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Radio Was Born This Day In 1901 & Canada Was Part Of The Birth
December 12, 1901 was a very long time ago. But something happened that day that was to plant a seed that would sprout the radio industry - and Canada was part of it. On that fateful day, Guglielmo Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio message from Cornwall, England to a receiving station at St. John's, Newfoundland, proving that a signal could travel that distance. (Does that also mean it was the first-ever DX?)
And what was the momentous message that made history? It wasn't much - the letter "s" in Morse code. But that was enough to begin what was still to come.
The medium became established enough that it was on board the Titanic eleven years later when the great ship went down and was able to radio for help, saving hundreds of lives. And almost, his own.
"In an ironic twist, Marconi narrowly avoided traveling on that fatal voyage — he was offered a free ticket for the Titanic but took the Lusitania three days earlier," the BBC reported this year.
And it all started 122 years ago with the simple letter "s."
On this day in history, December 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi sends first transatlantic radio message
Sadly, the linked article doesn't mention it, but it was Marconi who helped bring radio as we know it to Canada, starting XWA (later CFCF) in Montreal in 1919. There's still some dispute among historians, but many believe it was the first radio station ever established.
And what did XWA stand for? Apparently, it was short for "experimental wireless apparatus."
The station that would become CFCF
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Re: Radio Was Born This Day In 1901 & Canada Was Part Of The Birth
As long as we're noting firsts, check this out. It's a very short 19 sec. excerpt from a show called "The Queen's Messenger." It was an experimental effort made by WGY in Schenectady, N.Y., and is believed to be the very first ever TV drama ever made. The year? Believe it or not, it was around 1928, before television was even a gleam in the eye of future giant broadcasters.
According to YouTube, which hosts the clip:
"The actors seen here are presumably both hand models for the close up scenes. Joyce Evans Rector plays the hands of the Russian Spy, while William J. Toneski plays the hands of the British Diplomat whose secret documents the spy is after."
It's hard to understand what's going on in the very brief excerpt, but the fact they staged it at all that early and anything survives is simply mind-boggling.
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Re: Radio Was Born This Day In 1901 & Canada Was Part Of The Birth
I believe Marconi used some equipment designed by Nikola Tesla to send that signal.
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Re: Radio Was Born This Day In 1901 & Canada Was Part Of The Birth
Actually, Newfoundland was not a part of Canada until 1949. Creds to Guglielmo however, he did start the radio biz in Montreal with a factory and studios of the first radio station XWA. Had the luck to start my career at Canadian Marconi's CFCF/CFQR at 405 Ogilvy Ave.in Park Ex. A goldmine of history and knowledge.