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3200 BCE
Communication in Ancient Times
The first means of communication was, of course, the human
voice but about 3,200 BC writing was invented in Iraq and
Egypt. It was invented about 1,500 BC in China. Other
civilizations in Central America like the Mayans also invented
systems of writing. -
1600 BCE
the invention of the alphabet
The next big step was the invention of the alphabet in what is
now Israel and Lebanon about 1,600 BC.
In the Ancient World many civilizations including Egypt, Assyria,
Persia, Rome and China had efficient postal systems to deliver
messages to parts of their empires using relays of horses.
In the ancient world people wrote on papyrus or parchment.
However the Chinese invented paper about 200 BC. The
knowledge of how to make paper passed to the Arabs and in
the Middle Ages. -
1500
Communication 1500-1800
The next major improvement in communication was the
invention of printing. The Chinese invented printing with blocks
in the 6th century AD but the first known printed book was the
Diamond Sutra of 686. -
1500
Printing press
In Europe in the mid-15th century Johannes Gutenberg
invented the printing press, which made books much cheaper
and allowed newspapers to be invented. William Caxton
introduced the printing press into England in 1476.
The first newspapers were printed in the 17th century. The first
newspaper in England was printed in 1641. (However the word
newspaper was not recorded until 1670). The first successful
daily newspaper in Britain was printed in 1702. -
The telegraph
The telegraph was invented in 1837. A cable was laid across the
Channel in 1850 and after 1866 it was possible to send
messages across the Atlantic. -
Communication in the 19th Century
In 1840 Rowland Hill invented the Penny Post. In 1874 the
Universal Postal Union was formed to coordinate postal
services in different countries.
Meanwhile Ralph Wedgwood invented carbon paper in 1806. -
Fax machine
Meanwhile the first fax machine was invented in 1843. A Scot,
Alexander Graham Bell, invented the telephone in 1876. The
first telephone exchange in Britain opened in 1879. The first
telephone directory in London was published in 1880. The first
telephone line from Paris to Brussels was established in 1887.
The first line from London to Paris opened in 1891. The first
transatlantic telephone line opened in 1927. In 1930 a
telephone link from Britain to Australia. -
Communication in the 20th Century
In 1901 Marconi sent a radio message across the Atlantic. Radio
broadcasting began in Britain in 1922 when the BBC was
formed. By 1933 half the households in Britain had a radio.
Following the 1972 Sound Broadcasting Act independent radio
stations were formed. -
Televisión
Television was invented in 1925 by John Logie Baird. -
Cell phone
Martin Cooper invented the first handheld first cell phone in
1973. The first mobile phone call in Britain was made in 1985.
The first commercial text was sent in 1992. In Britain
smartphones were introduced in 1996. -
Communication in the 21st Century
In the early 21st century the internet became an important
form of communication. Today email has become one of the
most popular methods of communication. In the 2010s ebook
readers became common
