Department of Energy and…
Bomb Squad Called After Military-Grade Rocket Found In Washington Residence
The bomb squad was called in when police in Bellevue, Washington were told about an unexpected piece of military equipment in a civilian’s residence: a…
Cold War-Era Missile Silo Dubbed the ‘Safest Home on Earth’ On the Market for $1.3 Million
An unusual property is currently on the market and it could be yours for a cool $1.3 million USD. The Rolling Hills Missile Silo –…
An Unmanned Soviet MiG-23M Once Flew 560 Miles Before Crashing Into a Belgian Farm
In July 1989, a routine training flight turned into a fatal incident when a Soviet Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23M “Flogger” suffered issues with its engine.…
TRIGON: The CIA Spy Who Funneled Soviet Secrets to the United States
Aleksandr Ogorodnik’s death was like something out of a spy film – that is, of course, because he was a secret agent. Operating under the…
The Soviets Tried to Starve Berlin Into Submission, But Were Humiliated By the Unprecedented Airlift
Berlin, 1948; a city torn in two – and the Soviet Union wanted it all. The plan? Choke West Berlin by blocking all supply routes,…
The Most Damaging Spy In US History Was An Unassuming Accountant – Elusive For 22 Years!
In the annals of American history, there existed a man whose treacherous actions shook the very foundations of national security. Robert Hanssen, an unassuming accountant…
Frogmen Were Deployed to Search for a Nuclear Device in Palomares Following a Broken Arrow Incident
In the annals of aviation history, few broken arrow incidents have had the potential for catastrophic consequences quite like the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash. This…
Building the Berlin Wall – And How It Fell Several Decades Later
The construction of the Berlin Wall is a tangible symbol of the Cold War, dividing a city and its people for nearly three decades. The…
The US Navy Considered Arming Frigates with Mk 48 Torpedoes During the Cold War
On January 17, 1955, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) radioed the historic message, “Underway on nuclear power.” This was the foundation of a new era that…
Veterans Responsible for Cleanup of 1966 Nuclear Incident Dealt Blow By US Supreme Court
A blow has been dealt against the group of veterans behind a class-action suit aimed at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The group, led by…
The Soviet ‘Hiroshima’ Submarine That Inspired Harrison Ford’s ‘K-19: The Widowmaker’
K-19 was the first submarine of the Soviet Union’s Project 658, the first generation of Soviet nuclear submersibles that carried an armament of nuclear ballistic…
Typhoon-Class: The Last of the Famous Soviet Ballistic Missile Submarines Retired In 2023
The Typhoon-class – also known as Project 941 Akula – were six Soviet nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The largest ever constructed, they served with the…
National Emergency Command Post Afloat: The ‘Floating White Houses’ for Times of Nuclear War
During the 1960s, America’s Continuity of Operations plans included the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA). It was one of three parts – airborne, ground…
Project Iceworm: The US Military’s Plan to House and Deploy ICBMs from Beneath Greenland’s Ice
Project Iceworm was a top-secret operation planned by the US Army during the Cold War. It intended to build a massive military base, housing several…
Black Sea Bumping Incident: When the Soviet Navy ‘Bumped’ the US Out of Its Territorial Waters
In the 1980s, the Soviet Union took several measures to get American warships out of its territorial waters – this including playing an old-fashioned game…
M28/M29 Davy Crockett Weapon System: The Tripod-Mounted Recoilless Rifle That Fired a Nuclear Warhead
Throughout the Cold War, the United States was concerned about the Soviet nuclear threat. As such, the US military constantly came up with weapons designed…
How Many Times Did the World Nearly End During the Cold War? Answer: A Lot
There were numerous times throughout the Cold War where the world nearly ended. The Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, saw the United States and Soviet…
Two KGB and CIA Operatives Were Tasked With Corrupting Each Other – They Forged a Friendship Instead
The KGB and the CIA were notorious enemies during the Cold War. As national security agencies for two warring nations, their operatives were tasked with…
Viktor Belenko: The Soviet Pilot Whose Defection Gave the West Access to the MiG-25
Viktor Belenko was a Soviet pilot who defected to the United States during the height of the Cold War. A number of things make his…
The Nuclear War Between Russia and China That Almost Happened
In the early stages of the Cold War, Americans saw Soviet Russia and China as working together as one Communist “monster,” threatening to destroy everything…
Mars Bluff Incident: The US Air Force Accidentally Dropped a Nuclear Bomb on South Carolina
Starting in the late 1940s and running through to the end of the Cold War, an arms race occurred between the United States and the…
Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Program Featured Space Lasers for Nuclear Defense
By the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union was a very real possibility. US President Ronald Reagan…
Lionel Crabb: The Mystery Behind the Missing British Frogman
During the Second World War, there were a variety of special units created to deal with threats from enemies both at home and overseas. One…
The US Air Force Lost An Atomic Bomb Over the Canadian Wilderness
“Broken arrow” is the term used when a nuclear weapon is stolen, lost or unintentionally detonated. It was first used in 1950, when an American…
The US Army Once Tried to Turn a Nerf Football Into a Grenade
The Cold War was a time of near constant military innovation. The frequent advancement of weapons of war required a fast response, which sometimes meant…
John Wheeler and the Missing Papers That Nearly Sparked a Cold War Catastrophe
Even the most brilliant people on the planet can sometimes be a bit absent-minded. John Wheeler certainly fit this category. The theoretical physicist is credited…
Wilbert “Doug” Pearson Is the Only Pilot to Have Scored an Air-to-Space Kill
On September 13, 1985, the US Air Force made history. On this day, the first air-to-space missile was launched, successfully destroying an orbiting satellite. Powerful…
CIM-10 Bomarc: The First Operational Long-Range SAM Ever Developed
The United States was in a strange position following the end of the Second World War. Not only was this an era that saw rapid…
Richard Nixon Once Tried to Nuke North Korea – While He Was Drunk
Richard Nixon spent much of his life trying to become the president of the United States and he finally succeeded with the 1968 election. Not…
Operation Northwoods: America’s Proposed Cold War False Flag Operation
The Cold War was unlike any other time in US history. The Soviet Union had become a threat to democracy and the ideals Americans held…
How the Baneberry Test Disaster Changed Underground Nuclear Testing
In the early morning of December 18, 1970, a nuclear bomb was lowered 900 feet underground at the US military’s Nevada Test Site. The bomb…
Atomic Annie: The Cold War-Era Cannon Capable of Firing a Nuclear Warhead
Toward the start of the Cold War, the United States government looked into developing atomic weapons capable of launching an attack on the Soviet Union,…
The Secret Military Plans Switzerland Put In Place to Survive the Cold War
Switzerland has long been considered one of the most neutral countries in the world, having always endeavored to avoid war. That resistance to conflict, however,…
A Shark Wreaked Havoc on the US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Fleet
There are a number of reasons why submarines have been taken out of commission while scouring the depths of the ocean. These include hitting sea…
Able Archer 83: The NATO Exercise That Nearly Sparked Nuclear War
NATO has always been a topic of contention between the west and Russia. This was especially true during the Cold War, when there were fears…
Kwajalein Atoll: A Pivotal US Army Victory During the Second World War
The Kwajalein Atoll is a ring-shaped coral formation in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The largest and southernmost island in the atoll is Kwajalein,…
The Medal of Honor Recipient Who Shot Someone He Accused of Being a Communist Spy
Arthur Jackson enlisted in the US Marine Corps when he was only 18 years old. He quickly became a super soldier, earning both the Purple…
A B-52 Bomber Fire Almost Caused a Chernobyl-Like Incident in North Dakota
It might come as a surprise to some, but the United States came close to nuclear disaster more than once during the Cold War. The…
Panzerfaust 3: Germany’s Modern Tank-Piercing Grenade Launcher
The lightweight and portable Panzerfaust 3 has been in the news as of late due to its use in the ongoing conflict between Russia and…
8 Fierce Historical Military Figures Most People Haven’t Heard About
History is filled with so many fierce fighters that it’s not surprising some have been largely forgotten following their service. Here are eight of the…
A B-52 Stratofortress Once Crashed in North Carolina, Dropping Two Nuclear Bombs
The Cold War was a time of uncertainty across the world, particularly in the United States, where the majority of the population feared a nuclear…
Gail Halvorsen Dropped Candy Over Berlin During the Soviet Blockade In 1948-49
The Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948-49 was a tough time for those living in the German capital. The United States was among the Allied…
The Skipjack-Class Gave the US Navy An Edge in Underwater Combat
The Skipjack-class of American submarine was developed in the 1950s, bringing about a host of revolutionary features that became standard for future vessels. Named after…
A Sausage-Filled Jetliner Crashed During the Cold War, Killing 16 Soviet Admirals
One of the many close calls between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War occurred on February 7, 1981. On this…
The M60 Machine Gun Has Withstood the Test of Time, Here’s Why
The M60 machine gun is as much a symbol of the Vietnam War as the peace sign. This weapon was loved and loathed – it…
The MiG-31: A Soviet-Era Interceptor That’s Faster Than Any Western Combat Jet Currently In Service
Designed as a slightly more refined and civilized version of the MiG-25 Foxbat, the MiG-31 is an aircraft that has remained mysterious to the West…
5 Top Secret Military Bases That Changed History
The world’s military superpowers are known for being secretive when it comes to their operations, so it’s no surprise there are numerous formerly-secret bases located…
How Eisenhower Planned to Survive a Nuclear Attack By the USSR
Limiting the effects of a nuclear attack can be a tough task, one that many nations took on (mostly in vain) during the Cold War.…
The US And Britain Thought This Paint Could Protect Against a Nuclear Blast
When it comes to surviving a nuclear blast, paint is probably the last type of defense you’d consider. However, with the advent of nuclear weapons…
The USS Intrepid Survived Four Kamikaze Attacks And Continued In Service For Decades
The USS Intrepid was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during WWII. Initially operating in the Pacific Theatre, Intrepid would end up serving a wild 30-year…
America’s Black Hawk Helicopter Still Has A Lot Of Work To Do
The famous and long-lasting UH-60 Black Hawk, which has been flying since the 1970s, will likely remain in service until the 2030s. The airframe is…
These US Military Jets Accidentally Shot Themselves Down
As a rule, most aircraft armed with offensive weapons either attack ground targets or other aircraft. Over the past century, we have gotten pretty good…
Did Joseph Stalin Really Send KGB Agents to Assassinate John Wayne?
Everyone loves a good American Western, including Joseph Stalin. The Soviet dictator was a fan of the genre, but wasn’t too fond of its biggest…
Here’s Why the US Didn’t Attempt To Match Russia’s Titanium Submarines
In 1968 the Soviet Union produced a revolutionary new class of submarines; the Alfa-class. These vessels incorporated a number of advanced and innovative features that…
Grumman F-11 Tiger: The US Navy’s Second Supersonic Aircraft has a Weird History
The Grumman F-11 Tiger was an interesting fighter from an era that saw rapid and continuous advances in aircraft design. It was the US Navy’s…
The Most Unforgiving Battlefield Conditions in Military History
When discussing battles throughout the history of warfare, the participants and the equipment and tactics they used are usually the focus. However, the actual physical…
The Soviet-Era Mutiny That Inspired ‘The Hunt For Red October’
Small-scale rebellions against governments rarely work out well for the revolutionaries, and this is exactly the case for Valery Sablin, an officer in the Soviet…
Captain America’s Army Unit Is Real And Still Active Today
In 1941 beloved superhero Captain America appeared in a Marvel comic book for the first time. Shown punching the Führer on his debut comic cover,…
Godzilla Was Brought To Life by a Japanese POW
Alongside Superman and Mickey Mouse, Godzilla is one of the most famous fictional characters in history. He has been featured in movies, books, TV shows,…
The M42 Duster Played A Crucial Role in Vietnam
From 1966 until the end of the Vietnam War, the relatively small yet extremely deadly M42 Duster was brought out of retirement and used against…
The USS Scorpion Was Lost At Sea And Some Mysteries Still Remain About The Nuclear Submarine
In 1968 a US nuclear submarine suddenly disappeared in the Atlantic ocean, one of only two nuclear submarines to have been lost by the US.…
The CIA Stole a Soviet Satellite During the Space Race
The Space Race was an amazing display of technological excellence, but it also doubled as a direct metric for the United States and Soviet Union’s…
The Absurd Rules-of-Engagement GIs Had to Follow During the Vietnam War
The United States’ withdrawal from Vietnam is viewed as one of the most humiliating moments for the mighty nation. The most powerful military on earth,…
This Incredibly Flawed Government Report Sparked Panic During the Cold War
Anyone who lived through the Cold War knew about the terrifying prospect of thousands of Soviet nuclear missiles raining down upon cities all over the…
The Jaguar MBT: The Time China and America Collaborated On A Tank
Another weird tank to be developed during the Cold War was the Jaguar, a 1980s joint Chinese and American project that was intended to modernize…
Sillamae was Removed from Soviet Maps during the Cold War and now it’s a Popular Tourist Destination
A town in Estonia was removed from all Soviet maps during the Cold War but is now a popular resort destination on the Baltic coast.…
The CIA Once Built a Giant Claw to Recover a Sunken Soviet Submarine
For the United States during the Cold War, no project was too crazy or too expensive. One of these, known as Project Azorian, cost the…
The CIA Lost Nine Cores of Plutonium in the Himalayas
Of all the things you don’t want to lose, radioactive plutonium cores are near the top of the list. But this is exactly what the…
The Movie ‘The Day After’ Put Ronald Reagan In Damage Control Over Nuclear Weapons
The 1983 television movie The Day After depicts a dark scenario where tensions between the US and the Soviet Union escalate to the point of…
The CIA Paid Magician John Mulholland to Write a Deception Manual During the Cold War
The US government feared an attack from the USSR during the Cold War. This led it to a host of experimental programs aimed at ensuring…
The Secret ‘White Trains’ That Transported Nuclear Weapons During the Cold War
The Cold War was an uncertain time for much of the world. There was a permeating fear the Soviet Union would launch a nuclear attack,…
The Original Instruction Manual for the M16 was a Vietnam War Comic Book
The M16 assault rifle was meant to revolutionize the soldier, giving him a powerful, lightweight, and flexible all-in-one weapon. With the stopping power and accuracy…
The Hilltop Bomber Crash Of A B-29 Superfortress in 1951: A Timeline of Events
In 1951 a B-29 Superfortress experiencing mechanical issues crashed into a Denver neighborhood, wiping out multiple houses and claiming a number of lives. The devastating…
Pepsi Once Had the 6th Largest Navy in the World
Pepsi is one of the most iconic American brands in the world, and you’re bound to start an argument over whether it or Coca-Cola is…
Meet The Tanks Worthy Enough To Be Named After General Patton
Since WW2 US vehicles have been named after notable American historical figures, but this ongoing tradition of the US’ tank names was actually started by…
5 Of The Greatest Tank Battles Of All Time
Tanks have only been a tool of war since WWI when the British first deployed their slow, heavy yet powerful steel beasts. Despite their relatively…
The 5 Fastest Military Aircraft That Are Still Flying Today
Speed has long been a critical aspect of military aircraft, as it is useful for outrunning an opponent, reducing the time spent in enemy airspace,…
F4 Phantom for Sale: $3M for the World’s Only Privately Owned Airworthy F-4 Phantom
If you have $3 million to spare, you can own an exceptionally rare piece of history: the only privately owned airworthy F-4 Phantom in the…
Fidel Castro Kept the Frozen Body of An American Airman Following the Failed Bay of Pigs Invasion
During the botched Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, the United States sent members of the Alabama Air National Guard on a mission for the…
The Swiss Panzer 68 MBT Was Obsolete Before It Was Even Produced, Then Things Got Worse
The Swiss Panzer 68 was Switzerland’s attempt at designing and building their own main battle tank (MBT), which is no easy feat. It was designed…
Lockheed nearly armed the U-2 with anti-ship missiles
The Lockheed U-2 has been serving the US silently at high altitudes since the 1950s. In that time, it has been used by the US…
The Russian Woodpecker: The Story Of The Mysterious Duga Radar
From July 1976 to December 1989 a strange noise could be heard on shortwave radios all around the globe. The signal was extremely powerful and…
Military Events That Prove Just How Unlucky Friday the 13th Really Is
Friday the 13th is considered one of the unluckiest days of the year. While many feel it’s just everyone being overly superstitious, others believe there’s…
In The Angolan Civil War, Angola Had An Unlikely Ally In Cuba
When Angola was plunged into a set of civil wars that lasted decades, the last country one might expect to join in might be Cuba.…
How The Bandung Conference Of 1955 Was The Beginning Of The End For Indonesia’s President
The Bandung Conference of 1955 was a meeting of Asian and African nations, many of which were newly emerging from colonial rule. It was an…
Kildin Island Incident: When a Russian Submarine Surfaced Right Under an American Spy Sub
Although the Cold War ‘ended’ with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the tensions built up over the previous 45 years did not…
Taking K-129: Howard Hughes, the CIA, and the Most Expensive Secret Plot of the Cold War
The Cold War was infamous as a time of bizarre weapons, vehicles, and projects. Because the US and the Soviet Union were not fighting a…
Rejected Prototype Aircraft That Were Given A Second Act
Not every aircraft that sounds great on paper actually proves to be great in practice. There are far more proposed aircraft designs than there are…
Impressive Facts About The ‘Losers’ Of The Space Race
The Space Race was a battle between the U.S. and Soviet Union that was fought with brains, science, and technology in the cold expanse of…
A Look Back At The Army’s Portable Reactors — Is It Time To Try Again?
In 1954 the U.S. Army initiated the Army Nuclear Power Program, which sought to research and design relatively small portable nuclear reactors that would provide…
Cold War Fun: A 1950s Science Kit That Contained Real Uranium
When the U.S. successfully harnessed the virtually limitless power of the atom with the Trinity atomic bomb test in 1945, it seemed that there wasn’t…
The XF-108 Rapier: The Air Force’s Best Plane That Never Flew
In the 1950s, the Jet Age was in full swing, and manufacturers were looking to make the biggest advancements with this new technology. High-performance internal…