I was recently studying the history of the hymn “O Holy Night” and found an interesting story.
On Dec. 21, 1906, a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison, Reginald Fessenden, decided to try something that others thought impossible. He used a new type of generator and a microphone and, for the first time in history, broadcast a voice over the airwaves.
What did he read? Was it The Wall Street Journal? No. Instead, this young chemist read the most important thing that he could read to the world. In a clear, strong voice, he read from the book of Luke: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.”
Fessenden continued reading the entire Christmas story. “Shocked radio operators on ships and wireless owners at newspapers, used to Morse code heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a speaking voice reading Luke and had no idea where it came from. When the professor finished his reading, he picked up his violin and played ‘O Holy Night.’ … Imagine the surprise of listeners everywhere, never suspecting such a thing was possible.”
So the very first song played over the airwaves was “O Holy Night,” and the first extensive transmission over the airwaves was the Christmas story, the true account of God coming to earth to be the Savior of mankind. Fessenden saw the Christmas story as something that the whole world needed to hear, so he projected this signal into space for the world to receive and hear.
Amen
Beautiful story.