April 12, 1951 – "Black Thursday": The U.S. Air Force's most devastating defeat, dubbed the "second Pearl Harbor" for American aviation. Unlike 1941, this time, Soviet MiG-15s, led by legendary ace Ivan Kozhedub, decisively outmatched the U.S. in a fair fight—despite being outnumbered 3-to-1 (40 MiGs vs. ~120 U.S. aircraft). The result: 10 B-29s and 2 fighters shot down with no Soviet losses. Over 100 U.S. pilots were captured, and the humiliation forced the U.S. to halt bombing raids in "MiG Alley," ending strategic strikes on China-DPRK crossings.