Today marks the 100th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi’s inaugural wireless transmission between the US and Great Britain on January 18, 1903 (January 19 UTC).
On that date, from the sandy Cape Cod cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, Marconi–using a powerful (35 kW) rotary spark transmitter coupled to a massive antenna system– transmitted a 54-word greeting from President Theodore Roosevelt to England’s King Edward VII. The monarch promptly acknowledged receipt of the message via land line and cable, literally igniting the spark of global communication.
| London, England “In taking advantage of the wonderful triumph of scientific research and ingenuity which has been achieved in perfecting a system of wireless telegraphy, I extend on behalf of the American people most cordial greetings and good wishes to you and all of the people of the British Empire.” Theodore Roosevelt |
The original Marconi site on Cape Cod–now “Marconi Beach” and part of the Cape Cod National Seashore–contains a miniature recreation of the Marconi station. Spark gear typical of the period is on display nearby. Atlantic shoreline erosion long ago washed away the dunes that once supported the wooden antenna towers, but visitors to the site can find remnants of the facility, including a huge guy anchor once buried in the sand.
Additional details are on the Marconi Radio Club Web site. A calendar of events associated with the anniversary is on the National Park Service page. Click on “In Depth,” then “News.”
- On Dec. 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi sat on a hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland, waiting for a sound. Dangling above him was a kite, with an antenna attached to its tail. Across the Atlantic, in Poldhu, England, sat Marconi’s assistant, with a transmitter. The Electromagnetic waves carried the sound “dit-dit-dit” — Morse code for the letter “S” — across the ocean. NPR’s Joe Palca reports (4:48).
- NPR’s Jonathan Kern recalls how the device and Morse Code were an important part of his childhood — a language that united him with his father. And, producer Gregory Whitehead presents an essay with sound about his grandfather who was a professional telegrapher. (7:17)
- The last commercial Morse code transmissions took place in July, 1999, ending a radio era. For most of this century, Morse code has been an important means of communication between land and ships at sea. But the system of dots and dashes is now considered obsolete, having been replaced by satellites and computers. NPR’s Adam Hochberg has a look at Morse Code’s role in the 20th century. (8:03)
- Thomas Edison said: “To invent, you need a good imagination… and a pile of junk.” Modern radio started in Frank Conrad’s garage, on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. In 1920, Conrad’s weekly broadcasts from his garage led to the founding of KDKA, the world’s first commercial radio station. NPR reports (12:49)
- Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Alexander Graham Bell the phone. Last year marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of the invention of television –but do you know WHO invented television? (40:00)
- Europe and North America came face to face with each other in a new way — via live satellite television, 40 years ago. Walter Cronkite describes the event. (12:00)
- At any single time about 95 percent of the existing fiber lines go unused. Lines have been built under the sea and around mountains, but often not the “last mile” connections that bring high-speed voice and data service to homes and businesses. NPR’s Allison Aubrey reports. (4:00)
- Telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan tells us how the cellular telephone industry has grown since it was launched in its present form in 1983. All Things Considered(1:49)
- BMW’s hottest new luxury car — the 7 Series takes automotive computer power to a whole new level. But what is created for the sake of simplicity can oftentimes create the most confusion. (8:00)
