Radiotower

A Brief History of Radio

By biselcol

  • Electromagnetic waves theory

    Electromagnetic waves theory
    James Clerk Maxwell showed in theoretical and mathematical form that electromagnetic waves could propagate through free space.

  • Marconi Proves Usefulness and Practicality of Radio

    Marconi Proves Usefulness and Practicality of Radio
    Guglielmo Marconi built the first complete, commercially successful wireless telegraphy system based on airborne Hertzian waves. He used this technology in many trials that proved radio's effectiveness in military and marine communications.

  • First Human Voice Transmission

    First Human Voice Transmission
    In 1900, Brazilian priest Roberto Landell de Moura transmitted the human voice wirelessly for a distance of approximately a half mile. He then received a patent for his technology in Brazil and the United States. His actions paved the way for modern transmissions of talk shows, music, and more.

  • Radios Become Standard Issue Equipment on Ships

    Radios Become Standard Issue Equipment on Ships
    One year after the disastrous sinking of the Titanic in 1912, people found it necessary to be able to communicate in order to save lives on sinking ships.

  • First Continuous Radio Broadcast

    First Continuous Radio Broadcast
    Harold Power and his company American Radio and Research Company (AMRAD), started a scheduled broadcast that came from Tufts University. This program was filled with a variety of items, including dance programs, professor lectures, the weather, and even bedtime stories.

  • Vacuum Tubes Used for the First Time in Radio

    Vacuum Tubes Used for the First Time in Radio
    Vacuum Tubes made music broadcasts more viable on the radio.

  • First Radio News Program

    First Radio News Program
    The workers at 8MK in Detroit, Michigan make radio stick out as a way to better announce the news.

  • First Station to Receive Commercial License

    First Station to Receive Commercial License
    Station WBZ, in Springfield, Massachusetts at the time, gained a license to publicly broadcast on the radio commercially, paving the way for modern stations to exist.

  • Frequency Modulation Invented

    Frequency Modulation Invented
    Frequency modulation radio bands were first discovered by amateur radio enthusiasts. FM radio made music stations sound much clearer with less static. This was at the cost of shorter broadcast ranges. By the 1940's, FM was a common broadcast type.

  • Transistors Phase out Vacuum Tubes

    Transistors Phase out Vacuum Tubes
    In the 1960's, Sony introduced its small transistor radio, and rather quickly afterward, companies left and right were making the switch. Transistors were not plagued with as many problems as old vacuum tubes.

  • The Internet Becomes the Next Spot for Radio

    The Internet Becomes the Next Spot for Radio
    Starting in the 1990's, the internet became a common place to listen in on broadcasts of music, talk shows, and the list just kept expanding. These innovations led to modern streaming applications for music and other forms of media.