Today in History: Samuel Morse Demonstrates the Telegraph and a New Code

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WNYC Newsroom
WNYC News | Jul 13, 2010

morse

On January 6, 1838 Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated the telegraph for the first time. By the 1890s, Morse Code was used for most international communication. Users on one end of the telegraph send pulses of electrical currents, which are controlled by an electromagnet on the other end of the telegraph wire.

In honor of this event, we present a documentary on the extraordinary man who revolutionized communication. This 1956 docudrama is part of WNYC's 'The American Story' series:

 

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives

Special thanks to WNYC’s Director of Archives Andy Lanset

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