Alberta Premier William Aberhart (C) and his cabinet pose on the steps of the Legislative Building in Edmonton in 1935. Aberhart’s use of radio revolutionized Alberta politics. Public Domain
Commentary
Communication breakthroughs have heralded turning points in human history. The Reformation and Renaissance would never have happened had Johannes Gutenberg not invented the printing press in 1440. Samuel Morse’s telegraph created instantaneous communication, which revolutionized news, business, and diplomacy in the 1840s. When Marconi created the wireless radio in 1895, the world was brought into the living rooms of millions of people. Televisions became common in households in the 1950s, bringing images of events and world leaders directly to citizens in real time. Today, cellular phones have mobilized communication for ordinary people and facilitated the organization of contemporary revolutions.
