Mayday and SOS
Updated July 24, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
The Question:
Why is "mayday" used as a distress signal? What does "SOS" stand for?
The Answer:
According to our encyclopedia entry on SOS, "mayday" is used as a distress signal for aviators because it approximates the French term m'aider, meaning "come help me!" The term came into use between the years 1925-30.
“SOS“ was selected as a distress signal by the International Radiotelegraphic Convention at London in 1912. It is expressed in Morse code as ". . . - - - . . ." (three dots, three dashes, three dots), and was chosen not because it refers to any words, but because it is easy to transmit.
-The Editors
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