3. Guglielmo Marconi and the invention of radio
Marconi has long been accepted as the inventor of radio, though as with many inventions, radio developed over time, and was advanced by many contributors. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Marconi conducted experiments using materials and techniques developed by another inventor, Nikola Tesla. It was Tesla who first discovered that he could use tesla coils – his own invention – to transmit and receive messages over relatively long distances. He patented the discovery in 1900. It was from Tesla’s research and patents that Marconi developed radio broadcasting, and Tesla sued over patent infringement.
Tesla had not been able to generate interest in his development of radio, and he lacked the funds to pursue its development with the same fervor as Marconi. In the late 1890s, he built a radio remote control boat, which he operated for public demonstrations around Manhattan, but failed to generate interest in his invention. Marconi died in 1937, renowned worldwide as the inventor of radio. Tesla died in 1943, firmly convinced that he had invented radio prior to Marconi. After Tesla’s death, the United States Supreme Court agreed with his assertion. Still, Marconi’s reputation as the inventor of radio remains widespread, though it is less than accurate.