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The birth of the radio -

Radio wasn't exactly something that was invented; radio waves have always been around. It was merely a matter of learning how to harness these radio waves, and how to transmit sound through them. This development is usually credited to Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian physicist who, in 1898, successfully transmitted electrical singles from one place to another, without the use of wires. Today, Marconi is known as the "Father of the Radio," although it would be a few years more before his radio transmitter was used for anything more than Morse code telegrams.

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Reginald Fessenden and the first radio broadcast -

Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden produced the first entertainment radio broadcast as we know them today, full of music and commentary, on December 24, 1906.

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Reginald Fessenden and the first radio broadcast -

Fessenden's broadcast wasn't advertised, so it's hard to say how many listeners actually tuned in to this great moment in radio history. What is known, by his own account, is that Fessenden played a phonograph recording of a George Frideric Handel opera, along with a recording of himself playing 'O Holy Night' on the violin. It was Fessenden's Christmas present to the world.

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The world's first live broadcast -

More than a decade after Fessenden's historic Christmas broadcast, the world's first live radio broadcast took place during the US presidential election of 1920.

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The world's first live broadcast -

The trusty radio workers at the KDKA Pittsburgh station kept the nation updated on the ballot results between Republican Warren G. Harding and Democrat James Cox. The whole nation was alerted at the same time when Harding become the 29th President of the United States.

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FDR's fireside chats -

Presidents of the 20th century all made sure to make the most use as possible of the world's most accessible media outlet. Franklin Delano Roosevelt particularly excelled at this task, and captured the trust and hearts of Americans across the nation with his famous "fireside chats."

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FDR's fireside chats -

During these evening radio broadcasts, FDR spoke directly to his constituents nationwide about the problems facing Americans and America, domestic and abroad. The first of these broadcasts aired on March 12, 1933, during which the president spoke candidly about the recently passed Emergency Banking Act, a bill which sought to ease the burden of the nationwide banking crisis that had occurred the month before.

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The Hindenburg disaster -

People around the world held their breath on May 6, 1937, as news spread of the catastrophic failure of the Hindenburg airship. At the time of its maiden flight, it was the the largest aircraft to ever take to the skies, measuring only 80 feet (24.4 meters) shorter than the equally ill-fated Titanic. Like the Titanic, it met its end by colliding into a known and prepared-for obstacle. The massive airship caught fire while attempting to dock in New Jersey, resulting in the loss of 35 lives.

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Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling -

One of the most anticipated boxing matches of the 20th century occurred at Yankee Stadium in New York on June 19, 1936, between African-American Joe Louis and Nazi-sponsored German Max Schmeling. More than just a fight between champions, the Louis vs. Schmeling ticket represented the fight of democracy against fascism, Allied powers against Axis powers. To this dismay of millions, the previously undefeated Joe Louis was knocked out in the 12th round.

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Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling -

The only fight at the time more anticipated than their first fight was the second fight between Louis and Schmeling almost exactly two years later. This match, on June 22, 1938, again taking place in Yankee Stadium, had an estimated 70 million listeners on the radio waves. According to the Library of Congress, this fight was the single most-listened to event in radio history. Victory went to democracy and to the Allied powers this time, when Joe Louis won by technical knockout in the very first round.

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Orson Welles' 'War of the Worlds' -

Before the popular advent of television, people around the world went to the radio for their entertainment. Hit radio shows like 'The Shadow' and 'The Adventures of the Thin Man' entranced listeners on a weekly basis. But it was Orson Welles' live broadcast rendition of H.G. Wells' seminal sci-fi story 'War of the Worlds' that truly took listeners to another world for 60 glorious minutes.

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Orson Welles' 'War of the Worlds' -

On October 30, 1938, Welles performed 'War of the Worlds' in its entirety to a live radio audience. Welles' performance was so immaculate that many listeners in the United States truly thought that a Martian invasion was falling upon Earth.

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Pearl Harbor -

The course of world history changed on December 7, 1941, when the Naval base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, was bombed by Japanese pilots. Not only did it directly lead to the United States entering World War II, but it was also the first foreign attack on American soil in modern history.

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Pearl Harbor -

Such a cataclysmic event was naturally widely reported, but it was the voice of an unknown reporter that kept the nation up to date moment to moment. Calling NBC on the phone, the unnamed man began his impromptu broadcast: "I am speaking from the roof of the Advertiser Publishing Company Building. We have witnessed this morning the distant view of a brief full battle of Pearl Harbor and the severe bombing of Pearl Harbor by enemy planes, undoubtedly Japanese. One of the bombs dropped within 50 feet of KGU Tower. It is no joke. It is a real war." This broadcast was the only live coverage of the events at Pearl Harbor, with around 45 million people tuning in.

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King George VI's VE Day broadcast -

The beloved 2010 historical drama film 'The King's Speech' is based on a real speech, made by a real king: King George VI's VE Day speech, which was broadcast on the BBC on May 8, 1945.

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King George VI's VE Day broadcast -

King George VI really did have a stutter, and truly did require extensive training and motivating in the days and weeks leading up to his speech. No one is certain what exactly caused the king's impediment, but some have posited that it was caused by severe childhood punishment at the hands of King George V. Thankfully, King George VI successfully overcame his obstacles and was able to give one of the most iconic speeches in history, with perfect locution.

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The Cuban Missile Crisis -

The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 is widely considered to be the closest the world has ever come to nuclear conflict, a time when the Cold War nearly went hot. People all over the world held their breath as Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy negotiated the fate of the planet.

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The Cuban Missile Crisis -

The stand-off between Cuba, the Soviet Union, and the United States lasted 13 days and was widely reported across the world. On October 22, President Kennedy took to the airwaves to inform the public that an agreement had been reached and that the crisis was over. Surely the United States and the whole world shared a collective sigh of relief.

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'I Have a Dream' -

One of the most important and iconic speeches in modern history is, of course, Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech from August 28, 1963. Dr. King's speech extolled the virtues of anti-racism, the vicious dangers of wage inequality, and painted an eloquent picture of a more equitable future for all.

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'I Have a Dream' -

Around 250,000 people were present at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. where Dr. King was speaking, with millions more listening intently over the radio. The speech's broadcast was for many people the first time they were able to hear a famous King speech in full.

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Radio Veronica's first broadcast -

Only half of radio history was broadcast within the confines of the law. The tradition of pirate radio has a long and exciting history, and it all started on a boat anchored off the shores of Hilversum in the Netherlands.

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Radio Veronica's first broadcast -

Radio Veronica first aired on May 17, 1960. Conceived of by radio retailers as a way to provide an alternative radio station to the state-sponsored Dutch stations and also simply as a marketing ploy to get people to buy more radio equipment, Radio Veronica quickly became the most popular station in the Netherlands and gave birth to a whole movement of guerilla radio that continues to this day.

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Radio HK: The world's first online radio -

For some time after the advent of the internet age but before Spotify changed the music industry, people stuck behind computers around the world make extensive use of internet radio stations. This phenomenon that brightened up so many dreary work days for so many people first began in 1993, with Radio HK.

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Radio HK: The world's first online radio -

Although computers weren't a household item quite yet, Radio HK pioneered the online radio as an accessible and affordable method of broadcasting news, sports, and music.

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Radio Zambia and apartheid -

Liberation radio stations, or guerilla radio stations, have been common in areas of conflict for many decades. The oldest and arguably most effective liberation radio station was Radio Zambia, also known as Radio Freedom, which broadcast in South Africa during apartheid.

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Radio Zambia and apartheid -

Radio Zambia became the voice of a struggling generation, and outspokenly defied the apartheid state led by Prime Minister John Vorster. Radio Zambia was hosted by Walter Sisulu, a close friend of Nelson Mandela. Sisulu's first broadcast began with a call to the oppressed people of South Africa: "I come to you from somewhere in South Africa... Never has the country, and our people, needed leadership as they do now, in this hour of crisis. Our house is on fire.”

Sources: (Live365) (Listverse) (Smithsonian Magazine)

See also: A history of firsts—The most important online milestones

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