Samuel Morse, was born in Massachusetts, USA. He started off his career after his graduation as a painter and sculptor. He even earned a gold medal from the famous Adelphi Society of Arts for his first effort in sculpture, the "Dying Hercules." He became the first president of the National Academy of Design, and was appointed Professor of the Arts of Design in the University of the city of New York.
Yet, this painter, turned to inventing to make his fortune during a sea voyage. On this journey, Samuel Morse heard about many attempts to create usable telegraphs. He was fascinated by this problem and began to study books on physics for two years to acquire scientific knowledge. He realized that pulses of electrical current could carry information over wires.
Thus the world's first working model of a telegraph was born. His signaling device was quite simple. It consisted of a transmitter (containing a battery and a key), a small buzzer as a receiver and a pair of wires connecting the two. Samuel Morse improved it by adding a second switch and a second buzzer to enable transmission in the opposite direction as well.
On May 24, 1844 Samuel Morse sent the first electronic message between Baltimore and Washington: "What hath God wrought," or in other words, "Look what God has enabled us to build, and benefit by."
By 1861 the two coasts of the United States were linked by telegraph.
Telegraph continued to enjoy the status of being the fastest and reliable mode of communication for almost 140 years since its first inception.
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