August 30

August 30, 1963 - The Moscow-Washington Hotline, allowing for instantaneous contact between the White House and the Kremlin, became operational, as both the American and Soviet governments realized better communication was necessary in order to prevent war between the two nuclear powers. The infamous red telephone was disconnected only two weeks later, as President Kennedy got sick of answering the phone only to hear a giggling Premier Khrushchev ask for "Hugh Jass."