When I was growing up, the term “Morse Code” was familiar to most people. Many/most people couldn’t read Morse Code and most weren’t even sure what it was, but they had at least heard the term. That’s probably not the case today. Morse Code uses a unique series of dots and dashes, called “dii and dah” for each letter of the alphabet and the numbers 0 through 9. The system was developed in 1836 by Samuel Morse, Alford Vail and Joseph Henry.
Obviously, morse code played a very important role in the development of timely long-distance communications and it is celebrated by two special days each year. Today, January 11 is Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day. In a few months, we celebrate Morse Code Day, on April 27. These two special days every year are celebrated for similar, but slightly different, reasons.
As I mentioned earlier, Morse Code was developed in 1836 — a couple of years later, on January 11, 1838, Samuel Morse and Alford Vail demonstrated the use of the electric telegraph to transmit a message in morse code for the first time. The date for Learn You Name in Morse Code Day was chosen because that was the date of the first successful electric transmission of the code over wires.
Sending Morse Code over telegraph lines allowed for instant, coast to coast communication of information. Even after radios arrived on the scene, Morse Code continued to be a major means of communications. Morse Code was in use in the military, ham (amateur) radios and other means of communication for decades. It remains in use, although limited, even today. As a communication tool, morse code in being replaced by modern technology. There is no mainstream use of Morse Code now and the system is, in fact, in danger of disappearing as a means of communication. The ability to send and receive Morse Code was always a requirement to be able to obtain a ham radio license. However, in 2007, that no longer was required to obtain a license from the FCC.
Morse Code Day celebrates the invention of Morse Code and the electric telegraph machine. The celebration date was chosen to be Samuel Morse’s birthday — April 27, 1791.
Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day was created to stir up interest in Morse Code, to encourage people to learn and use it — and — to keep it from disappearing altogether.
I did have to learn Morse Code when I was younger and used it a number of times over the years…. so, here’s my name in morse code:
(J) • — — —
(I) • •
(M) — —
(M) — —
(Y) — • — —
Happy Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day — maybe we should all learn it, then we’ll have two “secret” ways to communicate — morse code and cursive….
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