U-2 Incident

The U-2 incident refers to the 1960 shooting down of an American U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union. The plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was gathering intelligence when it was intercepted and brought down. The United States initially claimed it was a weather research flight, but the Soviets captured Powers and revealed the true purpose of the mission. This incident heightened Cold War tensions, led to a public diplomatic crisis, and disrupted a planned summit between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, showcasing the risks and consequences of espionage during this era.