The famous red phone between global superpowers officially went live in 1963
Contrary to popular belief, the legendary 'Red Phone' that connected the White House to the Kremlin was never actually a phone, but a high-tech telegraph system designed to prevent nuclear war.
The Moscow-Washington hotline officially went into operation on August 30, 1963, following the terrifying close call of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Leaders realized that relying on slow diplomatic cables could lead to a catastrophic misunderstanding. The first message sent by the U.S. was a test string including the phrase 'The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back'.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.
Continue Reading in App
1 more paragraphs · plus a 3-question quiz