Famous Morse Code Messages and Quotes

The most famous Morse code messages are "What hath God wrought" (the first long-distance telegraph message, 1844), CQD and SOS (the Titanic's distress calls, 1912), and TORTURE, blinked in Morse code by a prisoner of war on television in 1966. Each one is translated below, letter by letter.

The messages and how they look in Morse code

Press the play button next to any line to hear it. If you want to translate a message of your own, use the Morse code translator.

"What hath God wrought" (1844)

On 24 May 1844 Samuel Morse sent this message over an experimental telegraph line from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore. The words come from the Bible (Numbers 23:23) and were suggested by Annie Ellsworth, the daughter of a patent commissioner. It is usually called the first official long-distance telegraph message. The code Morse used then was an early version, not today's International Morse Code, so the dots and dashes above show how the phrase looks in the modern code. To see how the two codes differ, read Samuel Morse.

CQD and SOS on the Titanic (1912)

During the night of 14 to 15 April 1912, the radio operators of the Titanic called for help. They sent CQD, the older distress call used by some operators at the time, and SOS, which had been adopted as the international distress signal a few years earlier. SOS is sent as one unbroken signal, ...---..., not as three separate letters. The story of how SOS was chosen is on the SOS in Morse code page.

TORTURE, blinked on television (1966)

In 1966 the American naval officer Jeremiah Denton was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam and was made to appear in a televised interview. While answering questions, he blinked the letters of the word TORTURE in Morse code. American intelligence officers who watched the broadcast recognised the pattern. It is one of the clearest examples of Morse code used as a hidden message. You can try the same idea yourself: how to blink Morse code explains the timing.

The letter V and "V for Victory" (1941)

During the Second World War, the letter V, ...-, became a symbol of resistance to occupation in Europe. Its rhythm of three short sounds and one long one matches the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, and the BBC used those notes as a signal in its broadcasts to occupied Europe.

Short quotes in Morse code

If you are searching for Morse code quotes for a bracelet, a poster or a message to a friend, short phrases work best. Long sentences become hard to read in dots and dashes.

Before you print or order anything, check the spacing. Letters need a clear gap, and words need a bigger one. The bracelet and tattoo guide shows how to get this right.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Morse code words and phrasesEveryday words and messages, ready to play..-- ---
• Samuel MorseThe inventor, the telegraph and American Morse code.... .- --
• SOS in Morse codeMeaning, sound, history and how to signal it....---...