1980 - for the first time in the history of Western Union revenues from money transfers exceeded the income from the telegraph service. In the 30's of the twentieth century, Western Union has become the world's largest telegraph company. In 1864, fearing the laying of long underwater lines, Western Union offered to carry out laying of telegraph lines to Europe through the Russian Alaska under the narrow Bering Strait and then to Siberia with branching in the major cities of Europe. On the market was placed about 765 million of ordinary shares of the company. On the first day trading on the exchange the company's shares rose by 3.3% and the cost was $ 19.96.