The invention of the radio is often credited to Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor and engineer. In 1895, Marconi successfully demonstrated the wireless transmission of signals over a distance of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), using a spark-gap transmitter and a coherer receiver. He continued to develop his wireless system and in 1896, he transmitted the first ever radio message across open water, from Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada. This marked a significant milestone in the history of radio communication. Marconi's early work paved the way for the development of various radio technologies and applications in the years that followed.