1895
Signals without a wire
Marconi experimented with wireless signals in 1895. Explore the step from laboratory work to communication over distance; wireless telegraphy and spoken broadcasting are different stages of this story.
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1837–1844 / Sending without wires
Who invented the telegraph?
Several systems developed along different paths. Cooke and Wheatstone demonstrated a needle telegraph in Britain in 1837. Morse and Vail demonstrated their coded system between Washington and Baltimore in 1844. A key closes an electrical circuit; the receiver detects the changing current.
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1920–1925
Listening through a crystal
This Science Museum Group record describes a crystal receiver made in Manchester around 1920–1925. A small object opens a question: how much skill did early listening require?
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1922
2LO: a voice from London
The Science Museum dates the first BBC broadcast from 2LO to 14 November 1922. A transmitter helps us connect technical equipment with the growth of regular programmes.
Read the story →WORLD RADIO NOW · LIVE
From radio history to radio today
World Radio Now helps you listen to live stations around the world. Explore a historical voice, then discover music, news and culture on today’s airwaves.