Most people reference the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 as the most dangerous period in Cold War history. It certainly had the potential to escalate into a full-scale nuclear war, but direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union was fortunately averted. The crisis lasted a little under two weeks, from October 16 to 28. But 21 years later, in 1983, a series of even greater threats again pushed the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear conflict. In fact, 1983 is considered the most dangerous year in the entire span of the Cold War. The danger, however, was largely unknown and overlooked. So, what happened?
Click through the following gallery and revisit the year when the nuclear arms race reached alarming new levels of already heightened tension.