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Radio - a timeline


1910: Crystal radio receivers are available to the public. Manufactured by the de Forest Radio Telephone Company, these kits are geared for amateur radio enthusiasts.

1919: The superheterodyne radio, developed by Edwin Armstrong, is sold to the general public. The radio uses vacuum tubes to amplify and tune in signals.

1950: In response to an increasing interest in high-fidelity sound, FM (frequency modulation), gains popularity in the 1950s. FM was perfected in 1933 by Edwin Armstrong. The first FM broadcasts aired in 1940; by 1960, FM stations will begin to broadcast in stereo.

1955: The Regency is introduced in 1954. The first lightweight, portable radio, it uses recently-developed transistors instead of tubes. In 1955, Sony's popular version of the transistor radio is made available to the public.

1980s: The 1980s see miniature AM/FM radios that are incorporated into lightweight headphones.

This portable radio comes from the 1940's, during World War Two. Compare it with a modern boom box!

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