On this day: August 17

Border Guards Shoot Escapees at Berlin Wall Crossing

On 17 August 1962, East German border guards shot at several people trying to cross the Berlin Wall from East to West; some escapees were killed or wounded amid escalating tensions along the fortified divide.

U.S. Conducts Underground Nuclear Test on August 17, 1962

On August 17, 1962, the United States detonated a nuclear device underground as part of its Cold War testing program, continuing a series of subsurface tests designed to limit atmospheric fallout while evaluating weapon designs and effects.