PA
Fifty years ago on Wednesday, British secretary of state for war, John Profumo, stood up in the Commons and denied he had conducted an affair with Christine Keeler.
He was lying.
For an elected official this would be bad enough were it not Keeler was alleged to be the mistress of Soviet spy, Yevgeny "Eugene" Ivanov, and the Cold War was at its peak.
In the scandal that unfolded it emerged the two had been introduced at a house party hosted by Dr Stephen Ward.
Also present was Ivanov who was also sleeping with Keeler.
The scandal rocked the British government and had far-reaching consequences for all involved.
See what became of the main protagonists in the gallery below.