The invention of the radio is generally credited to Guglielmo Marconi, who sent the world's first radio signals across open sea on May 13, 1897. Marconi built on earlier scientific discoveries of electromagnetic waves by Heinrich Hertz and theoretical work by James Clerk Maxwell. Marconi filed a patent for his wireless radio device in England in 1896 and developed the first practical wireless radio communication system in 1895 at his family’s villa in Italy. Although Nikola Tesla demonstrated a wireless radio in 1893, Marconi is often recognized as the key inventor due to his success in establishing long- distance wireless communication, including the first transatlantic radio signal sent on December 12, 1901. In summary:
- Marconi sent the first radio message across open water: May 13, 1897
- Marconi filed the first wireless radio patent: 1896
- Tesla demonstrated a wireless radio: 1893 (but patents came later)
- First transatlantic radio signal: December 12, 1901
Therefore, the radio was effectively invented and demonstrated in the mid-1890s, with Marconi being the primary figure associated with its invention and commercialization.
