The Russians may have had the lead in the space race, but when it came to spy games, America enjoyed pressing its technical advantage just so. Since the mid-1950s they flew sophisticated U-2 spy planes at extreme altitudes over the Soviet territories. The U-2’s powerful camera allowed it to photograph the ground in detail while staying high above the range of Russian surface-to-air missiles. The Russians knew what was going on, but much to their frustration, were largely powerless to stop it: the U-2 planes flew too high and too fast. Until, that is, one day when the Russians finally caught one.

On this day, February 10, in 1962, Francis Powers, the pilot of a captured U-2 plane over Russia was led over the Glienicke bridge from Soviet-controlled East Berlin into American hands. He was met halfway in his path by the man he was exchanged for, Soviet master spy Rudoph Abel.

Powers’ misfortune happened to be that he was flying over Russian territory just as their military was prepping a new longer-range SAM. Though the first one they fired hit a pursuing Russian fighter rather than Powers’ U-2, the second one scored a direct hit. Powers’ U-2 was knocked out the air, but survived largely intact. The Russians made much progress disassembling the plane and learning its secrets, while a televised apology of Powers scored them a lot of propaganda points.