HISTORY TIDBIT: Much of the modern technology that we enjoy today evolved from the discovery of electromagnetic waves by scientists in the early 19th century. Radio, television, and cellular phones (mobile radio) all evolved from that discovery. But not until the dawn of the 20th century was science able to move that knowledge out of the laboratory into the real world. Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi was the first to broadcast electromagnetic waves over short distances. He continued honing his work and eventually became the first to transmit a transatlantic signal (from Ireland to Canada). Marconi established his own wireless company in 1901 at the age of 27. Marconi’s invention was attributed with saving the lives of those traveling on the H.M.S. Titanic and his “wireless” invention was soon experimented with by others and led to numerous new inventions of which radio was one. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 for his invention. Radio was the Internet of its day. At first, few could afford or had access to it, then before long it was affordable and everyone wanted one. Radio was democratized after World War I and almost anyone could set up a receiver or transmit radio signals. The field of Advertising mushroomed with the advent of radio, as many more people could than through traditional newspapers. The number of entertainers and new radio shows skyrocketed and the Federal government established the Federal Communications Commission in 1927 to bring order to the chaotic airwaves. Innovation continued that eventually led to the ability to send images through “the wireless”—this was known as television. In 1924 radios were first installed in Veterans Bureau (VA predecessor) hospitals. Radios were seen as a godsend for hospitalized patients whose boredom was often counterproductive to their healing. By the mid-1930s all VA hospitals had them. During the 1940s VA hospitals established radio stations and even put on radio shows. Armed Forces Radio provided long playing records to transmit music to patients rooms. The evolution of technology eventually led to the replacement of radios by television by 1960. Links to learn more: History of radio: transition.fcc.gov/omd/history/radio/documents/short_history.pdf; blog.sonos/culture/the-history-of-radio/ History of television: emmytvlegends.org/resources/tv-history; transition.fcc.gov/omd/history/tv/1930-1959.html Guglielmo Marconi: nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/marconi-bio.html
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 21:06:27 +0000
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