Gulielmo Marconi

spider web Children's Web Magazine

Home

Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi was the man who invented the radio. He was born on the 25th April 1874 in Bologna, Italy to an Irish mother and Italian father.
Heinrich Hertz, a physicist in Germany, had managed to generate electro - magnetic radiation. As a child Marconi studied Hertz's experiments as well
as other physicists. This would all help him in his work.
In 1894 he became interested in the uses of wireless waves for communication and in 1895 he managed to send wireless signals over a distance of more than a mile. In 1896 he was granted the worlds first patent for a system of wireless telegraphy. In December 1901 on what would be an historic day he used his system to transmit the first wireless signal across the Atlantic from Cornwall to Newfoundland. This proved that the curvature of
the earth didn't effect wireless.
A few years later he brought out a magnetic detector. This would turn out to be the typical wireless receiver for quite a while. For long distance communication he established a system with a beam. Then with further research he managed to obtain shorter waves leading to a microwave
radio telephone link this was from Vatican City to the summer residence of the Pope. His microwave radio beacon soon became a navigation system
for ships.
As early as 1935 he showed the principles of radar although he had predicted its possibilities in 1922. Knowledge of this system helped Britain
win the Second World War. As Britain could foresee the Germans coming to bomb London and so British aircraft were up in the air ready for battle.
Marconi received many awards for his achievements for invention
including the Nobel Prize for physics in 1909 he shared this jointly with professor Karl Braun. He also received the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts, he was awarded Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in England. The city of Rome also gave him the freedom of the city in 1903. These are just a few of the awards he was given. He died on the 19th July 1937 there was a total radio silence for a few moments as a mark of respect.
The radio bared his name as did the company that became Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company Ltd. It eventually was made part of the
General Electric Company (GEC).

© Children's Web Magazine 2010