A Forgotten Hero

Name the great figures of the 20th century. Was Stanislav Petrov on your list? He should be, he saved your life:

Petrov was in charge of the secret bunker where a team of 120 technicians and military officers monitored the Soviet Union's early-warning system. It was just after midnight when a new satellite array known as Oko, or The Eye, spotted five U.S. missiles heading toward Moscow. The Eye discerned that they were Minuteman II nuclear missiles.

Petrov's computer was demanding that he follow the prescribed protocol and confirm an incoming attack to his superiors.

Read it all, it's certainly worth your time.

Hat Tip:Tim Blair