The Morse Code on This Day in History

 

On this day in 1794 Samuel Morse, the inventor of the Morse code was born. Morse Code is now often called the Victorian Internet. 

Did you know that Morse Code has also been used as an alternative form of communication for people with disabilities or whom have their abilities to communicate impaired by stroke, heart attack, or paralysis. There have been several cases where individuals have been able to use their eyelids to communicate in Morse Code by using a series of long and quick blinks to represent the dots and dashes.

The most famous signal in Morse Code is the SOS distress signal. "The inception of this signal emerged in the early 20th century, during a period when burgeoning global communication necessitated a standardized, unmistakable cry for aid.

Contrary to popular belief and the annals of maritime folklore, the abbreviation 'SOS' was never intended as an acronym for phrases such as 'Save Our Souls' or 'Save Our Ship.' Instead, its selection was far more pragmatic.

The chief merit of the SOS sequence lies in its distinctiveness—the simplicity and rhythm of its three short signals, followed by three long and then three short again, rendered it unmistakably clear in even the most adverse conditions.

At the 1906 Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference, the SOS signal was formally introduced as an international distress call, superseding previous, more convoluted signals. It was hoped that such a distinct pattern would minimize any risk of misinterpretation across the vast expanses of the world's oceans and tumultuous airwaves." Source

Also, there is a Morse Code translator online. https://morsecode.world/international/translator.html

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The Telegraph and the Morse Code on This Day in History

 

This Day in History: Samuel Morse sends the message "What hath God wrought" (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland on this day in 1844, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C.

Thus was born one of the dominant methods of communication over long distances that would continue to be used for well over a century. Telegraphs aided in saving lives as well:

"On April 15, 1912, telegrapher John G. Phillips sent out the following Morse code message: 'CQD CQD SOS SOS CQD DE MGY MGY.' CQD stands for 'Come Quick Disaster' and SOS stands for 'Save Our Ship or Save Our Souls.' And DE MGY stands for 'from the RMS Titanic.'

We are all familiar with the fate of the RMS Titanic, but many of us fail to recognize that this Morse code message (and the other messages sent as soon as the ship struck an iceberg) is what led to the rescue of more than 700 passengers." Source

"At one point in the 1920s, Western Union and its army of uniformed messengers were sending more than 200 million telegrams every year. But the advent of faxes, then emails and finally SMS messaging saw the numbers dwindle, bringing to an end the golden age of the telegram." Source