The development of radio became possible with the harnessing of electromagnetic waves. James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz, combined the mathematical theory of these waves and a devise used to generate and detect them to come up with a crude version of the radio. Hertz were used as a measurement to count cycles per second in transmission of electromagnetic waves. With all this new information, radios were soon able to transmit sound and amplify it. In 1906, radio telephony was just that with the work of Reginald Fessiden and Ernst F.W. Alexanderson. Then in 1913, Edwin H. Armstrong patented a circuit that made radio communication more practicable. These men helped pave the way for the first radio communication between ships and shore.
In 1920, commercial broadcasting became popular. Music, ads, and radio programs quickly became a big hit. Soon the radio became a common household appliance. Much was transmitted that served more than an entertainment purpose. During war, the radio was a device that supplied information and developments for those at home. Much the same as now, the public learns and benefits greatly from radios.