History of Telecommunications

History of communication over distances greater than human voice: hand signals, fire beacons, flags, mechanical semaphores, telegraph, … -- can be traced to the basic milestones that were discovered thousands years ago

And again as it was mention above in computer history section of this article just the last couple of centuries of Europe and USA based scientific and technology inventions radically changed the way of telecommunications. Let us try to take a look on some of the basic milestones on this road.

In 1753 Charles Morrison, in Europe, proposes an electrostatic telegraph system in which the use of 26 insulated wires conducting charges from a Leyden jar cause movements in small pieces of paper on which each letter of the alphabet is written. A couple of years later in 1763 Bosolus describes a system similar to Morrison's except he uses only two wires, and a letter code. After that in the April 27 of 1791 – Samuel Finley Breese Morse born in Charlestown, Mass.

During the next half of the century when Morse grown up and then tried to look around in order to decide what exactly he need to do for mankind the prehistory of the modern telecommunications was completed. People in Europe continue to improve some of the Morrison's ideas. In 1797 Lomond, proposes a system similar to Morrison's except it uses a single wire and alphabet in motion. Then in 1816 Ronalds, in England, demonstrates his electrostatic telegraph which is similar to Morrison's one, except pith balls are deflected by the charges. This system also uses only two wires. A pair of synchronous clockwork dials, one on each end, are used to identify letters. Since 1830s Needle Galvanometers were in use in England to indicate railroad.

In 1832 Nicholas demonstrates a 5-needle electric telegraph in Berlin. At the same time Schilling, a Russian diplomat, demonstrates his electric telegraph in Germany as well. The system uses five numerical indicator needles which are used to identify a specific 5-digit code. A code dictionary relates these codes to words.

Meanwhile after studying and painting in France and Italy, Morse travels from Europe to America on the packet ship "Sully." Part of Morse's interest in improved communications traced to the death of his first wife, at the age of 25. Away from home at the time, it took two weeks for the news to reach him. Following a dinner table conversation with Dr. Charles Jackson regarding recent European discoveries on electromagnetic properties, he makes his first notes regarding his "Recording Electric Magnetic Telegraph" and a dot - dash alphabet code. Later, Jackson claims credit for Morse's invention, saying he had supplied key information.

In 1837 Charles Wheatstone patents "electric telegraph". The following are just some of the events regarding this milestone-year of the telecom history. June 10 – The Cooke and Wheatstone electric "Five Needle Telegraph" is patented (#7390) in London. The instrument requires six wires between each of its stations. This European telegraph had no means of recording messages; Morse felt this to be a great disadvantage. Edward Davy, a dentist, shows his electric telegraph in London. April / September – Morse and Gale experiment at the University. September 2 – Professor Daubeny, Professor Torrey and Alfred Vail attend a demonstration of Morse's telegraph at New York University. Vail becomes very interested. September. 23 – Morse enters into an agreement with Alfred Vail, whose father owns Speedwell Iron Works. Morse develops his caveat showing the invention and alphabet code. It is sent to his old classmate and Commissioner of Patents, Henry L. Ellsworth, in Washington.

The actual sending Morse's apparatus that used a printer's "portrule" with cast type was publicly demonstrated in January of 1838. Each letter of type had sawteeth filed in the edge to activate the sending machine. A letter's code symbol length was based upon the various quantities of type found in the printer's office. The register (receiver) was an electromagnet-activated pen, drawing the sawtooth symbols on a thin strip of moving paper. January 24 – Morse demonstrates his telegraph over a ten mile circuit at N.Y. University. Transmission speed was recorded at 10 w.p.m.
One month later he demonstrates the telegraph to President Martin Van Buren and his cabinet. Congressman Francis O.J. Smith recognizes the possibilities and becomes interested. So, April 6 – F.O.J. Smith delivers a Congressional report on Morse's Telegraph Bill. At the same year Steinheil, in Germany discovers "earth return" (ground).

During 1840 year The Cooke & Wheatstone "Needle Telegraph" (also called the "Step-by-Step Letter-Showing" or "ABC Instrument") is in daily used on the London & Birmingham and Great Western Railroads in England. Cooke & Wheatstone propose joining forces with Morse, but upon F.O.J. Smith's advice, Morse declines.
June 20 – Morse's (49 years old) "Recording Electric Telegraph" and "Telegraph Symbols" receive U.S. patents. These patents were based upon Morse's 1837 caveat.

Once Morse convinced Congress to sanction the first long-distance telegraph line, an iron wire was strung between posts from Baltimore, Maryland to Washington, D.C. -- a distance of 37 miles. On May 24, 1844, the first telegraph message, "What hath God wrought," was successfully sent and received along the first telegraph wire system.

As a usually American public accepted new tech's by their own ways that not always went along with an original idea of it's inventor. For instance in 1846 telegraph operators in the U.S. are beginning to "sound read" the code from Morse's register, much to the dismay of management, who want the letters decoded from the inked paper strip. Sarah G. Bagley becomes the first female telegrapher, in the newly-opened office at Lowell, Massachusetts.

The first attempt to communicate with Europe across Atlantic Ocean happened in 1858. Trans-Atlantic cable was successfully laid by warships, but breaks limit its usefulness. In only 24 days, communication between the U.S. and Europe is lost.

In order to speed up the telegraph manual operations Western Union sets up the "92 Code" of numbered phrases in 1859. For example "73" is included and means "Accept my compliments. "30" is defined to mean "The end. No more."

It's an interesting to mention a relatively small historic detail. The Pony Express, officially the Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company, is initiated in April, 3 of 1860. A letter from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California typically requires ten days transit time. Just one year later Western Union joins wires from the east with wires from the west at Salt Lake City, completing the first transcontinental telegraph. As one of the direct results of this event Pony Express ends October 24 1861, ruining many investors.

It 1867 U.S. buys Russian America (Alaska) from Russia. Purchase was initially urged by Western Union president Hiram Sibley, because W.U. needed that route, a 16,000 mile land wire through western Canada, Russian America, across the Bering Strait and through Siberia, to link America with Europe. This scheme was abandoned in 1868 when the Trans-Atlantic able proved to be successful.

A truly successful Trans-Atlantic cable was finally laid by the vessel "Great Eastern" in July 28 of 1868. Next year Union Pacific and Central Pacific rails meet at Promontory, Utah to complete a transcontinental rail link. News is flashed by telegraph to a waiting nation. One year later the Post Office takes over several failing telegraph companies and the telecommunication's "chain reaction" was ignited…

Just brief description on the basic results that literally sparked next couple of years: in 1876 Bell invented the telephone; three years later Thomas A. Edison, who began electrical experiments while working as a telegrapher, develops the first successful electric lamp. In 1883 Edison demonstrates his "Edison Effect" (current flow from filament to plate) and patents a device later known as the "thermionic diode." It was one of the two critically important elements of the future electronic revolution (the second one was the Lee De Forest's "triod" or amplifier - see below)

In 1888 Hertz, in Germany, discovered radio waves. 1894 May 10 – Marconi sends a radio wave 3/4 mile. "Wireless" is born. Three years later the Marconi Company successfully communicates "ship to shore" over a distance of 12 miles. 1899 Mar 3 – First rescue using wireless. The lightship East Goodwin sent the word "help" while sinking.

It looks like the most important tech results of the beginning of XX century was done on the place of future Silicon Valley by Lee de Forest,"Father of Radio & Electronics". In 1906 he invented the so called Audion or "triod" -- first amplifying vacuum tube that was done by adding a third element (a grid) to the Fleming Valve. Twenty years after triod was appeared in 1927 the first commercial transatlantic radio telephone service began it’s operations, and in 1937 USA can call 68 countries via HF radio -- 93% of the world's telephones are interconnected via wires & radio waves.

As it was mentioned by Joseph Shklovski, 1981:
"For a few decades after invention of the first radio-amplifier the total level of radio-emission from earth increased millions of times in comparison with the normal level of emission of a 300 Kelvin-degree planet. For the shortest time the Earth became #1 source of the radio-emission in the solar system "

After all it means that, if someone is looking through a radio-telescope to the Solar system from another part of our galaxy, he can register the radio explosion that looks like the birth of a new star on the Earth planet. Please also keep in consideration that Dr. Shklovski wrote his book concerning some of the radio-astronomy effects of the human being about twenty years before hundreds millions of the cell phones began to add their radio-emission to the other "old fashion" sources.