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Even though he didn't do so well in his grades, he had a lively and inventive mind. He amused himself by putting bits and pieces together to see what he could make. But when he failed to enter in the Italian Naval Academy, his father was furious, and thought Guglielmo wasn't studying hard enough. In 1887, when he was thirteen-years old he entered in Leghorn Technical Institute. There is when Guglielmo found his interest in physics and chemistry. His mother paid for private lessons from Professor Rosa, who introduced the wonders of electricity to Guglielmo. Yet some years later he didn't make it into Bologna University. His mother got him permission from Professor Righi, one of Italy's leading scientists, to use Bologna University's lab space and science books from the University's library. He was influence by a retired telegraph operator whom he met in Leghorn. The old man was blind, so Guglielmo read to him. In return the old man would teach him Morse code. Even though Guglielmo didn't know it then but what the man told him just took an important step forward in one of his areas of study - electricity. In 1854, twenty-year old Guglielmo was on a vacation in the Alps when he read about the death of a German scientist called Heinrich Hertz. He also read about his studies on electromagnetic waves. Marconi decided to try to send messages by sending waves with the message on them through the air. A kind of telegraphy but did not involve wires. It would be a wireless telegraphy, or a radio as we call it today. Guglielmo would start experimenting til, he returns to Villa Grifone, his father's estate. Two rooms were emptied so Guglielmo could experiment in. Then he began his experiments. Marconi started doing Hertz experiments. Guglielmo has determined to send messages on electromagnetic waves. He didn't know that Sir Oliver Lodge had already done this in England. Since Lodge showed you could send messages in electromagnetic waves Lodge lost interest on the topic. Marconi's idea started where Lodge's had ended-to make the limit of this radio signal to send messages longer. By the end of 1894 Marconi demonstrated to his mother he could press a key and sound a buzzer 30ft away with out wires connecting the two! By the summer of the following year he was able to lengthen the signals limits. When his father heard about this he started talking to his friends who works for the Italian ministry if they liked Marconi's idea none of them were interested, but England was. In February 1896, Anne (Guglielmo's mother) and Guglielmo arrived in London. Guglielmo was unhappy when to custom of his trip damaged his machine while checking it. Marconi didn't do any public demonstration til he got a patent for his invention. Using a Morse code printer, Marconi successfully sent messages to a receiving point operated by Preece's (a post office manger) staff, on a roof of another post office. The distance was 1.6 kilometers (1 mile). The audience was impressed. September 2 Marconi performed a second demonstration, but this one had a representative of the Office of War and of Admiralty, as well as post office engineers. The report was "The results of the experiment is worth considering." from the representatives. In March 1897, Salisbury Plain saw Marconi send messages over 4.3 miles. Marconi finally transmitted messages 8.7 miles across water! Italy notices that they were mistaken about Marconi's idea. And soon realized it could benefit their country. They could use it to have ship to shore or shore to ship commutation since ships can't trail telegraphy lines. Italy tried to make Marconi be listed in the Navy a move back to Italy, but Marconi wanted to stay in England and make a company t delveop and make his new invention. His English relatives thought of making him an English citizen since his mother was already one. Marconi was a supporter to Italy and decide to change citizenship was a last resort. The Italian Ambassador of London thought of a solution. Marconi would enroll in the Navy and be assigned to England so he could continue his studies. Marconi thought this was a great chance to show off his invention to Italy. So July 1897, he visited Italy and sent a message from a floor of the ministry of Marine to the next one. The following day he presented to the King and Queen, who congratulated him of his invention. While continuing studying on his invention he saw that he could send a message to a ship that had been gone from view. Marconi returned to England to find his company, which he got 60 percent of the profit and $25,000 in cash. It was three years from his experiment in the attic. He had become famous and rich, and also he was only 23 years old. |