So, who is the inventor of the morse code?Even if it is well known attributed to Samuel Morse, the work of Alfred Vail and contribution make some historian saying than he is the inventor. The combination of these two can translate any phrases, like the combination on zero (0) and one (1) can translate any number in binary code. Frequency of usage determines the use of dots and dashes. These symbols are dots or short marks (.) and dashes or long marks (-). Morse code assigns letters, numbers, special characters into two symbols. Using the telegraphic principles, Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail came up with the Morse code in 1838. The History of SOS Signals And Morse CodeĪs soon as radio transmission and telegraph services improved in the mid-1800s, people started using them to communicate at sea.

They have been incorrectly conjoined with the Morse code term SOS. “Save Our Souls” and “Save Our Ship” phrases are only backronyms. It turns out, like me, many people believe SOS stands for something. “SOS” is an abbreviation for “Save Our Souls” or “Save Our Ship.” Given how this was not the case two centuries ago, it says much about the extent of maritime dangers and rescue before that. SOS has become a universally understood message.

It means that the person signaling it through any means needs some assistance. When someone in the year 2020 goes ahead and uses SOS together like that, we understand its intent. It got me thinking about the distress signals such as SOS meaning, and modern-day use. To convey your state to others around you since verbal exchange often gets complicated in a water body. When learning kayaking one of my instructors taught me the paddle signals. They used visual and auditory signals, depending on foghorns and flags, to convey the call. Have you ever wondered how people on boats or ships conveyed that they needed help?įor generations, each region relied on various crude ways of expressing distress calls.

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What sos stand for