The FCC history exhibit and Web site has shifted its focus from television to the pioneers of radio's core technologies. The current exhibit on the FCC History Project Web page begins with ideas that made radio (and television) possible, starting with Heinrich Hertz's proof of Maxwell's theories of electromagnetics. It jumps from Hertz to Guglielmo Marconi's work and that of Reginald Fessenden. The next section, titled "Power that Made Radio Realistic," looks at the contributions of Nikola Tesla and Ernst Alexanderson. "Quality that Made Radio Popular" starts with Lee DeForest's Audion vacuum tube and the many contributions of Edwin Armstrong and ends with development of the first commercial cellular phone services in the U.S.
The format follows that of the previous exhibit on the history of television (still available through a link on the FCC History Project Web page, with historical photos and drawings and a wealth of links to information outside the FCC Web site. It's definitely worth a visit!
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