Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) is the Italian inventor who died in Rome on July 20, 1937. In 1894, Marconi began experimenting with crude equipment that would one day develop into the radio. He overcame the discouragement of skeptics who doubted the feasibility or practacality of his invention. Mathematicians argued that the curvature of the earth would limit radio communication to 100-200 miles. However, in December 1901, he proved this wrong when he received trans-Atlantic radio signals.
Marconi received numerous honors and awards during his lifetime. Notably, he was awarded the Nobel prize for physics in 1909. After his death, he was given a state funeral by the Italian government and buried in his native town of Bologna.
