On This Day

USSR performs a nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya, Soviet Union

Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, in the extreme northeast of Europe, with Cape Flissingsky, on the northern island,...

Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, in the extreme northeast of Europe, with Cape Flissingsky, on the northern island, considered the easternmost point of Europe. To Novaya Zemlya's west lies the Barents Sea and to the east is the Kara Sea.

Novaya Zemlya consists of two main islands, the northern Severny Island and the southern Yuzhny Island, which are separated by the Matochkin Strait. Administratively, it is incorporated as Novaya Zemlya District, one of the twenty-one in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Novaya Zemlya Urban Okrug.

Novaya Zemlya was a sensitive military area during the Cold War, and parts of it are still used for airfields today.

Historical Significance

Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia.

Events Before

  1. Gabrielle Carteris is born

    Gabrielle Carteris is born

  2. Longest recorded strike ends as Danish barbers' assistants end their 33-year strike

    Longest recorded strike ends as Danish barbers' assistants end their 33-year strike

  3. Berry Gordy signs The Supremes to Motown Records

    The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes.

  4. First live, nationally televised presidential news conference, held by JFK

    First live, nationally televised presidential news conference, held by JFK

  5. "I Fall to Pieces" single released by Patsy Cline (Billboard Song of the Year 1961)

    "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline.

Events After

  1. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

    Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, calling for an end to racism in the United States.

  2. David Cone is born

    David Cone athlete, known for american baseball player and analyst, was born on 1963-01-02.

  3. American banker George Woods succeeds Eugene Black as president of the World Bank

    George David Woods (July 27, 1901 – August 20, 1982) was an American investment banker and financier. He served as the fourth President of the World Bank, from January 1963 until March 1968.

  4. Beatles release the single "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why"; peaks at #2 in UK, and #3 in US

    Introducing... The Beatles is the first studio album released by the English rock band the Beatles in the United States.

  5. Los Angeles night club and music venue The Whiskey A-Go-Go opens (inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2006)

    The Yardbirds are an English rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page...

More from the 1960s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 20, 1962?
Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, in the extreme northeast of Europe, with Cape Flissingsky, on the northern island, considered the easternmost point of Europe. To Novaya Zemlya's west lies the Barents Sea and to the east is the Kara Sea.
Why is USSR performs a nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya, Soviet Union significant?
Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia.

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