The invention of the radio is attributed to several individuals, but the most commonly recognized inventor is Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor and electrical engineer. Marconi developed the first practical wireless telegraphy system, which allowed communication without the use of wires or cables. Marconi's work in wireless communication revolutionized the way people communicated over long distances, and paved the way for the development of modern radio technology.

Marconi began his work on wireless telegraphy in the late 19th century, building on the earlier work of other inventors such as James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, and Nikola Tesla. In 1895, Marconi began experimenting with radio waves and developed a wireless telegraphy system that used a transmitter and a receiver to send and receive signals over long distances.

Marconi's first successful wireless transmission was in 1899, when he sent a signal across the English Channel. He continued to improve his technology, and by 1901, he was able to send a signal across the Atlantic Ocean, proving that wireless communication was possible over great distances.

In recognition of his pioneering work in wireless communication, Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909, becoming the first person to receive the prize for contributions to radio technology.

While Marconi is widely recognized as the inventor of the radio, there were several other inventors who made important contributions to the development of the technology. In the United States, Nikola Tesla made significant contributions to the development of wireless communication, and is often credited with inventing the radio before Marconi. However, Tesla's work was not as well-known as Marconi's, and he did not receive the same level of recognition for his contributions.

Other notable inventors who made important contributions to the development of radio technology include Reginald Fessenden, who invented the first radio transmitter capable of broadcasting voice and music, and Edwin Armstrong, who developed the technology for frequency modulation (FM) radio.