Transatlantic Telegraph Cable Laid
The first permanent transatlantic telegraph cable was completed, connecting Europe and North America
July 27, 1866
Connecting Continents With a Wire
In August 1858, the first transatlantic telegraph cable was successfully laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, connecting Valentia Island in Ireland to Trinity Bay in Newfoundland, Canada. The project was led by American businessman Cyrus West Field, who had spent four years raising money, organizing ships, and overcoming repeated failures. When Queen Victoria sent a congratulatory message to President Buchanan through the cable, it took about 16 hours to transmit — but it was real-time communication across an ocean for the first time in history.
Early Failures and a Lasting Success
The 1858 cable failed after just three weeks of operation, its signal weakening until it went silent. It took another eight years and multiple attempts before a reliable cable was laid in 1866. The successful cable used stronger copper wire, better insulation, and a purpose-built ship, the SS Great Eastern — then the largest vessel in the world. Once working, messages that had taken ten days by ship could cross the Atlantic in minutes.
A Foundation for Global Communication
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the internet of the 19th century. It transformed business, diplomacy, and journalism by making near-instant communication between Europe and North America possible. Financial markets became globally linked. News could spread around the world in hours instead of weeks. The cable network eventually expanded across all oceans, laying the physical groundwork for the satellite and fiber-optic communication systems of the modern era. Use our date calculator to see how long ago this happened.