Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi, GCVO (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian electrical engineer and Nobel laureate, known for the development of a practical wireless telegraphy system commonly known as the "radio". Marconi was President of the Accademia d'Italia and a member of the Fascist Grand Council of Italy.

Who invented the radio?

Marconi's claim that he invented radio was always disputed by Nikola Tesla and Alexander Popov.

Related Topics:
Nikola Tesla - Alexander Popov

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marconi did develop a practical model and was responsible for the first successful exploitation of the invention practically at the same time with Alexander Popov, who described his findings in a paper published in 1895. Popov publicly demonstrated the transmission of radio waves between different campus buildings to the St Petersburg Physical Society in March 1896. Actually, Marconi publicly demonstrated his system several months later, in September. Upon learning about Marconi's experiments, Popov effected ship-to-shore communication over a distance of 6 miles in 1898 and 30 miles in 1899. He died in 1905 and his claim was not pressed by the Russian government until 40 years later.

Related Topics:
1895 - St Petersburg - 1896

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tesla initially held the rights to radio, but the US Patent Office reversed its decision and awarded Marconi the patent for radio. Tesla fought to re-acquire his radio patent. A lawsuit regarding this was resolved by American courts in Tesla's favor (1943). This decision was based on the fact that there was prior work existing before the establishment of Marconi's patent (developed by Tesla). At the time, the United States Army was involved in a patent infringement lawsuit with Marconi's company regarding radio, leading some to posit that the government granted Tesla the patent on order to nullify any claims Marconi would have to compensation (as, some posit, the government's initial reversal to grant Marconi the patent right in order to nullify any claims Tesla had for compensation).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another pioneer of wireless communication was Prof Jagdish Bose. In 1894, Bose ignited gunpowder and rang a bell at a distance using electromagnetic waves, confirming that communication signals can be sent without using wires.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mahlon Loomis of West Virginia has the oldest and most documented claim of inventing radio.

Related Topics:
Mahlon Loomis - West Virginia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~