# U-2 incident (1960)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1960-u-2-incident
Categories: main-event

An American U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Sverdlovsk on 1 May 1960. The Paris summit collapsed. The Sino-Soviet split also became open in 1960. Powers was exchanged in 1962. The incident marked a return to Cold War tensions.

## Why it matters
The incident marked a return to Cold War tensions.

Ruler at the time: [Nikita Khrushchev](https://history-russia.com/rulers/nikita-khrushchev)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — 1960 U-2 incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_U-2_incident)
- [Wikipedia — Sino-Soviet split](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Soviet_split)
- [Wikipedia — Khrushchev thaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khrushchev_thaw)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — U-2 incident](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=U-2+incident)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)