Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spyplane crumbles over Sverdlovsk after Soviet surface-

Featured Event 1960 Event

U-2 Pilot Shot Down: Cold War Tensions Spike

Francis Gary Powers' U-2 spyplane crumbles over Sverdlovsk after Soviet surface-to-air missiles bring it down, instantly shattering the fragile thaw between Washington and Moscow. The incident forces President Eisenhower to abandon planned summit talks with Nikita Khrushchev and exposes the depth of American aerial surveillance, turning a single crash into a permanent stain on Cold War diplomacy.

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May 1, 1960

66 years ago

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U-2 Pilot Shot Down: Cold War Tensions Spike

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