EPISODE · Jun 12, 2026 · 19 MIN
The Signal from the Bluff — Guglielmo Marconi
from Historical Conversations · host Michael Waxman
In 1901, a 28-year-old Italian inventor arrived on a crumbling cliff in South Wellfleet with a plan to send a wireless signal across the Atlantic Ocean. His name was Guglielmo Marconi. The locals thought he was a charlatan. A nor'easter destroyed his antenna array before he could send a single message. He rebuilt. On January 18, 1903, he transmitted President Roosevelt's greeting to King Edward VII from Cape Cod to Cornwall, England — and made the front page of the New York Times.In this episode, Marconi speaks about what the Cape demanded of him, why he chose a crumbling bluff over a safe harbor, and what it means to stake everything on a signal no one else can see. Visit the Marconi Station Site at Cape Cod National Seashore in South Wellfleet — free admission. Full show notes at historicalconversations.com
What this episode covers
In 1901, a 28-year-old Italian inventor arrived on a crumbling cliff in South Wellfleet with a plan to send a wireless signal across the Atlantic Ocean. His name was Guglielmo Marconi. The locals thought he was a charlatan. A nor'easter destroyed his antenna array before he could send a single message. He rebuilt. On January 18, 1903, he transmitted President Roosevelt's greeting to King Edward VII from Cape Cod to Cornwall, England — and made the front page of the New York Times. In this epi...
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The Signal from the Bluff — Guglielmo Marconi
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