Édouard Branly was a French inventor, physicist and professor. He is primarily known for his early involvement in wireless telegraphy and his invention of the Branly coherer around 1890. Branly was named as Marconi's inspiration during the first radio communication across the English Channel, when Marconi's message was: "Mr. Marconi sends to Mr. Branly his regards over the Channel through the wireless telegraph, this nice achievement being partly the result of Mr. Branly's remarkable work.".