Members of the Isle of Wight Radio Society have re-enacted a landmark moment in global communications history – the first wireless transmission beyond the horizon, originally carried out from the Isle of Wight in January 1901.
Last Friday (23rd January), the team sent a message in Morse code to fellow radio amateurs at the Lizard Wireless Station in Cornwall. The message was received and replied to, just as it would have been 125 years ago.
The original transmission in 1901 was conducted by engineers working under Guglielmo Marconi, who successfully sent a radio signal from the Isle of Wight across a distance of 170 miles to the Lizard in Cornwall. It was the first recorded instance of wireless communication over the horizon – a milestone that paved the way for modern radio, broadcasting, and global telecommunications.
Friday’s re-enactment honoured that breakthrough, with Radio Society members using traditional Morse code to complete the symbolic exchange.
The event marks one of the most significant achievements in the history of communication – and a proud moment of scientific heritage for the Isle of Wight.
