Amateur radios, point-to-point contacts, high-frequency wave transfers, a mysterious yet attractive prize for the most connected stations… All of this sounds like the beginning of a quirky yet adorable B-movie.
In reality, it is the essence of International Marconi Day, a 24-hour amateur radio event which celebrates the career of Italian wireless communications pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. The event takes place annually on the Saturday closest to his birthday (April 25, 1874).
To commemorate the Nobel laureate’s achievements, fans use HF radio to make direct point-to-point contact between stations, relying on the same technology Marconi developed and utilized in his time.
Although nowadays the Internet is the medium of choice for global communications, the idea behind International Marconi Day is to keep the spirit of invention alive. The event also provides an exciting throwback to the days when a connected planet Earth was but a bold dream and only a few exceptional people, such as Marconi, saw the value in it.
