The era of the Cold War was one of the most tense and uneasy periods in human history. Thoughts of nuclear warfare loomed perpetually, creating a lasting environment of deep-seated distrust. The timeline of the Cold War, extending from the end of World War II to the collapse of the Soviet Union, was punctuated by numerous smaller yet intense “hot” conflicts including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Interestingly, while the Cold War is identified as one of the most detrimental periods, it also emerged as one of the most productive phases in human history. The keen competition between the rival factions catalyzed significant events like the Space Race, resulting in the monumental moon landings. The conflict also propelled several scientific advancements. Even though the Cold War was not consistently “hot” in terms of actual artillery usage, the various smaller conflicts it incited were indeed very “hot,” resulting in a notable loss of life. However, this list endeavors to uncover some of the more eccentric and lesser-known elements of this war, including mistakes, miscalculations, and odd trivia. We are pleased to bring you the top 25 most engaging incidents that occurred during the Cold War.
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The US and the USSR were initially going to go into space together but after President Kennedy was assassinated, the Soviets didn't trust Vice President Johnson
The USSR thought that the building in the center of the Pentagon was a top secret meeting room so they pointed their nukes at it. It was actually a hot dog stand.
During the Cold War, the Soviets could tell if a passport was fake because the staples in real passports would corrode due to the low quality metal
The United States used bears to test the ejector seats of their jets
George Orwell was the first person to use the term "Cold War"
Originally, the term 3rd world country did not mean a poor nation. It simply meant any country not aligned with either the US or the USSR
On that note, countries aligned with the US were considered first world, and countries aligned with the USSR were considered 2nd world
The US had made plans to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon to show off military might. It was never implemented.
Canada forcibly relocated many Inuit into the northern parts of the country in order to affirm its sovereignty in the Arctic
It was the Soviets, however, who had the best cartographers. Their maps of the Arctic were so detailed that they are still in use today
Operation Kitty was a real operation undertaken by the CIA to equip cats with spy equipment. The first mission failed, however, when the cat was run over. Not surprising the $15 million operation was subsequently dropped
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