Heinrich Hertz, best known for his work with electromagnetism and electromagnetic radiation, was born in Hamburg, Germany, on February 22, 1857. He initially studied engineering, but abandoned that subject to take up physics at the University of Berlin. At Berlin he studied under physicists Gustav Kirchhoff and Hermann Helmholtz. After Hertz received a Ph.D. in 1880, he became Helmholtz's assistant and began what became a lifelong friendship.

In 1883, while working at the University of Kiel, Hertz became especially interested in the electromagnetic equations that had been established by James Clerk Maxwell. The Berlin Academy of Science had established a prize for work on a specific problem, and Helmholtz encouraged Hertz to submit an entry. Hertz was interested, but lacked the facilities to carry out the experiments. Fortunately, he was offered a professorship in physics at Karlsruhe in 1885, a post that included a very well-equipped laboratory. Hertz began his work and...