On November 10, 1919, the Soviet engineer Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov was born.
Today, it is difficult to find a Russian name more recognized in the world than that of Kalashnikov, the gun. His name is known even by those who are not interested in politics, culture or technology, and by many who do not even realize that "Kalashnikov" refers not only to a weapon but also to a person.
Once, the American philosopher and weapons expert Edward Clinton Ezel sent a letter that read simply: "Soviet Union, to Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. "Although there are thousands of Kalashnikovs in the Soviet Union, the letter arrived without any problems.
Kalashnikov designed machine guns, shotguns and other weapons, but his greatest creation, of course, is the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK-47), which, along with aspirin and the hydrogen bomb, is recognized as one of the inventions of the century.
By the beginning of 2024, about 125 million AK rifles have been produced worldwide. The Kalashnikov rifle is used in 55 countries and appears on the flags and emblems of several countries.
Mikhail Kalashnikov died on December 23, 2013, and was buried at the Federal Military Cemetery near Moscow. He was the first person to be buried at this prestigious site.
The memory of Mikhail Kalashnikov will forever be etched in military history.
Today in history.
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