The Origin Of Radio And Its Importance Throughout History

Before this invention, long-range wireless communication was impossible. The two major telecommunication devices of the time were the telephone and telegraph, which were both fixed to electrical wiring in one’s house or a specific place. Made forty years apart, these two systems were used by the public to communicate with family or friends who were not reachable physically and that could even be thousands of miles apart. Although these two systems revolutionized distance communication in their times, they were dwarfed by the latest technologies which would come later on, the radio, which for the last one hundred twenty-five years is still used in daily lives. The radio is a device used for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves of radio frequency, used in different areas like; radio communication, radar, remote control, etc. In 1864, Scottish mathematician James Clerk Maxwell proved the existence of radio waves mathematically, but could not technically show proof of it, limited by the technology of his time.

Twenty-six years later, a French inventor, Edouard Branly, devised the coherer, the first form of a signal detector used in the first radio in the 20th century. Not too long after this, a Serbian-American inventor and engineer named Nikola Tesla invented the idea of the radio, not much time after watching Heinrich Hertz’s (German physicist) demonstration in spark wireless transmissions. This equipment, used to create radio waves through electric sparks was used for the first radio transmitter during the first few decades of the radio. Tesla became increasingly interested in this idea and transmitted his first short radio signal in 1893. Later he worked on a radio-controlled boat which he presented by driving it around the waters of Manhattan. A few years later, he realized the importance the radio could have and built a transmitting tower at Wardenclyffe on Long Island to develop a worldwide radio transmission service, but he was quickly forced to stop his research as he was going bankrupt. In June 1896, using research and breakthroughs on radio waves from Tesla and other scientists, an Italian inventor by the name of Guglielmo Marconi experimented with Hertz’s spark machine and made considerable improvements on long-distance transmissions. With this, he invented the world’s first successful telegraph. In June 1897, Marconi set out to La Spezia, where a land station had been built, and he made contact with Italian warships19 km (11. 8 miles) away. In the next 26 years, Marconi worked day and night to improve the radio’s transmission distance, transmission quality, etc, and finally, in 1910, he received messages over distances of 9,650 km (6,000 miles).

This launched abrupt developments in this technological field and conceived a multitude of new technological advancements including broadcasting, radars, navigation services and more. This invention not only changed the daily lives of the nations but brought with it a whole new era of communication and wireless interaction. It became the foundation for means of communications for pilots, ship crew, company drivers, the police and hospitals, etc. It also became essential during the wars, not only for the communication between HQ and the fronts but also to notify the public of the events happening in present time.