History of Wireless: David E. Hughes

Welcome to the History of Wireless mini series! Twice a week, we will feature a short entry discussing a historical figure or technology that was important to the evolution and innovation of wireless.

David Edward Hughes

A Pioneer of Radio Wave Transmission

David E. Hughes, (May 16, 1831 – January 22, 1900), was a British scientist and musician. He invented the induction balance (later used in metal detectors) and in 1879 he transmitted and received radio waves using a detector made of carbon, years before Heinrich Hertz and sixteen years before Guglielmo Marconi demonstrated wireless telegraphy.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series on James Clerk Maxwell, who is best known for his  revolutionary work in electromagnetism.