Morse Code Day, observed on April 27, honors Samuel Morse, the inventor of Morse code, and celebrates this groundbreaking method of communication. Before modern technology, messages took weeks to ...

The first public demonstration of the electric telegraph, which uses Morse code, was done on Jan. 11, 1838, by inventors Samuel Breese Morse and Alfred Vail. Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day takes ...

Larry Kahaner - Larry Kahaner is an American journalist and author who resides in Bethesda, Maryland. Steve Galchutt shows off the custom-made low-wattage transmitter he uses on his treks. Chase Brush ...

“Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence.” With that, in January 1997, the French coast guard transmitted its final message in Morse code. Ships in distress had radioed out dits ...

If you are a ham radio operator of a certain age, you probably remember ads for “The Instructograph,” a mechanical device for learning Morse code. [Our Own Devices] has an ancient specimen of the ...

We talk about Morse code, named after its inventor, Samuel Morse. However, maybe we should call it Vail code after Alfred Vail, who may be its real inventor. Haven’t heard of him? You aren’t alone.

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. is a former senior reviewer who worked at The Verge from 2011 until May 2025. His coverage areas included audio, ...