Radio Day Date in the current year: May 7, 2024

Many people were involved in the creation of radio in its modern form, that is why it is hard to tell who was the first to invent it. In Western countries, Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is typically credited with the invention, while in Eastern Europe Russian inventor Alexander Popov is recognized as the inventor of radio.

On May 7, 1895, Popov presented his lightning detector (which was, in fact, a radio receiver) to the Russian Physical and Chemical Society. It worked via using a coherer to detect lightning strikes from radio noise. This day is now celebrated in some countries as Radio Day.

Radio Day was first observed in the Soviet Union in 1925. In 1945, it was declared an annual holiday. After the dissolution of the USSR, some former Soviet republics continued to celebrate it. It is considered the professional holiday of all telecommunications professionals.

It is worth noting that there also exists World Radio Day. It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011. The observance is held on February 13 each year.