Louis B. Mayer: Born on the 4th of July?

Louis B. Mayer may or not have been born on July 4th, but he never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Flydubai Flight 981 Crash Victims

All 62 people aboard Flydubai Flight 981 perished when it crashed March 19 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, according to multiple news sources.

Russian Boating Accident Victims

At least 14 teenagers who were taking part in a summer-camp outing died in a storm Sunday night while boating on Lake Syamozero in northwest Russia, according to multiple news sources.

Russian Military Plane Crash Victims

A Russian military plane crashed in the Black Sea killing 92 people.

A Story of Grief and Clothes

How small, intimate memories of our loved ones live on.

Russian Subway Bombing Victims

14 people were killed in an explosion on a subway train in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Stanislav Petrov (1939–2017), "The man who saved the world"

Former Soviet military officer helped avert a nuclear war during the Cold War era.

Horace Ashenfelter III (1923–2018), steeplechase gold medalist at the 1952 Olympics

The Olympic race was considered to be an early cold war confrontation.

Nikolai Volkoff (1947–2018), Soviet wrestling villain

Inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.

Herb Brooks: Miracle Man

We look back at U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks who pulled off the "miracle on ice."

Aleksei Leonov (1934–2019), first person to walk in space

On March 18, 1965, the Russian cosmonaut left his capsule for a 12-minute space walk.

Sergei Khrushchev (1935–2020), Nikita Khrushchev’s son who became a U.S. citizen

Sergei Khrushchev was the son of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and he became known for becoming a U.S. citizen and speaking about the Cold War.

Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya (2000–2020), Olympic figure skater

Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya was a figure skater who left her native Russia to compete for Australia in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022), last leader of the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, who presided over the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War.

Valery Polyakov (1942–2022), cosmonaut who took longest trip to space

Valery Polyakov was a Russian cosmonaut who holds the record for most consecutive days in outer space.

Alexander Gorshkov (1946–2022), first Olympic champion in ice dance

Alexander Gorshkov was a Russian figure skater who won gold the first time ice dance was an Olympic event, at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.

Oleg Protopopov (1932–2023), gold medal-winning Olympic figure skater

Oleg Protopopov was a two-time Olympic gold medal winner who, along with his wife, Ludmila Belousova, defected from the Soviet Union and became an international figure skating icon. 

George Cohon (1937–2023), founder of McDonald’s Canada

George Cohon was the founder of McDonald’s Canada who later brought the iconic hamburger chain to Russia.

Alexei Navalny (1976–2024), Russian opposition leader 

Alexei Navalny was an anticorruption activist and politician who led the Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin. 

Chris Simon (1972–2024), Stanley Cup champ with Avalanche

Chris Simon was an NHL enforcer with such teams as the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, who won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Sergei Berezin (1971–2024), seven-year NHL veteran

Sergei Berezin was a seven-year NHL veteran who spent five years as a forward with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Vladimir Shklyarov (1985–2024), Russian ballet star

Vladimir Shklyarov was one of the leading male ballet dancers of his time, known for his work in his home nation of Russia, as well as in cities like New York City, London, and Munich. 

Boris Spassky (1937–2025), Russian chess grandmaster 

Boris Spassky was a Russian chess grandmaster and world champion who famously lost to Bobby Fischer in the so-called “Match of the Century” in 1972.