Tomorrow (April 27) is Samuel Morse's birthday. Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872) contributed to the development of the single-wire telegraph, invented Morse Code as a means of telegraphic communication, and was a painter, too.
Samuel F. B. Morse
Samuel Morse Telegraph Key
(Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)
The impact of the telegraph in the 19th century was as, or even more, profound than the World Wide Web in the late 20th century. This was the conclusion of Tom Standage, who wrote The Victorian Internet (1998, 2007) about the subject. Want to learn more about this intriguing book? Easy for moi to do.
MPL Book Trailer #79
Let's celebrate Morse's birthday tomorrow by sending a telegram to family or friends. Wait--my minions just informed moi that telegrams cost money. Hmmmmm ..... Couldn't we just send a Twitter message, or post a Facebook greeting, or even send an email instead? Free is good.
Fifteen Cents a Word to Read,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Communications History News Beat
P.S. "Western Union" (1967), by the Five Americans, is the ideal tune when we're talking about telegraphy. My tag line above comes from the song's lyrics.
P.P.S. This just in--Elvis Presley performed a different song, but also entitled "Western Union" (recorded May 27, 1963). That alone justifies including it as a musical closer.
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