Knowledge Stew

Knowledge Stew

The Once Extremely Simple Nuclear Launch Codes

For 20 years, the United States once chose 00000000 as the password for its computer controls of nuclear-tipped missiles.

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Daniel Ganninger
Feb 20, 2026
∙ Paid

It’s hard to fathom, but the United States once chose 00000000 as the password for its computer controls of nuclear-tipped missiles, and it stayed that way for nearly 20 years. Strange, but true.

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