It all started in 1850 when a north-eastern cable was laid that was set to be the largest communication cable yet.
The cable went from the north-east coast of America in Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and its construction was led by a man named Frederick Newton Gisborne. Gisborne firmly believed that the cable could be extended across the Atlantic to Britain.
Luckily, he met a businessman named Cyrus West Field who also believed in the idea had the funds to make it happen. Gisborne and Field founded the New York Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company and began their first attempt at creating the transatlantic line in 1857.
This would prove a much more difficult journey than anticipated and would come with many setbacks and failures. But in then it would result in a line that would allow Queen Victoria and U.S. President, James Buchanan to send the first and rather wordy message on August 16, 1858. The message took 16 hours to send, according to 1843 Magazine.
