The Origins of Military Radiosĭrums, flags, horns, and horseback riders: these are just some of the ancient methods of sending messages over long distances before the days of voice comms over radio and telephone. Military applications include air-defense, flight control, and missile targeting. Today, our mobile phones, televisions, satellites, GPS, radar, self-driving cars, and countless other modern-day technologies are made possible through the power of radio. At only 5 inches in height, music and information became instantly portable, birthing a rock & roll revolution. Wells The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic in the US, as many listeners feared that they were listening to a real news report about a Martian invasion.ġ940s – The Armed Forces Radio Service was formally established, broadcasting commercial-free original programming including Command Performance, Mail Call, and GI Jive.ġ950s – The first transistor radio, the Regency TR-1 is introduced. By 1930, nearly 60% of American households had radios.ġ930s – The golden age of radio began, with top shows including Amos ‘n’ Andy and The Shadow. Fessenden became the first person to send long-distance voice audio signals over the radio.ġ920s – The radio began to be used commercially, with the first broadcast station KDKA launching out of Pittsburgh, PA. But here’s the catch: radio communication was only possible via telegraph by using morse code.ġ900s – Reginald A. Hertz also discovered that radio waves could reflect off solid objects, an insight that would later be used to invent RADAR.ġ890s – Guglielmo Marconi developed the first equipment for long-distance radio, transmitting a signal over 32 miles. The Invention and Evolution of the Radioġ880s – German Physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered “Hertzian waves” which we now know as radio waves. Without further ado, join AFE as we take a step back in time to explore the radio’s significance as an invention, and its indispensable use in today’s modern military.
Re-listen to hits including Radio Ga Ga, Mexican Radio and more in this week’s playlist. To mark this momentous day, we’ve created a Radio Day playlist including classic songs by Queen, Green Day, Twenty One Pilots, Rush, LL Cool J, Rage Against the Machine, and AFE veteran Darius Rucker. For this reason, the radio holds a special place in our hearts. Radios give us instant access to real-time information, reach across borders, and provide us not only with tactical comms, but also with our favorite music. August 20th marks National Radio Day, commemorating the invention of the radio.