The Father of Radio: A Brief Chronology of the Origin and Development of Wireless Communications Articles uri icon

publication date

  • December 2011

start page

  • 83

end page

  • 114

issue

  • 6

volume

  • 53

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1045-9243

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1558-4143

abstract

  • This paper presents a chronology of the origin and development of wireless (or radio) communications. It follows the following pattern. It gives credit to some of the scientists who provided the initial observations and understanding of electric and magnetic phenomena. It then mentions the experiments and inventions carried out toward the evolution of scientific and engineering models. Finally, it focuses on the implementation of practical wireless systems. The chronology leads us to conclude that the invention and development of wireless/radio systems can neither be credited to one individual nor to one specific country. The chronology strongly indicates an overlapping of human thinking in time in many countries. This compelled us to not make a definitive choice of an individual (or country) for the well-deserved credit. We leave it up to the reader to make her or his own choice!

keywords

  • radiocommunication