 The world is more connected than ever before. And the story of ITU is the story of connecting the world. In the 1830s, electricity powered a huge revolution. Soon, not only voltage, but also information transmitted over the wires. In 1839, the world's first commercial telegraph service opened in London. In 1844, Samuel Morse started a service in the United States. And soon after, the Morse Code was standardized at the International Telegraphy Congress in Paris, later becoming an ITU standard. The telegraph spread like wildfire. Telegraph service began by linking Britain and France with a submarine cable, carrying over 9,000 messages in its first year. The Reuters news agency began sending the latest news racing over the wires. As telegraph lines crossed national borders, new international agreements had to be forged. In 1865, 20 nations gathered in Paris to sign an international framework and formed the International Telegraph Union. ITU was born. The 17th of May is now observed annually as World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. The next step, transmitting speech over the lines. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell gained the U.S. patent for the telephone and launched the first telephonic service two years later. New inventions like telephone exchanges transformed telecommunications and within 10 years, some 100 million phone calls had been made in the 50 ITU member countries. ITU drew up the first international telephone regulations to facilitate telecommunications worldwide. More inventions were on the way. The radio and practical systems were developed in the 1890s by Popov in Russia, Jagdish Chandra Bose in India and by Marconi in Britain. In December 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the world's first audio broadcast to banana boats in the Atlantic with Christmas music and readings. The first radio regulations aimed at preventing radio interference were agreed at an international radio telegraph conference that same year. The Titanic disaster in 1912 highlighted the lack of 24-hour radio communication on ships as well as the lack of interoperable standards. The International Radio Telegraph Conference in London agreed on a common wavelength for radio distress signals. The International Radio Telegraph Conference in 1927 created a radio consultative committee similar to the committees on the telegraph and the telephone. Soon after, the conventions on telegraphy and radio telegraphy were merged and a new name was adopted, the International Telecommunication Union and ITU defined the term telecommunication for the first time. Radio frontiers and technology reached the stars as radio waves helped observe celestial objects. Radio astronomy and other space services became part of ITU's key responsibilities. With the onset of World War II, the role of telecommunications was affirmed as critical to war strategy. Radio navigation and direction finding developed into radar, providing accurate air navigation and detection of enemy aircraft. Shortwave broadcasts shored up the propaganda war. Following the war, ITU helped restore the immense damage that had been caused to telecommunications infrastructure, working alongside the newly created United Nations. In 1947, ITU became a specialized United Nations agency for telecommunications and in 1948 moved its headquarters from Barron to Geneva, the hub of international organizations in Europe. In 1956, the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee, CCITT was formed, forerunner of ITU's standardization sector to develop standards related to the telegraph and telephone. As the space race heated up, sending the first humans into space, satellite communication services began with the first phone call from space. In 1964, the first geostationary satellite relayed live pictures of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Geostationary satellites are now the mainstay of telecommunications worldwide and ITU allocates orbital slots and radio frequency spectrum to ensure reliable, interference-free transmission for meteorology, aeronautics and broadcasting. Against the background of new innovations and the coming internet revolution, ITU provided a networking platform to explore new directions in information and communication technologies. In 1971, ITU Telecom World opened its doors as an industry showcase and high-level forum. Even as ICTs grew exponentially, ITU identified a missing link, the gap in access between countries, communities and people. Bridging the digital divide and making telecommunications universally accessible became a top priority for ITU. ITU had a pivotal role in forging the digital revolution. New technologies were spawned, high-definition TV, JPEG, digital telephones, fiber-optic networks. Recognition came from Hollywood in three Emmy awards for HDTV and loudness metering and broadcast audio and a primetime award for ITUT H.264 video coding for online streaming on mobile devices. The internet revolution transformed the world. Tim Berners-Lee, working at CERN, created the worldwide web and made it freely available. The rest is history. ITU developed the technical standards that allow the internet to run effectively on the telecommunication platform. The ITUT H.323 standard made it possible for voice, video and data to converge, transforming the world of telecommunications. In 1992, ITU's federal structure was reinforced as ITUD became the third pillar of the Union along with radio communication, ITUR and telecommunication standardization, ITUT. Telecommunication development received a boost worldwide, especially in developing countries. Today, mobile devices connect billions around the globe. In 1992, ITU allocated radio spectrum dedicated to mobile communications. IMT2000, or 3G, became the global standard. The next step, IMT Advanced, was announced in 2012 and work is underway on developing IMT2020, setting the stage for 5G technologies. In 2003, the first ever international gathering to discuss the potential of ICTs took place in Geneva, the World Summit on the Information Society, one of the largest gatherings of the United Nations with over 19,000 participants, including nearly 50 heads of government. The second phase of the summit concluded in Tunis two years later with the Geneva Action Plan and Tunis Agenda providing a roadmap to achieve universal accessibility and bridge the digital divide. The WISIS Forum is held annually to monitor progress. Focused on saving lives, the Tampere Convention facilitated rapid response and more effective assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters. As climate change wreaks havoc around the world with an increase in the intensity and frequency of natural disasters, ICTs provide smart solutions to mitigate those effects. ITU is working on green standards aimed at sustainable development and allocates radio frequency spectrum for earth monitoring satellites and oceanographic radars. In an increasingly networked society, strengthening cybersecurity has become a priority and ITU standards make networks more resilient and resistant to attacks. ITU's Global Cyber Security Agenda addresses the global response to cyber attacks. ITU's Child Online Protection Initiative aims to ensure a safe online experience for young people everywhere. Fast, high-capacity connections to the Internet are vital in achieving the UN's sustainable development goals and ITU promotes the rollout of broadband to connect the world. Digital inclusion is an essential part of ITU's mission. This means ensuring everyone has access to ICTs, especially people with disabilities. And the future? In 2015, as ITU celebrates its 150th anniversary, a new team led by Secretary General Hu Linjiao is at the helm, enunciating the vision of ITU's membership with a common action plan, strengthening ITU as the United Nations Specialized Agency for ICTs. ITU provides a high-tech park platform for small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, and young entrepreneurs, recognizing that even tiny startups in the remotest corners of the world can come up with the next big thing in ICT. ITU steps up the global effort to bridge the digital divide, connecting people who still do not have access to modern communication tools and reaches out to marginalized communities and remote settlements, eliminating the stumbling blocks to socioeconomic growth, improving education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. By connecting the world to communications, ITU helps make our world safer, more peaceful and progressive, and contributes to achieving a sustainable future for all.