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Samuel Morse
Samuel Morse was born on April 27, 1791 and died April 2, 1872. You might think Samuel Morse grew up like most scientists, but really Morse had a passion for drawing and painting. And, although he is remembered as the inventor of the telegraph, Morse's first career was as an artist.
From 1810 to about the 1830's he studied and taught painting in Europe and the United States. In Europe, he met U.S scientist Charles Thomas Jackson, who studied electricity and electromagnets in Paris. This made Morse interested in the idea that electricity could facilitate human communications. That's how this lead to the TELEGRAPH! But really Samuel Morse did not invent the telegraph, I'm sorry to say. But he did make key improvements to its design.
Samuel Morse and the Telegraph
The Telegraph
There are two important reasons why the telegraph is so important; first it marked the beginning of the telecommunications revolution and second it lead to Morse code. In a way, it also lead to the telephone we use today.
The advantages this had over the previous way of life before the telegraph is that without it, being a teenage cowboy would stink when you have to travel lots of hours on horse to deliver messages all the time. Known as the Pony Express, this cowboy would deliver a message from one person to another person all the way across America. The journey would take about 20 days tops; however with the telegraph now messages could be received in little time.
Facts about Samuel Morse
7 Things You May Not Know About Samuel Finely Breese Morse
2. The death of Morse's wife was the impetus,starting, for his work on the telegraph.
3. Morse had competition for the title of "inventor" of the telegraph.
4. Samuel Morse attended Yale University at the age of 14.
5. A female classmate from Yale selected the words for the first official telegraph.
6. Morse spent years in court fighting for recognition of his work.
7. Samuel Morse made a memorable exit from public life when following his death, President Herbert Hoover asked that all Americans dim their lights in honor of the recently departed " WIZARD OF MENLO PARK."