How the personal tragedy of one person became the starting point for the creation of a device that was used by the whole world (7 photos)

Morse code is a way of encoding letters and symbols using sequences of dots and dashes are known to everyone. It is named after inventor Samuel Morse, who, in fact, invented the telegraph apparatus and alphabet to it. And the appearance of this system was preceded by sad story.





Until adulthood, Samuel was very far from any technical devices and fixtures. Which is logical: he was engaged painting, was a good and sought-after portrait painter.



Samuel Morse

Having saved up by painting portraits of wealthy fellow citizens a substantial amount, Morse married Lucretia Walker. The couple lived happily raising three children. But, alas, happiness was short-lived.





Portrait of eldest daughter Susan

In the winter of 1825, the painter was on business in Washington. And the courier delivery was a complete surprise for him - letter from father. In which Lucrezia's heart attack was reported. Worried, Samuel immediately drove home to New Haven. But not managed: by the time he returned, his wife had already been buried.



Design for the Chapel of Our Lady of Subiaco

After a personal tragedy, he seriously thought: what if the dispatch was delivered not by a courier who rode for several days, but by help of a technical device? After all, the transfer would take much less time. And at least he managed to say the last "I'm sorry" to his beloved wife.

Painting has faded into the background. And Morse got busy the study of methods for transmitting information messages to distant distances.



Morse telegraph machine

And after years of intensive work, the world received Morse electromagnetic writing telegraph and the alphabet of dots and dashes to this device, also named after the creator.



Now Morse code is not widely used. But representatives in some areas, for example, sailors use it to ensure communications during radio silence. Use the code and radio amateurs. Some study out of curiosity. But in any case, the influence that had this invention on technology and the life of society as a whole, in its the timing was very important.



Morse in old age