Jozef Murgas was born in Tajov, in Slovakia, and at the age of 18 joined the priesthood. As well as his religion, both science and art also played an important part in his life.
In 1889, Rev. Jozef Murgas attended the Academy of Art in Munich, where he had a lot of success. Meanwhile, his fascination for science continued, and he enrolled at the Electrical College of Vienna, where he studied the field of wireless telegraphy.
Murgas emigrated from Slovakia to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, where he achieved his first scientific breakthrough: Murgas devised a system which greatly improved Morse code.
Murgas' "Rotary-spark-system" allowed for much faster communication, through the use of musical tones. He patented his new invention, which is now listed as the "Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus", as well as 16 more inventions in this field. These patents would go on to form the foundations for the invention of the radio.
A lack of money, and a number of financial setbacks, led the humble Murgas to give the younger, and more prosperous Marconi, the rights to all his patents. Murgas did not seek recognition for his work, and indeed history remembers only Marconi as the inventor of the radio.
Andy Warhol | Pavol Orszagh Hviezdoslav | Master Pavol of Levoca | Jan Bahyl | Rev. Jozef Murgas | Stefan Banic | Wolfgang von Kempelen
Jozef Karol Hell | Jozef Maximilian Petzval | Alexander Dubcek | Andrej Hlinka | Milan Ratislav Stefanik | Ludovit Stur | Matus Cak
Prince Mojmir | Prince Pribina | Anton Bernolak | Cyril and Method | Juraj Janosik | Lubomir Moravcik | Jozo Raz