The Life and Works of Guglielmo Marconi
Amazing Facts About Gugleimo Marconi:
Guglielmo Marchese Marconi is one of our famous inventors. He is an Italian inventor, physicist and scientist (Alexander- Furchest). But sometimes, he preferred to be called an engineer rather than a scientist. He was known for his bale work, inversion of Radio Transmission and Radio Telegraphic System (Neil, Sara). His work on long-distance radio transmission, radio telegraphic system and Marconi’s law opened his way up to be known in different countries. He created the Wireless Telegraph and Signals Company, this being named “Entrepreneur and Businessman.” He also invented the first practical radio-signaling system in 1895. Because of these works on radio, he is often called the “Father of Radio.” In 1897, he travelled to London together with his mother to have his invention get patented because the Italian government was less interested in his work, and he succeeded. On March 3, 1898, Marconi set up a radio system in Ireland, so the government could send messages or important information to their ships. Marconi also set up 2 radio stations on both sides of English channels while French government also set up radio system for their troops. On December 12, 1901, Marconi successfully sent a message across the Atlantic Ocean, and everyone could not believe it. So by May 21, 1908, almost every country is using Marconi’s invention. In 1909, together with German physicist, Karl Ferdinand Braun, Marconi received a Nobel Prize Award for his work in Wireless Telegraphy. During World War I, he was able to use his invention by transmitting short wave as a means of transmitting secret messages.
Early Childhood:
Guglielmo Marchese Marconi was born from a wealthy family. He was born on April 25, 1874 in Bolonga, Italy. He was the second son of Giuseppe Marconi and Annie Jameson. His father is a wealthy Italian landowner while his mother, an Irish woman is the daughter of Andrew Jameson of Daphne Castle in County Wexford, Ireland and a granddaughter of John Jameson, a wealthy owner of Jameson Irish Whiskey Distillers (Wikipedia). He got his fair skin and blue eyes from his mother. He also got his love for music from his mother. He played the piano while his older brother, Alfonso played the violin. He was baptized in the Catholic Church but was practicing as an Angelican since he is always with his mother who was an Angelican (Marconi’s birth and childhood). He loved cycling, motoring and hunting during his free time. He usually spends his winter in England or Florence Italy with his mother, brother and some English relatives. His early education was mostly at home. His mother taught him English and Religion while a hired tutor was giving lessons on Italian and other subjects. Because of his mother’s close contact with Marconi that she knew her son’s extraordinary abilities and strong will power to solve every problem that comes his way by himself. She also found out that he is interested in science and technology. His family was very supportive in all his undertakings (Morimo, Bertha)
Instead of going to universities he had a private education in Bologna in the laboratory of Augusto Righi, and in Florence at the Insituto Cavallero. He also studied under Vincenso Rosa professor of electro physics.
Social Life:
Marconi was not only an inventor but he was also a Senator in Italy. He was also conferred Honorary knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian order in the United Kingdom. He also was given the rank of Lieutenant in the Italian Army and commander of the Navy. He was in charge of transmitting secret messages to the military. He also became a member of the Italian Fascist party. He joined rallies and made speeches about fascist beliefs (Ortiz, Chaves, Bradley 2012).
Personal Life: Marconi had one brother named Alfonso and a stepbrother named Luigi. He was first married to Hon. Beatrice O’Brien, daughter of Edwards O’ Brien, 14th Baron Inchiquinon. On March 16, 1905, they were blessed with 3 daughters, namely Regna, Gioia, and Lucia, and a son named Giulio. After 8 years, they returned to Italy where Beatrice served as a lady- in waiting to Queen Elena. But their marriage did not last long. They divorced in 1924 and their marriage was annulled in 1927. Beatrice married the second time to Liborio Marignoli when she had one daughter. On the other hand Marconi married Cristina Bezzi. Scali whom they had one daughter named Mavia Elettra Elena Anna. Marconi died in Rome on July 20 1937; of heart attack. He was given a state funeral and all broadcasting was silent for 2 minutes to honor Marconi (Biography). All his wealth was left to his family and nothing to his first marriage. At an early age, Marconi has already shown interest on science and electricity. He was able to invent scientific toys and learned how to disassemble and re-assemble mechanical things. At the age of 20, Marconi became interested on the works of Heinrich Hertz. Hertz was famous of his “Hertzian Waves” or Aestheric Waves” which is about radio waves. So he studied privately under Augusto RIGHI, A University of Bologna physicist who was also doing some researches on Hertz works (Ortiz, 2012). Marconi first started his experiments at the attic of their own home in the Villa Griftone in Pontecchio, Italy. His aim was to send telegraph, messages without connecting wires just like the electric telegraph. There were already several attempts by a lot of people but nobody was successful. These failures give more challenges to Marconi to do more order to succeed. He worked with the help of Mignani, his butler. He gathered battery, coherer and an electric bell and make a storm alarm but it went off because of the lighting. Instead, he was able to make a bell ring by pushing a telegraphic button on a bench (website). The next year, he brought his experiments outside their house. He made more improvements and adjustments on the length of the transmitter and antennas. He was able to discover that once the antennas which were arranged and repositioned touches the ground, the distance transmitted increased (Nobel lecture). With this discovery, he decided to seek funding from the Italian government to finance his researches and experiments. He believed that once he succeeded, it would be of great help to the government more specifically in sending messages to the militaries. But there was no action from the Italian government, so he decided to go to England. He left together with his mother. There, they get the support of William Preece, the chief Electrical Engineer of the British Post.
With Mr. Preece’s help, he was able to make several demonstrations including the first wireless communication at an open sea. He started with a distance of 6 kilometers going up to 16 kilometers. Then, Mr. Preece introduced Marconi’s work to the public which draw a nationwide attention. He became popular all over. He was invited by several countries to install wireless equipment’s including Unite States of America. And he successfully installed one on an American Liner named SS St. Paul in his way to England, sending telegraph to report his return. He was then confirmed with the title “The First Ocean Liner.” (Wikipedia) Marconi is a competitor in nature. He is not contented of what he had accomplished, he wants to do more. Now, he wants to give signal across the Atlantic. He built a wireless transmitting station in their home at Rosslare Strand, Co. Wexford. His house served as a link between Podhu in Cornwall and Clifden in Co. Galway. By using a 500-foot kite supported with antenna for reception, the message was transmitted to signal Hill in St. John’s Newfoundland from Cornwall, that is 2,200 miles (Wikipedia). This claim was not accepted fully as an advance development because there was not enough proof to defend it. Challenged by this, he sailed aboard the SS Philadelphia, recording every signal he sent from Podhu Station. It produced a coherer-tape reception up to 1,500 miles and an audio reception up to 2,100 miles. Now he discovered that signals sent during nighttime travels far

compared those at daytime. This discovery was not noticed and given attention by Marconi oh his previous experiments (Wikipedia).
Through his untiring and deep concentration on his work, he was able to send the World’s first radio message to cross the Atlantic from North America on December 17, 1905. And the station that Marconi built in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts was successful to transmit a message from United States of America President Theodore Roosevelt to King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (Wikipedia). But sometimes, the transmittal failed. So Marconi built a more high-powered station on both sides of the Atlantic. By October 17, 1907 he started a regular transatlantic radio-telegraph service between Clifden Ireland and Glace Bay. The survivors of the subscribing ship called “Titanic” which sank on April 15 1912, thank Marconi for his invention (Wikipedia). With Marconi’s radio telegraph invention, the world now is enjoying the luxury of this invention. But Marconi has doubts if his works do good to the public or harm.

Work Cited
1874- Marconi’s Birth and Childhood http://markpadfield.com/marconicalling/museum/html/archivehome.html 939861 groundbreaking-work-and-nobel-prize http://www.biography.com/people/guglielmo-marconi-9398611

Alexander Furches in biography http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/58262 Guglielmo Marconi, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi Neil, Sara Marconi Guglielmo Life Story- Fact- History of Marconi http://www.thegreats.info/marconiguglielmo-life-story-fact-history-of-marconi/ Ortiz,Victor, Chavez, Julio Caesar and Bradley, Timothy Guglielmo Marconi Biography 2012 Life of Italian Investor. http://totallyhistory.com/guglielmo-marconi/