Edwin Howard Armstrong

Edwin Howard Armstrong
Sketch of Armstrong, c. 1954
Born(1890-12-18)December 18, 1890
New York City, U.S.[1]
DiedFebruary 1, 1954(1954-02-01) (aged 63)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materColumbia University
Known forArmstrong oscillator
Armstrong Tower
Armstrong phase modulator
Autodyne
FM broadcasting
FM radio
Frequency modulation
Regenerative circuit
Superheterodyne receiver
KE2XCC
W2XMN
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1922)​
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsElectrical engineering
Academic advisorsMihajlo Pupin

Edwin Howard Armstrong (December 18, 1890[2] – February 1, 1954[3]) was an American electrical engineer and inventor who developed FM (frequency modulation) radio and the superheterodyne receiver system.

He held 42 patents and received numerous awards, including the first Medal of Honor awarded by the Institute of Radio Engineers (now IEEE), the French Legion of Honor, the 1941 Franklin Medal and the 1942 Edison Medal. He achieved the rank of major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I and was often referred to as "Major Armstrong" during his career.[4] He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and included in the International Telecommunication Union's roster of great inventors. He was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame posthumously in 2001.[5] Armstrong attended Columbia University, and served as a professor there for most of his life.

  1. ^ Tsividis, Yannis (Spring 2002). "Edwin Armstrong: Pioneer of the Airwaves". Columbia Magazine. Living Legacies: Great Moments and Leading Figures in the History of Columbia University. New York: Columbia University. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  2. ^ Lawrence P. Lessing. "Edwin H. Armstrong". Britannica. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt19540202 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Edwin Armstrong". wirelesshistoryfoundation.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.