Radio revolution: When was the first radio invented?

How much do you know about #Radio?

For most people, radio technology is a staple of day-to-day life. You have radio systems in your home, your car, perhaps even at work. Though we’re surrounded by radio, you may not know where it comes from.

Radio might not seem like the most exciting technology in the world. However, it’s still one of the most important ways of keeping people connected today. In 2018, Statista found that Americans listen to radio for around 106 minutes per day and that the medium reaches 90% of adults.

As a technology with such an immense impact on the world, radio deserves further investigation.

Fortunately, we’re here to give you your introduction to the rise of radio.

The rise of radio: Where do you begin?

It would be tough to find anyone in the world today who hasn’t tuned into the occasional #RadioChannel from time-to-time.

However, before the 19th century, radio didn’t exist. Wireless communication was nothing but a pipedream. That is — until Nikolai Tesla demonstrated the abilities of the world’s first wireless radio in Missouri. Although Tesla showed the potential of radio to the world first, many people argue that he wasn’t the creator of radio.

Instead, the title of “inventor” often goes to a man called Guglielmo Marconi. In 1986, Marconi received the first European patent for wireless telegraphy. One year later, Tesla filed the patents for his own radio tech, which was granted in the year 1900.

Marconi was also the first person to transmit radio signals over the ocean. In 1915, the first speech was broadcast to San Francisco from New York. After that, in 1933, Edwin Howard Armstrong was credited with creating the first “Frequency Modulated” or “FM” radio.

The FM radio improved the crackling signals we had previously accomplished with radio, by controlling the level of static in transmissions. In 1965, the first FM Antenna system was opened. This station allowed for individual stations to use FM waves to broadcast from single sources. The station appeared on the Empire State Building in New York, and the world of communication began to transform once again.

Since then, we’ve never looked back. Radio communications have continued to grow more valuable and impactful by the year.

What’s the purpose of radio?

Today, people use radio for a range of things.

You might tune into #BBCRadio to keep yourself entertained when you’re on your way to work. If you run a business, you might advertise your products on the radio to drive brand awareness. However, when radio first began it was a technology created out of necessity.

Back when we relied on signalling and carrier pigeons to deliver crucial messages, radio gave the army and navy a better way to communicate. Originally, the idea for radio began with something called a “spark gap machine.” These devices ensured effective ship-to-ship communication. Though the conversations delivered through spark gap machines were restricted to two points, they were excellent for keeping teams connected.

Eventually, we discovered the potential of wireless signals, and how we could use them to send data and information. To start with, radio transmissions were nothing more than Morse code blips. However, by 1899, the US army was already heavily invested in wireless radio systems.

As time passed by, we discovered new and more powerful ways of sending information through radio waves. Transmission technology evolved, and Lee Deforest found the first “AM” technology. DeForest was also the first person credited with the use of the word “radio.” AM technology allowed broadcasting between radio stations that typical spark gap transmitters couldn’t support.

Since then, radio has continued to transform at an incredible pace. It’s no longer simply a method of driving communications between people. Radio is also a meaningful way to share ideas, information, and even entertainment. Radio has become a source of inspiration for the masses, driving social movements and bringing countries together during times of global crisis. When the internet and telephones weren’t available, #RadioTechnology is what we relied on to deliver us news of the war.

Today, even with multiple options like streaming and YouTube available online, people still turn to radio as a reliable source of knowledge. After all, radio is the glue that brought different segments of the globe together during times of significant social evolution and disaster. It’s how millions of people were inspired by Martin Luther King’s speech, and it’s where we first heard that Britain was going to war with Germany.

Radio: The technology that brought the world together

The long tale of #RadioHistory is rich and compelling.

Though people might disagree on the answers to questions like “who created the first radio,” or “when was the radio invented?” we know one thing for sure. Radio transformed the world as we know it and helped to drive our evolution as human beings in the process.

Radio brought us communication and global reach when we needed it most. It sparked the birth and growth of the music industry and ensured that people always had access to the latest news and announcements.

Radio might have started as nothing more than theoretical science and electromagnetic signals, but it’s become so much more since then. It’s hard to imagine what the world would be without radio now.

To learn more about the history of radio and how it’s changed over the years, check out our immersive guide here. Radio is a channel worth reading about.

Tune-in and discover Radio Fidelity today.