Night of Nights

Night of Nights is observed every July 12. In 2026, this date falls on a Sunday. The day commemorates the last commercial Morse code transmission in the United States and invites radio enthusiasts, historians, and curious listeners to reconnect with an era when dots and dashes carried news, weather and urgent calls across oceans. Many celebrations center on KPH, the historic Point Reyes station, which volunteers bring back on the air to send messages by hand so a new generation can hear Morse as it once sounded.

History of Night of Nights

Morse code and coastal radiotelegraph stations once formed a global safety and information network. For more than a century, shore stations transmitted weather reports, press releases and distress calls to ships at sea. The three-letter distress signal S.O.S. became one of the most recognizable features of that system, and radiotelegraphers were charged with listening through long nights for any ship in trouble.

The particular date marked by Night of Nights remembers the end of commercial Morse in the U.S.: the final commercial transmission took place on July 12, 1999. On that same day Tom Horsfall and Richard Dillman founded the Maritime Radio Historical Society (M.R.H.S.) to preserve the hardware and skills associated with maritime telegraphy. Volunteers restored K.P.H. and brought it and other historic stations such as K.S.M., K.F.S. and K6KPH back to life so listeners can hear manual transmissions again.

Why is Night of Nights important?

Night of Nights keeps a living link to how maritime communication worked and why it mattered. Hearing Morse sent by hand at KPH or from other restored stations offers a direct sensory experience of a communication method that shaped rescue operations, shipping safety and global news for generations.

The day also supports the communities that maintain this heritage. Enthusiasts, museums and organizations use July 12 to teach Morse fundamentals, display vintage keys and receivers, and promote the broader history of radio. This continuity helps preserve technical knowledge and the stories of the people who kept maritime radio watch.

• Listen for KPH transmissions and similar commemorative signals to hear manual Morse in real time.
• Visit receiving locations or museum displays that showcase restored transmitters, keys and documentation.
• Learn basic Morse code or try sending messages on a telegraph key to appreciate the skill involved.
• Shop for vintage telegraph keys, books about telegraphy, or amateur radio equipment from specialty retailers supporting the hobby.
• Follow or support the Maritime Radio Historical Society and other groups that operate historic stations.

How to Celebrate Night of Nights

Celebrate the technical heritage and social atmosphere of maritime radio with activities that bring people together around sound, history and hands-on learning. Small gatherings can revolve around listening sessions, demonstrations of telegraph keys, and storytelling about coastal stations and the operators who kept watch. Museums and hobby shops often run workshops or special exhibits timed to the date.

Use the occasion to encourage newcomers to the hobby while supporting preservation efforts. Share recordings of transmissions, host a themed evening at a local club or café, or set up a listening party with friends and family. Simple, tangible experiences—holding a key, watching a tape printout, comparing hand-sent characters—give modern listeners a concrete sense of the trade.

• Organize a listening party for KPH broadcasts and invite local amateur radio operators to explain what you hear.
• Run a Morse code basics workshop or hand out printed guides so attendees can try tapping simple messages.
• Display artifacts such as telegraph keys, headphones and logbooks, or partner with a local museum for an exhibit.
• Offer promotions on books, vintage hardware or entry to workshops at specialty retailers to draw interest in the day.
• Post short demonstration videos on social channels with the hashtag used by enthusiasts to connect listeners and volunteers.

Night of Nights Dates