The Limited Test Ban Treaty
Official Name: "The Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water" (Jessica L. Cox, Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty)
Also known as the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Treaty was ratified in the British, Russian, and American governments on August 5, 1963 when it was signed by a representative from each. The document banned the trial of atomic weapons “in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water” (Jessica L. Cox, Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty), in an effort to reduce the amount of radioactivity in the atmosphere. It also prevented the possibility of a nuclear war, at least for the time being. People in every nation rejoiced when they heard the news, and disarmament activists breathed a sigh of relief. On that same day, Dr. Linus Pauling was officially awarded his second Nobel Prize, except this time, a Nobel Peace Prize. To this day, he is one of two people to have ever done this, and the most recent.