In 1887, in his laboratory at the Technical University of Karlsruhe, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz produced electromagnetic waves with an electrical spark and detected them across the room with a wire loop, a spark appearing in a tiny gap. He measured their wavelength, showed that they reflect and refract like light, and so confirmed James Clerk Maxwell's prediction. Asked about the usefulness of his work, he replied 'I do not think that the wireless waves I have discovered will have any practical application'. Marconi built radio on his discovery. The unit of frequency, the hertz, is named after him.
Before and after
- from 1887 to 1954French Indochina
- 1887Founding of Celtic F.C.
- 1887Establishment of Tongariro National Park
- 1887Founding of Nice Observatory
- 1887Heinrich Hertz generates radio waves
- 31 May 1887Birth of Saint-John Perse
- 24 June 1887Birth of Marc Chagall
- 26 July 1887Publication of Unua Libro
- 28 July 1887Birth of Marcel Duchamp
More in Science & technology
- 1774Discovery of chlorine
- 1789Discovery of uranium
- 30 June 1808Discovery of boron
- 1823Discovery of silicon
- 6 March 1869Periodic table
- 1884Car
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.