2016-04-27 Wed

Samuel Morse the American painter and inventor of the single wired telegram and the co-developer of the famous “Morse Code” was born on April 27, 1791, in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

While painting the commissioned Lafayette portrait in Washington DC, Morse received a letter of his wife’s failing health and a day later of her sudden death. Heartbroken that he did not receive the news of his wife's ill health and her death earlier, he decided to devise a means to facilitate rapid long distance communication.

Along with Charles Thomas Jackson's electromagnet, Morse developed the concept of a single-wire telegraph and later developed the Morse code which became the primary language of telegraphy and is still till date the standard for rhythmic transmission of data.

1896 Two Dollar Silver Certificate of the Unites States from the Educational Series features Samuel Morse on the reserve along with Robert Fulton.

There are many stamps which honour Morse and his inventions on them. A 1992 stamp from Cambodia shows Morse with the Morse telegram. A 200 francs stamp of Burkina Faso also depicts Morse. USPS also has a 2 cents stamps honouring Samuel Morse.