History of Communication

Question 1

Cavemen

Answer 1

a. Gathers around fire to discuss day to day activities.
b. Started inscribing on caves to record their activities or knowledge. The problem with this communication is it was localized.

Question 2

Smoke Signal

Answer 2

First long distance communication

Question 3

Smoke Signal : Northern America

Answer 3

a. Used in Northern America where each tribe has its own signaling system.
b. A smoke from the top of the hill signified danger.

Question 4

Smoke Signal : Ancient China

Answer 4

Used in Ancient China in the Great Wall of China, transmitting messages as far as 750km within a few hours.

Question 5

Smoke Signal : Vatican City

Answer 5

Still used in the Vatican to indicate the selection of a new Pope.

Question 6

Pigeons

Answer 6

a. Extensively used for long distance communication because of their natural homing ability.
b. Used by Persians, Romans, Greeks, and Mughals.

Question 7

Pigeons : 19th Century

Answer 7

Also used to transmit stock quotations from one city to another.

Question 8

Pigeons : Cher Ami

Answer 8

Awarded the French War Cross for her services during World War 1.

Question 9

October 4, 1918

Answer 9

Cher Ami was shot through the breast and leg by enemy fire but still managed to return to his loft with a message capsule dangling from the wounded leg. The message Cher Ami carried was from Major Charles S. Whittlesey’s “Lost Battalion” of the Seventy-seventy Infantry Division that had been isolated from other American forces. The message saved 194 soldiers.

Question 10

Pony Express : Ancient Times

Answer 10

Kings have been using human messengers to relay messages.

Question 11

Pony Express

Answer 11

a. First of its kind mail service delivering messages, mails, newspapers, and small packages by horseback using small relay stations.
b. Regarded as the first courier service.

Question 12

Pony Express : Mid 19th Century

Answer 12

Used in the mid 19th century to communicate between the East Coast and West Coast of America.

Question 13

Semaphore Flag

Answer 13

a. Derived from the Greek word ‘sema’ means sign and ‘phero’ meaning bearer.
b. The telegraphy system that is conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand held flags, rods, and disk.
c. Still used during underway replenishment at sea and is an acceptable mode of communication for emergencies.

Question 14

Semaphore Flag : Late 19th Century

Answer 14

Used in maritime during the late 19th century.

Question 15

Telegraphy

Answer 15

The greatest breakthrough in the field of communication.

Question 16

Telegraph

Answer 16

a. Harnessing of electricity in the late 19th century gave birth to electric telegraphy.
Morse code is still used globally as a mode of communication.
b. Most popular form of long distance communication.

Question 17

2006

Answer 17

US discontinued the use of telegraph.

Question 18

2013

Answer 18

India’s BSNL owned telegraph service ended and the world’s last existing true electric commercial telegraph system.

Question 19

Radio

Answer 19

A Latin word meaning ‘beam of light’

Question 20

1864

Answer 20

James Clerk Maxwell showed mathematically that electric waves could propagate through free space.

Question 21

1886

Answer 21

Heinrich Hertz established the existence of electromagnetic waves.

Question 22

1888

Answer 22

Hertz demonstrated that one could produce and detect electromagnetic waves which we today call as radio waves.

Question 23

November 1894

Answer 23

Jagadish Chandra Bose at Town Hall of Kolkata ignited gunpowder and rang a bell kept at a distance using microwave.

Question 24

1894

Answer 24

Italian scientist Gugliermo Marconi made an electric bell which went off during lightning.

Question 25

Early 20th Century

Answer 25

Radio system transmitted message using continuous waves only.

Question 26

Amplitude Modulation

Answer 26

Demonstrated for the transmission of voice and music but with little success.

Question 27

World War 1

Answer 27

a Accelerated the development of radio for military communication.
b. After the war commercial radio broadcasting began in 1920 and was a big hit.

Question 28

World War 2

Answer 28

Accelerated the development of radio for military, aircraft, and land communication.

Question 29

Telephone

Answer 29

a. Confined to diplomatic purposes of broadcasting.

Question 30

Telephone : Telegram

Answer 30

Telegram was the fastest one to one communication used by common people.

Question 31

1876

Answer 31

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.

Question 32

How Telephones used to Work

Answer 32

a. Leased in pairs to a subscriber, who had to arrange for a telegraph contractor to construct a line between them.
b. Only rich people could afford.

Question 33

PSTN

Answer 33

Public Switch Telephone Network