

Morse, an inventor and artist, painted this portrait of himself





Samuel F.B. Morse Sent the First Telegraphic Message

May 24, 1844

What was the first telegraph message? Sent by inventor Samuel F.B. Morse on May 24, 1844, over an experimental line from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, the message said: "What hath God wrought?" Taken from the Bible, Numbers 23:23, and recorded on a paper tape, the phrase had been suggested to Morse by Annie Ellsworth, the young daughter of a friend. The success of the experiment would change forever the national communication system. But Morse wasn't just interested in the telegraph.

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