This Day in History: 1st Telegraph


I am pre -empting my "A Question of Homeschooling" series of articles this week for a word from This Day in History because it has to do with communication...  Tune in to Communication FUNdamentals on Wednesday when we will join our homeschool article series already in progress. ;D

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There are many different forms of communication.  Words are just what is most often considered.   Many an invention has enhanced our communication experience and I'd like to tell you about one of them today.  You see, on this day in history is the anniversary of a significant communication event! The first public telegraph message, "What hath God wrought," was sent on May 24, 1844 by Samuel Morse in Washington to Alfred Vail at the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) "outer depot" (now the B&O Railroad Museum) in Baltimore. The message is a Bible  verse from Numbers 23:23, chosen for Morse by Annie Ellsworth, daughter of the Governor of Connecticut. The original paper tape received by Vail in Baltimore is on display in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Here's a YouTube video of a documentary I found which has the history (and the two men) behind the telegraph and Morse Code.  I bet you didn't know some of this.  I didn't!

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For more communication fun, visit Art of Eloquence.com!

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(JoJo)


4 comments


  • BeckyJoie

    This was an extremely interesting post. Thanks for sharing.


  • cindy holman

    Wow! Really interesting! Thanks for finding this JoJo!


  • jojosblog

    Pretty cool, huh? I learned a little about Morse too. I thought he was alone in this. Didja like my Morse Code name? LOL


  • Laurie Neumann

    Interesting post. I didn’t realize that was the first public message. Awesome!


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