This handsome devil is Vasili Arkhipov. On this day 57 years ago, he saved the world. At the height of Cuban missile crisis, Soviet sub B-59 was being pursued by the USS Randolph. In the panic, it dived too deep to communicate with Moscow (1/n) THREAD 
The Americans in pursuit dropped depth charges. Conditions onboard the b-59 were oppressive. And in such hellish conditions, the crew determined war had begun - and prepared to fire a nuke. As I write in #TheIrrationalApe (2/n)
Due to unique circumstance, Vasili had the deciding vote. Facing fellow officers resolutely determined to die fighting, the fate of the world fell on this Russian's broad shoulders. Facing them, he vetoed their request to engage. A passionate row ensued, but be stood firm (3/n).
His reasoning was simple & elegant; as I explain in the book... (4/n)
We are only here today because a resolute russian deployed admirable critical thinking, like his country man Stanislav Petrov years later, as I've written before (5/n)
Anyway, my flight is literally taking off but more here. Thanks @camcamdamn for reminding me
(sorry for long delay - flight took off early. But mentioned Vasili at @ConwayHall today so seems fitting)
