The earliest form of communication over a distance was probably smoke signals or drums used by various tribal civilisations around the world, although usually, these were used to signify merely where a camp might lie for nomadic tribes, or that some sort of meeting or event was in progress.
By the Middles Ages, light beacons on hilltops were used to relay messages between distant outposts, and indeed the lighthouse is still used in this way to denote danger for ships at sea. This form of telecommunication was of course limited, and the meaning of any particular signal had to have been agreed on beforehand. The semaphore system, developed by a Frenchman at the end of the 18th Century was the first visual telegraph system which could convey any message. However, it relied on having many posts within sightline, and skilled operators to transmit and interpret the messages.
It was not until the age of electrical telegraph in the 19th century that communications could be sent over long distances. Based on the code developed by Henry Morse, the first transatlantic telegraph was successfully sent in 1866. It was not long after that that the first telephones were invented and the first commercial telephone services were set-up in 1878 and 1879 on both sides of the Atlantic.
At the same time, radio and television were being developed with the first demonstration of wireless telegraphy being demonstrated in 1854 in Scotland by James Lindsay. In December 1901, Marconi established wireless communication between Canada and England, and early television was not far behind. The first transmission of moving pictures was demonstrated at Selfridges Department Store in March, 1925 which formed the basis of experimental broadcasts by the BBC in September 1929.
By the Middles Ages, light beacons on hilltops were used to relay messages between distant outposts, and indeed the lighthouse is still used in this way to denote danger for ships at sea. This form of telecommunication was of course limited, and the meaning of any particular signal had to have been agreed on beforehand. The semaphore system, developed by a Frenchman at the end of the 18th Century was the first visual telegraph system which could convey any message. However, it relied on having many posts within sightline, and skilled operators to transmit and interpret the messages.
It was not until the age of electrical telegraph in the 19th century that communications could be sent over long distances. Based on the code developed by Henry Morse, the first transatlantic telegraph was successfully sent in 1866. It was not long after that that the first telephones were invented and the first commercial telephone services were set-up in 1878 and 1879 on both sides of the Atlantic.
At the same time, radio and television were being developed with the first demonstration of wireless telegraphy being demonstrated in 1854 in Scotland by James Lindsay. In December 1901, Marconi established wireless communication between Canada and England, and early television was not far behind. The first transmission of moving pictures was demonstrated at Selfridges Department Store in March, 1925 which formed the basis of experimental broadcasts by the BBC in September 1929.