1816day.year
The British Admiralty dismisses Francis Ronalds's new invention of the first working electric telegraph as "wholly unnecessary", preferring to continue using the semaphore.
The British Admiralty rejected Francis Ronalds’s electric telegraph, deeming it ‘wholly unnecessary’ in favor of semaphore signals.
On 5 August 1816, inventor Francis Ronalds presented his working electric telegraph to the British Admiralty.
Despite successfully transmitting messages over wire, officials dismissed the technology as ‘wholly unnecessary’.
The Admiralty chose to rely on existing semaphore towers for communications between coastal stations.
Ronalds’s setback delayed the adoption of electric telegraphy in Britain by decades.
His pioneering work laid foundational concepts for later telegraph engineers and global communication networks later in the 19th century.
1816
Francis Ronalds
electric telegraph
1858day.year
Cyrus West Field and others complete the first transatlantic telegraph cable after several unsuccessful attempts. It will operate for less than a month.
The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed, linking Europe and North America for rapid communication.
On 5 August 1858, Cyrus West Field and a team of engineers completed the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable.
The undersea line stretched nearly 2,500 miles from Ireland to Newfoundland, enabling transatlantic telegraph messages.
Initial public excitement was immense as messages that once took weeks could now be sent in minutes.
Technical flaws caused the cable to fail within weeks, but the achievement spurred further innovation.
Subsequent cables built on this pioneering effort, revolutionizing international communications in the late 19th century.
1858
Cyrus West Field
transatlantic telegraph cable
1888day.year
Bertha Benz drives from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back in the first long distance automobile trip, commemorated as the Bertha Benz Memorial Route since 2008.
In 1888, Bertha Benz completes the first long-distance automobile journey, driving from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back.
In August 1888, Bertha Benz, wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz, set out on the first documented long-distance car journey.
She drove a Benz Patent-Motorwagen from Mannheim to Pforzheim—a round trip of about 194 kilometers—without her husband's knowledge.
Facing mechanical breakdowns, she improvised repairs and helped pioneer roadside service with fuel acquired from a pharmacy.
Her journey demonstrated the viability of the horseless carriage and generated public interest in the new invention.
In 2008, the route was officially designated the Bertha Benz Memorial Route in honor of her contributions.
Her historic drive underscores the crucial role of innovation, perseverance, and early automotive entrepreneurship.
1888
Bertha Benz
Mannheim
Pforzheim
Bertha Benz Memorial Route
1973day.year
Mars 6 is launched from the USSR.
The Soviet probe Mars 6 was launched, embarking on a mission to study the Martian atmosphere and surface.
On August 5, 1973, the USSR launched the Mars 6 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Mars 6 was designed to deploy a descent module to transmit data during its landing attempt.
Though the lander’s transmission failed shortly before impact, the mission returned valuable cruise-stage information.
The spacecraft provided insights into interplanetary travel and deep-space communication techniques.
Mars 6 contributed to the Soviet Union’s ongoing Unmanned Mars program, advancing planetary exploration.
Its data helped inform subsequent missions and deepened understanding of the Red Planet’s environment.
1973
Mars 6