The Cold War's Strangest Sport

[K3MRI]

Thanks to @K4BIK for pointing me here. This is a really interesting audio piece relating the story of how international morse code competitions became popular during the Cold War.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csym79

[NS7X]

How cool is this?!  I remember in those days (prior to the fall of the Soviet Union), all QSL cards for any ham in any of the Soviet block countries were addressed "Box 88, Moscow."  It's amazing to learn they held Olympic grade high speed telegraphy competitions as a sport! 

[K3MRI]

I was raised by a crazy ham who used to have Morse Mondays. On Mondays, all dinner conversations were in Morse.

[NS7X]

What a great idea!