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History Facts & Stories on Instagram: "Vasily Arkhipov (1926–1998) was a Soviet Navy officer whose single vote prevented the launch of a nuclear torpedo from the submarine B-59 during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. At the time, U.S. forces were dropping depth charges to force the submarine to surface, even though it was still in international waters. Cut off from Moscow for several days, the crew did not know whether World War III had already begun. Believing that war was underway, the captain wanted to fire a nuclear torpedo. Conditions inside the submarine only heightened the tension—its batteries were nearly depleted, the air conditioning failed, temperatures soared above 113°F (45°C), and many sailors collapsed from carbon dioxide poisoning and lack of oxygen, leaving the crew severely impaired. Normally, authorization to launch required only the approval of the captain and the political officer. However, by chance, Arkhipov—serving as flotilla commander—was aboard B-59. Flotilla commanders rarely sailed on nuclear subs, but his rank elevated the required consensus from two votes to three. In a critical moment, Arkhipov opposed the launch. After intense arguments with the captain and the political officer, he persuaded them to surface and establish communication with Moscow. His resolve prevented a nuclear strike and averted a global catastrophe—an act many credit with saving the world."