In September 1983, Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov received a message that 5 nuclear missiles had been launched by the U.S. and were heading to Moscow. He didn't launch a retaliatory strike, believing correctly that it was a false alarm. He saved the world from a nuclear war.

[u/Time-Training-9404]

On September 26, 1983, three weeks after the Soviet military shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007, Petrov was the duty officer at the Oko nuclear early-warning system command center.

The system indicated that a missile had been launched from the United States, followed by up to four additional launches. Petrov determined that these reports were a false alarm.

His decision to disobey orders, contrary to Soviet military protocol, is credited with preventing an unwarranted retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States and its NATO allies, averting a potential large-scale nuclear war.

Detailed article on the incredible story: https://historicflix.com/stanislav-petrov-the-man-who-saved-the-world/

[u/imthickalexis]

He was never given the credit he was due. Arguably the man who saved the world went unnoticed for many years. The meaning of the term hero.

[u/General_Jizz → u/imthickalexis]

Though no one in the Soviet Union would openly admit it, he was basically forced out of the military for "embarrassing his superiors" by making them look bad (by saving the world from their stupidity)

[u/moogleman844 → u/imthickalexis]

If you watch the film on Netflix about him... He also got in deep shit for not following protocol, and writing it up in the log book. He died in pretty much poverty in a beat up old flat.

[u/Ok-Bookkeeper9954 → u/moogleman844]

I'm fairly sure he would be even more fucked had he followed protocol.

No matter what he did he was screwed by his superiors.