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15 Outstanding Morse Code Facts To Know

Those who are unaware of the historical significance of Morse Code Translator frequently lack appreciation for it. Over a century ago, it played a crucial role in long-distance communication and paved the foundation for the technologies we have today. Here are 15 Morse code facts you should be aware of to develop a newfound respect for it.

1. For The Telegraph, Morse Code Was Developed

The telegraph's ability to deliver only electric pulse signals across a wire forced its creators to find new ways to communicate. The creation of Morse code allowed for the conversion of those pulses into English by giving each letter and number a mix of short and long signals. Morse code and the telegraph both fundamentally altered long-distance communication.

2. Morse Code Is Still Used Today

Even though it is no longer necessary to know the code to obtain a ham radio license, amateur radio operators continue to use it today. Morse code is still taught to many individuals as a pleasant talent or merely as an intriguing hobby. Even today, people still call out the letters in the global SOS signal on the sand to summon assistance. It can still be a flexible means of communicating in various contexts.

3. Two People Created Morse Code Together

With the assistance of his friend and assistant Alfred Lewis Vail, Samuel F.B. Morse created the code. Vail ultimately assisted him greatly in ironing out the wrinkles. Since Samuel had the original idea, it was given the name Morse code.

4. In 1844, The First Official Telegram Sent Using Morse code Was Sent.

Samuel Morse sent the first recorded US telegram to test the recording telegraph in front of government authorities in Washington, D.C. It was addressed to his Baltimore aide Alfred Vail and read, "What hath God wrought?" Morse did nothing more than take the observer's advice and use the term from the Bible.

5. Morse Code Was Created By A Painter.

Before creating his telegraph, Samuel Morse supported himself as an artist. He famously painted a portrait of Marquis de Lafayette, the famous Revolutionary War hero. In addition to being well-known and respected in the art world, Mr. Morse was also regarded as a talented inventor.

6. Morse Code Is The Reason We Have The SOS Signal.

Wireless telegraphy was put into use on ships at the start of the 20th century, and sea traffic was growing. It soon became clear that there needed to be an international distress signal to help with ship rescue.

The SOS signal was chosen because it was easy to memorize and comprehend inside the Morse code. After all, it was already widely used. The "S," "O," and final "S" are simply represented by three dots, three dashes, and three more dots, respectively.

7. You Can Speak Morse Code

Although it was only intended to translate audio pulses into English, Morse code can also be spoken. Simply perfect your pronunciation of the dot-dash signal varieties. Unless it's at the end of the signal like "di-di-dit," the dot is uttered as "di." The dash is thus pronounced as "dah" (daw). For instance, the letter "R" is pronounced "di-dah-dit" since it is a dot-dash-dot.

8. Morse Code Was The First Text Message

That first biblical telegram message sent by the inventors was the first text message. The receiving end of the recording telegraph they used moved and wrote down the Morse signals. The signals would then only need to be decoded into English by the receiver.

9. Morse Code Is Not A Language

Many people are unaware that Morse code is only a code and not a language. Electric impulses that could be translated back into English were used to encode the alphabet. For a very long period, it proved to be a remarkable technique to communicate across great distances.

10. The Pony Express Was Made Obsolete By The Use Of Morse Code.

Before Morse, people communicated through letters sent via horse, coach, or train, and could take a long while to get to their destination. Since people could send and receive messages in just a few minutes, the telegraph's development and use of Morse code saw tremendous growth. Due to its inability to keep up with demand, the Pony Express officially ended operations in 1861.

11. Morse Code Can Be Transmitted By Blinking

Morse code work with any pulse signal like flashing a flashlight on and off or blinking SOS if you are in trouble but can’t speak.

Who knows when you will use these skills, but people have before?

A US prisoner of war in Vietnam blinked the word “TORTURE” in Morse code when he was on camera. This informed the US government that the treatment of its captives was not as good as claimed. Years after his release, the Navy Cross was given to him.

12. Morse Code Covers Punctuation Too

In addition to letters, Morse code also supports numbers, punctuation, and special characters. Later modifications to the code included the addition of some of these characters. Since punctuation can help to clarify content and demonstrate how a sentence should be read precisely, it was vital to include this.

13. Previously, Electric Lines In The Sea Were Used To Send Morse Code

In 1858, a copper telegraph wire that was 2,000 miles long was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean. That cable still broke after considerable trial and error, necessitating the use of stronger ones.

For a little time, the U.S. President was still able to contact the Queen of the United Kingdom because of this first transatlantic cable. Wired telegraphy was later superseded by wireless telegraphy.

14. The Original Morse Code Isn’t Used Anymore

The railroad extensively utilized the initial iteration of it, which became known as the American Morse code. It was eventually superseded with a version that was easier to use and had modifications to make it more common and straightforward. This International Morse Code was the new version that is still learned and used today.

15. The Code Is Available In Japanese And Korean.

The abbreviation SKATS, or Standard Korean Alphabet Transliteracy System, refers to the Korean counterpart of Morse code. Japanese characters and pronunciations are converted into Morse code signals by the Wabun Code. Otherwise, languages that use the Latin alphabet can use the code.

Happy Coding!