On this date 62 years ago, the AK-47 was invented by Mikhail Kalashnikov.  He was inspired to become a weapons maker during World War II, after listening to wounded Russian soldiers complaining about the poor quality of Soviet-made small arms.  More than 60 years later, it remains the standard infantry weapon in numerous armies, and a mainstay in the arsenals of rebels, drug traffickers and terrorists worldwide.  Kalashnikov, now 89, has expressed regret that his AK-47 has become the weapon of choice in the terrorist world, but he suffers no pangs of guilt. “If someone asks me how I can sleep at night knowing that my arms have killed millions of people, I respond that I have no problem sleeping,” he said. “My conscience is clean. I constructed arms to defend my country.”

via: wired