Lee de Forest
1873 – 1961

Lee de Forest

American inventor (1873–1961)

film producerelectrical engineerradio techniciantechnicianfilm director
Born
1873-08-26, Council Bluffs
Died
1961-06-30
Birthplace state
Iowa

Biography

Lee de Forest was an American inventor, electrical engineer, and early pioneer in electronics of fundamental importance. He invented the first practical electronic amplifier, the three-element "Audion" triode vacuum tube in 1908. This helped start the Electronic Age, and enabled the development of the electronic oscillator. These made radio broadcasting and long-distance telephone lines possible, and led to the development of talking motion pictures, among countless other applications.

Occupation

Lee de Forest is recorded as a film producer, a electrical engineer, a radio technician, a technician, a film director, a inventor, a physicist and a engineer, born in Iowa (1873–1961).

Connections to Iowa

Lee de Forest was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1873. Explore other notable figures from Iowa, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Lee de Forest came from Council Bluffs. A full Aubrey report on Council Bluffs pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from Iowa

Other historical figures born in Iowa, ranked by historical prominence.

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Henry A. Wallace
American politician (1888–1965); Vice President of the United States from 1941 to 1945
Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
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Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
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Donna Reed
Donna Reed
American film and television actress

Frequently asked about Lee de Forest

Who was Lee de Forest?
Lee de Forest was American inventor (1873–1961), born in Iowa (1873 – 1961).
When and where was Lee de Forest born?
Lee de Forest was born on 1873-08-26 in Council Bluffs.
When did Lee de Forest die?
Lee died on 1961-06-30.
What was Lee de Forest known for?
Lee de Forest is recorded as a film producer, a electrical engineer, a radio technician, a technician, a film director, a inventor, a physicist and a engineer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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