The Man Who Saved the World
998Stanislav Petrov is seen as a hero, because he prevented the worst from happening. This is the man who saved the world.
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Number 10 Early Life
Stanislav Petrov was born near Vladivostok on September 7, 1939. Petrov himself would ultimately graduate from the Kiev Higher Engineering Radio-Technical College. In 1983, Petrov was the on-duty officer when the early-warning system malfunctioned.
Number 7 Growing Tensions
Attacks, however, were deterred by a doctrine of mutual assured destruction. These all contributed to growing tensions between them, with sporadic boiling points. This would have placed the American eastern coastline in range. The matter was swiftly resolved through negotiation as the Soviets agreed to remove them if the US promised them something.
Number 5 1983 False Alarm
Unbeknownst to him, the false alarm had been caused by an alignment of the satellites’ orbit and sunlight reflecting of high-altitude clouds above North Dakota.
Number 4 Protocol
Petrov’s responsibility was to promptly run the information up the chain of command so that retaliatory measures could be taken. He was a crucial link between information and decision-making.
Number 3 Petrov’s Intervention
The reason why Petrov is often hailed as the man who saved the world is that he went against protocol and took it exactly for what it was - a false alarm. Even though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, Petrov kept his composure as the five missiles were detected, one after the other. The only aspect he eventually reported to his superiors was a system malfunction.
Number 2 Moments of Clarity
As the alarms were blaring around him, Petrov claimed that he almost couldn’t move. He knew what he had to do but something wasn’t right. When talking about the 1983 false alarm incident in subsequent interviews, Petrov attributed his decision to a few moments of clarity. It was ultimately a matter of trusting his instincts. His decision of treating it like a false alarm was followed by the longest 23 minutes of his life.
Number 1 Aftermath
Following the incident Petrov was intensely questioned by his superiors and extensively investigated. Petrov kept quiet for many years about his actions. As more media attention was brought to Petrov, he started giving interviews and also received multiple international awards and commendations.
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