This Day in History: 1961-07-04

USSR submarine K-19 suffers a loss of coolant accident in its nuclear reactor in the North Atlantic on this day in 1961. Eight men die from radiation sickness following their work to repair the reactor, which had no backup cooling system. Contrary to the 2002 movie “K-19: the Widowmaker,” the sub did not sink and sailors were not evacuated to US warships. The nickname for the sub was not “widowmaker” but rather “Hiroshima.” The commander and crew were regarded as heroes for their sacrifice, which may have averted a nuclear explosion.