Vasili Arkhipov Day - October 27th - The Man Who Saved The World
Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov · 30 January 1926 – 19 August 1998 · The man who gave us tomorrow.
October 27, 1962Deep beneath the Atlantic, in a broken Soviet submarine surrounded by American warships, Captain Valentin Savitsky gave the order to fire a nuclear torpedo.
Only one man had to agree for World War III to begin.
That man was Vasili Arkhipov.
He said no.
Because of his courage in the hottest moment of the Cold War, you are alive to read this sentence.
Your parents met. Your children were born. Every sunrise since October 27, 1962 exists because one exhausted officer refused to say yes when everyone else said yes.
We have never thanked him.
Let’s fix that.
October 27, 2026
The 100th anniversary of Vasili Arkhipov’s birth
International Vasili Arkhipov Day
On that day — and every October 27 after — we ask the world to pause for exactly one minute at 11:42 a.m. local time and simply say, out loud or in your head:
“Thank you, Vasili.”
No parades. No gifts. Just 60 seconds of gratitude that we are still here.
Join us
Share this page. Tell one person the story. Mark your calendar.
Because the world only exists today so we can finally say:
Thanks, Vasili.#ThanksVasilivasiliday.com · thanksvasili.com