The Moscow–Washington hotline was once cut by a Finnish farmer's plough and another time by a Danish bulldozer.

1963

And a Soviet diplomat asked the US Secretary of State what the first message, about a 'quick brown fox', meant.

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The event

• The Moscow–Washington hotline1963 · Moscow — Washington. After the Cuban Missile Crisis the USSR and USA agreed on a direct link, which went live on 30 August 1963. Contrary to films it was no red phone but a teletype, later a fax. Washington's first message was the pangram about the quick brown fox and the lazy dog, to test every letter.

20th century

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