Samuel Morse here. You know
me, I developed the system of communication that came to be known
as Morse Code. Little did I know what a hit it would be, or how
useful it would become for so many people. The code was valued
in the military as early as the Crimean War in 1854. During the
American Civil war, deployment techniques for landlines were developed.
In 1898, the Spanish-American war used the code for telegraphy
for newspaper correspondents. The first military radio telegraphy
occurred during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. Telegraphers seemed
to be grateful for the “bug” which relieved them of
the repetitive “brass pounding.” The use of the code
on the radio became a very popular resource of communication,
and a group known as Amateur Radio picked up on it. Over the years,
it has been a requirement for all licensed operators above technician.
The “do-da’s” and did-dat’s” are
the familiar sounds of a message crossing the airways. Yet today,
this old tradition has met its fate. So long, we’ll meet
Morse Code from time to time, maybe an echo will travel across
the waves to remind of us of our history.
By: Tassy Rios
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