Reginald Fessenden: On The Air| Full Episode | Centuries Collide: World History

Before TikTok. Before podcasts. Before livestreams.
Before anyone had ever heard a human voice over the air…

Two inventors went head-to-head in a race that would change communication forever. One was an Italian celebrity backed by governments and big money. The other — a Canadian engineer with a stubborn streak and a dream that wouldn’t die.

This is the story of Reginald Fessenden, the man who broadcast the first voice in history… and why hardly anyone knows his name.

From Samuel Morse’s heartbreak-fueled invention of the telegraph…
to the first wireless messages sent across oceans…
to a snowy Christmas Eve in 1906 when voices and music echoed across the airwaves for the very first time…
this episode explores how wireless communication was born, why it mattered, and how it changed the world.

It’s a story of innovation, rivalry, faith, and a Christmas broadcast that opened the door for radio, television, and every wireless device we use today.

And it all began with one question:
“What hath God wrought?”

This is Reginald Fessenden – On The Air.
The episode that shows how one moment of genius can ripple across centuries.

🎬 Watch the full story now.

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Travel through time with Centuries Collide, where history’s biggest moments crash into the present. Hosted by Cody Crouch, this series connects ancient empires, legendary figures, and world-changing ideas to the modern world in surprising and entertaining ways.

From battles that shaped civilizations to inventions that transformed daily life, each episode shows how the past still echoes today. Packed with storytelling, visuals, and unexpected twists, Centuries Collide makes history fun, fresh, and unforgettable.

Timestamps
00:00 – Why early tech wasn’t about profit
01:24 – Life before wireless communication
03:15 – War, delays, and the cost of slow messages
03:44 – Samuel Morse: artist to inventor
05:19 – Tragedy that changed Morse’s life
06:40 – Inventing the telegraph
08:17 – Funding the first major test
08:37 – “What hath God wrought?” — the first successful message
11:48 – Enter Reginald Fessenden
12:57 – First voice ever sent over wire
14:26 – Marconi joins the race
15:50 – Wireless telegraphy breakthrough
16:46 – Discovering continuous wave transmission
17:40 – Voice transmission across countries
18:43 – Marconi receives government support
19:39 – Christmas Eve 1906: first radio broadcast in history
20:35 – Music, scripture, and a world-changing moment
21:07 – How this opened the door to modern broadcasting
21:52 – From radio to TV to global evangelism

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