Edwin Howard Armstrong
Inventor of FM radio and the superheterodyne receiver
- Lived
- 63 yrs
- 1890 – 1954
- Works listed
- 1
- Invention
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1941
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Edwin Howard Armstrong was an American electrical engineer who invented the regenerative circuit, the superheterodyne receiver used in almost all radios, and wide-band FM radio. Long patent battles with RCA and others left him exhausted, and he died in 1954.
Biography
Regeneration
As a Columbia University student in 1912, Armstrong found that feeding a signal back through an Audion tube greatly amplified it — the regenerative circuit.
Superheterodyne
As an army officer in France in 1918, he invented the superheterodyne receiver, which converts signals to a fixed frequency; it became the standard radio and TV receiver design.
FM radio
In 1933 he patented wide-band frequency modulation, which greatly reduced static. He built his own FM station in 1939.
Battles
He lost a Supreme Court case to Lee de Forest over regeneration and fought RCA over FM. Depressed and nearly bankrupt, he died in 1954; his widow later won the patent cases.
Timeline
-
1890
Born in New York City, United States
-
1912
Regenerative circuit
-
1917
IRE Medal of Honor
-
1918
Superheterodyne
-
1933
FM patents
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1934
Supreme Court rules for de Forest
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1939
FM station W2XMN
-
1954
Dies
-
1954
Died, aged 63
Notable works
-
1933
FM radio Invention
Awards and honours
-
IRE Medal of Honor
1917
-
Franklin Medal
1941
Did you know?
-
1
He climbed to the top of RCA’s antenna mast for fun.
-
2
His widow Marion won all his patent suits.
-
3
Almost every radio and TV used his superheterodyne design.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Edwin Howard Armstrong?
Edwin Howard Armstrong was an American electrical engineer who invented the regenerative circuit, the superheterodyne receiver used in almost all radios, and wide-band FM radio. Long patent battles with RCA and others left him exhausted, and he died in 1954.
When did Edwin Howard Armstrong die?
Edwin Howard Armstrong died on 31 January 1954 at the age of 63.
Where is Edwin Howard Armstrong from?
Edwin Howard Armstrong was born in New York City, United States.
What is Edwin Howard Armstrong known for?
Edwin Howard Armstrong is best known for Regenerative circuit; superheterodyne receiver; FM radio (1933).
What awards has Edwin Howard Armstrong received?
Notable honours include IRE Medal of Honor (1917), Franklin Medal (1941).
References
- Edwin Howard Armstrong — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Edwin Howard Armstrong — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Edwin Howard Armstrong (Q333987) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Edwin Howard Armstrong”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Edwin Howard Armstrong.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/edwin-armstrong
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