“Pip, pip, pip”.
That is the sound Guglielmo Marconi heard as he pressed his ear against his receiver at Signal Hill, Newfoundland, December 12th, 1901. This Canadian History for Kids, Sketches of Canada, looks at life of inventor Guglielmo Marconi, and the miracle on Signal Hill.
Guglielmo Marconi was born in Italy and early in life he developed an interest in science, particularly the work of German physicist Heinrich Hertz on the transmission of electromagnetic waves through the air.
Marconi began experimenting with wireless telegraphy on his own in 1894. He discovered that by connecting his transmitter and receiver to the earth (grounding them), and then increasing the height of the antenna, he could extend the range of the signal. Despite this important technical breakthrough, the Italian government declined to sponsor his work.
Marconi moved to Great Britain where his work received greater support. In 1896 he patented his first device for wireless telegraphy and in 1897 found investors for his Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company, which began manufacturing radio sets that were able to transmit and receive messages in Morse Code.
Marconi believed that radio waves would follow the earth’s curvature, making communication to ships at sea realistic. He quickly set out send a wireless message across the Atlantic.
In December 1901 Marconi assembled his receiver at Signal Hill, St. John’s, the closest point to Europe in North America. He set up his receiving apparatus in an abandoned hospital that straddled the cliff facing Europe on the top of Signal Hill.
At the appointed time each day his staff in Poldhu, England, transmitted the Morse code letter “s” – three dots. This signal had been chosen as the most easily distinguished. On the 12 December Marconi pressed his ear to the telephone headset of his rudimentary receiver and successfully heard “pip, pip, pip” – 1700 miles from the transmitter.
The age of wireless communications had begun!
​
​
​
​
You have all heard about the Christmas Goose! Well here is a Christmas Truce!
This Canadian History for Kids, Sketches of our Canada, looks at an amazing tale of Peace on Earth during a horrible time in world history. On December 24th, 1914 the two sides of World War 1, took time to celebrate Christmas.
In the winter of 1914, the British, Canadian and French were able to hold off the Germans in Ypres, Belgium. Each side dug trenches which were only a few hundred feet apart and separated by flat ground known as “No Man’s Land”.
On the evening of December 24, 1914, everything went quiet on the Western Front as the rain kept pouring not only flooding but turning the trenches into muddy holes. Suddenly carolling could be heard from the German trenches where Christmas trees with candles could be seen. Soon both sides were singing carols, taking turns singing the carols in their native languages. Then each side started calling out to each other inviting them to celebrate the holiday season. That night they drank and talked.
The next morning, Christmas Day, was celebrated together in “No Man’s Land” with each side visiting, singing, exchanging gifts of food, warm clothes and tobacco, and even playing a game of soccer. While never recorded some say the soccer came was won by the Germans with a score of 30-2. It is believed that the celebration continued until Boxing Day and in some areas until New Year’s.
Not all the time was spent celebrating, once the truce was agreed upon, both sides went about the sad job of burying their fallen comrades, often in joint burial ceremonies.
The mingling was not welcomed by the commanding officers on both sides. Soon both sides reluctantly returned to war and as the units rotated out, the friendships made that Christmas were forgotten.
​
​
​
​