Send a distress call

Origin

Before the age of wireless communication, sailors relied on visual signals like flags, flares, or cannon shots to signal danger. But the early 20th century brought the magic of radio telegraphy, and with it, the urgent need for a universal, unambiguous call for help that could pierce through static and the vastness of the sea or sky. In 1906, at the International Radio Telegraph Convention, a simple, rhythmic sequence of dots and dashes was formalized: three short, three long, three short—SOS. This powerful, easily recognized signal instantly became the international standard to "send a distress call," transforming frantic visual pleas into a global, life-saving broadcast that crossed oceans and borders, ensuring that a cry for help could always be heard.