Most people accredit the origin of the radio to telegraphy.
Much later came an optical telegraph machine by Claude Chappe. An optical telegraph machine is one in which messages are determined by the position of the arms or branches connected to the telegraph machine. Made in 1792, the Chappe Telegraph machine sent the first modern telegram in France. This type of communication was a startling fast way to get messages people who were distances away. However, the exploration of ways to get messages across great distances did not stop there.