August 17, 1962 - Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall casualty rate reaches 50 as another German tries to jump it. In 1961, the Soviet Union-controlled government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall as a “barrier to Western imperialism.” Many people tried crossing the well-guarded wall that stood between the communist-controlled eastern portion of the city and the “free” west. Some were successful, but 246 died on the wall during its 28 years. On August 17, 1962, Peter Fechter was shot as he tried to jump the barbed-wire section near the border crossing of Checkpoint Charlie. The 18-year-old bled to death as East German soldiers refused to let anyone help. He became the wall’s 50th casualty. Of the estimated 10,000 who tried to escape the East (not just over the wall), 5,000 were successful. The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989.

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