John Bardeen and Walter Brattain, working with group leader William Shockley, developed a device they called a transistor, which was successfully demonstrated on December 23, 1947 at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Bell publicly announced the new invention on June 30, 1948, and the first commercial transistor radio was released in 1954.
National Museum of American History Regency Model TR-1 Transistor Radio
November 2, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast. To celebrate this special anniversary, we’re shining a spotlight on 100 key moments in radio's history.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating your favorite radio memories throughout 2020. Use the hashtag #Radio100 across social media to share these moments with the world. Here’s to 100 wonderful years of radio, and to at least 100 more!