This Cold War–Era Toxic Mist That Vanished Without a Trace

On April 26, 1986, a routine safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant spiraled into the worst nuclear disaster in history. But the explosion wasn't caused by a single mistake—it was a series of catastrophic mistakes.

The reactor at the center of the Chernobyl disaster was one of the most powerful machines ever built. But it contained a series of design flaws that made it uniquely vulnerable under the wrong conditions.

Being exposed to radiation from the fallout of the Chernobyl disaster was like "getting a thousand chest X-rays at once."

A single miscommunicated announcement set history in motion. Discover how confusion at a press conference helped bring down the Berlin Wall.