Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) was an Italian inventor and physicist born on April 25th, 1874 in Bolognia, Italy. Marconi was a Nobel Prize-winning physicist/inventor for his work in wireless telegraphy in he which developed the first effective system of radio communication.
Early Life
Guglielmo was born in the small Italian town of Bolognia, Italy. He was the second and youngest son of Giuseppe Marconi and Annie Jameson. His father was a wealthy Italian landowner and his mother was Irish.
Marconi received a private education in Bologna & Florence. Throughout his bringing up, Guglielmo was highly interested in the properties of electricity. He would spend hours on hours reading scientific publications and reenacting the experiments. Instead of attending university, Marconi was able to study with Vincenzo Rosa, a professor of electrophysics. It was in this environment that Marconi was exposed to the works of Heinrich Hertz, James Clerk Maxwell, Oliver Joseph Lodge, and others conducting experiments to explain electromagnetic waves.
During a short period of time, Marconi was able to improve the Hertz apparatus substantially. He was able to the improve signal reading to receive signals from across rooms to across fields. By 1895, Marconi had achieved signal transmission and reception over a distance of 2000 meters; and by 1897, we well above 14000 meters. Marconi further developed his invention by experimenting with two hired ferry boats and then with a station set up on a mainland. All proved successful, Marconi was a soon to be genius.
Marconi's Radios
In late 1897, Marconi registered his company as Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company. After choosing Chelmsford, a nearby location to London, Marconi set up the world's first wireless factory in December of 1898. Marconi's company went over 5 name changes, including its merge with General Electric Company (GEC) in 1968. Today, the factory still stands and is called the Hall Street building. It is owned by Essex & Suffolk Water Company and Marconi Communications and Marconi Applied Technologies still have a strong presence in Chelmsford.
Saving Lives
Marconi's radios became quite popular for commercial ship telecommunication. In 1899, an East Goodwin lightship, which had been equipped with a Marconi wireless apparatus, had been rammed in dense fog by a steamship. It managed to send out a request for assistance all because of Marconi's highly functional apparatus. Again in 1909, the S.S. Republic was in a collision with an Italian steamer, the Florida. Using Marconi telecomunication, the radio operator of the 1,700 person ship was able to send out 200+ messages to help guide rescuing ships to their vulernable position. Ultimately, all passengers were rescued leaving only the ones killed by the impact of the collision. Lastly, more famously, Marconi also had an apparatus on the Titanic in 1912. Even though many died, many more survived because of the distress calls from the Marconi wireless equipment on board.
The Postmaster General gave his thanks to Marconi: "Those who have been saved have been saved through one man, Mr. Marconi and.....his wonderful invention."
Resources
1. http://www.famousscientists.org/guglielmo-marconi/ 2. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Guglielmo-Marconi 3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Guglielmo_Marconi.aspx