Five minutes speech

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On August 11, 1984, United States President Ronald Reagan, while running for re-election, was preparing to make a radio address. As a sound check prior to the address, Reagan made the following joke to the radio technicians:

My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.

The comment, never meant for broadcast, was later released to the general populace. It caused one of many short periods of tension in the Cold War, even leading to a lowering of the DEFCON.

[edit] Popular culture

A recording of the speech was sampled by musicians Jerry Harrison and Bootsy Collins and edited into the dance single "Five Minutes," credited to "Bonzo Goes to Washington". Another song sampling the speech is Jesus Gone by the group Wumpscut, and Interrogation Leash by the group Grendel.