Red Phone Connects Superpowers: Nuclear War Averted
The "hotline" between Washington and Moscow was established on June 20, 1963, five months after the Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrated the catastrophic danger of leaders being unable to communicate quickly during a nuclear confrontation. Contrary to popular belief, it was never a red telephone. The original system used teletype machines connected by a full-duplex cable running from Washington through London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki to Moscow. The first test message sent by Washington was "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back 1234567890." Moscow's test reply described a sunset over the Moscow River. The system was upgraded to a satellite link in 1971, fax capability in 1986, and a fiber optic line with secure email in 2008. It has been used during several crises, including the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
June 20, 1963
63 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 20
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