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August 1949

1949 Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear device

1950's the US increasingly focused on the development of nuclear weaponry at he expense of its conventional forces

In 1952 the British joined the arms race when they exploded their first nuclear device at he Montebello Islands off the coast of Western Australia

1963 the US had 550 ICBMS; the Soviets had fewer than 100

By the mid-1960's each side possessed enough nuclear weapons and suficently effective delivery systems to destroy the entire human race several times over

1962 Complete annihilation became more and more assured as weapons systems became more advanced. In 1960's, for example, they could carry several warheads aimed at different targets

The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 confirmed or both the US and the USSR the inherent dangers of conlict in the nuclear age

In 1972 the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) placed a limit on the number of missiles each side could have

The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ended atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, and further agreements in 1967 banned the use of nuclear weapons in space.

It was not until the 1980's that agreements were made to reduce the massive stockpile of nuclear weapons