In 1962, the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records. Pope John XXIII excommunicated Fidel Castro. And China invaded India. More than 2,000 died in the harsh mountain combat.

A self-declared “non-aligned” power, India never expected to be attacked by a Cold War protagonist. Unprepared, New Delhi threw ground troops into the fight, but hesitated to deploy its air force out of fear of “escalating” the conflict. The Indian prime minister turned to the United States for military aid, but since the two nations had been at arm’s length for years, Washington was hardly prepared to respond. Luckily for New Delhi, the humiliating incident ended with a cease-fire.