# Tesla or Marconi?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 2, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427 "2001-04-02T01:16:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2001, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427/1 "2001-04-02T01:16:46Z")

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It’s long been said that Marconi invented the radio, but now people are insisting that the original inventor was actually Nikola Tesla. Which one was it?

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### Author: ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427/2 "2001-04-02T05:26:20Z")

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Here’s a link. Go to the middle and look at the chapter titled “Inventor of Radio?”

[http://onlinetools.chipcenter.com/netsim/tesla/tesla2.html#wireless](http://onlinetools.chipcenter.com/netsim/tesla/tesla2.html#wireless)  
Please note the article describes the Colorado Springs experiment as the first AM broadcasting tower. I believe that was Tesla’s attempt to utilize “broadcast power” which was a different deal.  
Cecil himself wrote about it here:

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_274.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_274.html)  
Long story short, while Tesla was experienting with broadcast power Marconi sent the first wireless signal over the ocean.

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### Author: ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427/3 "2001-04-02T05:43:59Z")

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According to the Supreme Court (and others), Tesla.

[http://www.lihistory.com/7/hs703a.htm](http://www.lihistory.com/7/hs703a.htm)

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### Author: ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2001, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tesla-or-marconi/60427/4 "2001-04-02T11:46:57Z")

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For those wondering exactly what the Supreme Court said:

> **[FindLaw's United States Supreme Court case and opinions.](https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/320/1.html)**
>
> FindLaw's searchable database of United States Supreme Court decisions since