⏰ when
When Was the First Undersea Telegraph Cable Laid?
technologyhistory
Quick Answer
The first successful transatlantic telegraph cable was completed on 5 August 1858.
The Full Story
The first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed on 5 August 1858, linking Ireland to Newfoundland. Queen Victoria and US President James Buchanan exchanged congratulatory messages, but the signal quality was poor and the cable failed after about three weeks. A superior, lasting cable was laid in 1866. Today over 550 submarine cables carry about 99 % of intercontinental data traffic, totalling more than 1.4 million kilometres of cable on the ocean floor.
Key Facts
1.The 1858 cable took several attempts; earlier tries in 1857 snapped mid-ocean.
2.Cyrus Field led the financing and organisation of the transatlantic cable project.
3.Modern fibre-optic submarine cables can carry tens of terabits per second.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Wiring the Ocean — The Epic Story of Undersea Cables"