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Marconi sends the first radio signal
Marconi was an Italian inventor who sent and recieved the first radio signal. Some people believe that he was not the first and only recieved credit due to his good public relations. -
Lee De Forest invents Audion Tube
The audion tube is a vacuum tube that amplified signals and enabled them to travel farther. Forest "borrowed" the idea from Reginald Fessenden. -
Fessenden plays "O Holy Night" on violin over radio
He also reads a passage from the Bible on the same broadcast. -
First radio station established
8XK, later renamed KDKA, was the first radio station; it was opened by Frank Conrad. -
First advertisment is aired on radio
The advertisment was ten minutes long for an apartment complex that charged $50. -
The FRC (FCC) restricts Uncle Charlies
The FRC (now the FCC) organized the licensing of transmitters, assigned radio station frequencies, call letters, and power limits. -
TVs are introduced
More and more advertisers begin to switch to TV later as its popularity grew, and many radio shows were cut. -
FM waves are invented
Major Edwin Armstong developes FM waves. -
War of the Worlds airs for the first time
The show was narrated by Orson Welles and was adapted from H.G. Wells novel of the same name. -
Golden Era of Radio
By this time, everyone listened to the radio, though wars and the Great Depression caused people to be unable to afford radios. -
CB radios are introduced
The service began to provide short distance personal communication. -
Transistor radio is developed
These radios used transistors instead of vacuum tubes so they were less bulky and more portable. -
Elvis' "That's Alright Mama" plays on radio
WHBQ Radio is the first station to play one of his songs. -
The Beatles air on the radio
This is the first time they went on the radio with their song "Please Please Me." -
Sirius XM Radio becomes the first satellite radio station
Satellite radio is a radio service that is broadcast from satellites instead of normal radio stations.