On March 28, 1964, amateur radio operators provided essential emergency communications in the wake of a devastating earthquake in Alaska. The idea for the American Radio Relay League came from Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut. One night in April 1914, he wanted to send a message to a friend 30 miles away in Springfield, but was unable to reach him. From this, the idea struck Maxim to create an organized relay system for radio amateurs. A few days later, Maxim attended a meeting of his local radio club and suggested the creation of an American Radio Relay League. The club agreed and the American Radio Relay League was formed on April 6, 1914. In the coming months, they sent out applications to every amateur radio station they knew of, and by that September, they established a network of more than 230 stations.