The first milestone in the history of radio will be celebrated tomorrow/today. NHPR producer Laura Colbert went to the U.S. National Marconi Museum in Bedford, NH and brought back this story.
Find out more at www.marconiusa.org
One hundred years ago, an impossible event occurred that made it possible for you to hear the sound of my voice today.
Marconi just did it cut
That is Ray Mini- KELL- oh, Chairman of the Gwee-YELL-mo Marconi Foundation and Museum, in Bedford. Marconi is considered the father of radio and, as Ray will tell you, December 12, 1901 was a significant date in radio history.
We are celebrating and this is what we are doing cut
And this is similar to what Marconi heard while sitting in St. John?s Newfoundland that day. It was the letter S in Morse code sent out by a very rudimentary contraption called a spark transmitter. There is a small version if one at the Marconi Museum and Ray is happy to fire it up.
Transmitter sound cut
Ray does have the intellectual curiosity one might expect from the son of an early radio pioneer. He?s also an engineer who worked in radio most of his life, but his passion for all things Marconni stems from the fact that he is also a cousin of Marconi?s and has a fond memory of meeting him.
Story cut
?. And after his death in 1937, the radio broadcasters at the time didn?t forget Marconi and his remarkable achievements either.
1937 broadcast tape
For NHPR this is LC in Bedford.
Amateur radio enthusiasts can get involved in tomorrow?s/ today?s event at the Marconi Museum. They will be talking to Poldhu, England throughout the day from W1FGM. That?s W1FGM. Find out more at www.marconiusa.org or by calling 472-8312. This information will also be posted on our web site, nhpr.org.
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