T.V. History
1831 ~ Michael Faraday and Joseph Henry experimented with electromagnetism, which
started it all.
1844 ~ Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated the telegraph.
1862 ~ Abbe Giovanni Caselli sent an image over a long distance
1873 ~ May and Smith, experiment with selenium and light as a way of transforming
images into electrical signals.
1875 ~ Thomson transmits wireless signals.
1876 ~ Bell invents the telephone.
1880 ~ Georg Carey builds a crude system using tiny light-sensitive selenium cells.
1889 ~ Eastman's film and Edison's camera together produced the first motion picture.
1896 ~ Kodak makes the first motion picture film designed for projection.
1897 ~ Karl Ferdinand Braun invents the first televison tube
1904 ~ Fleming invented the Vacuum tube diode which was a big part of early TVs.
1905 ~ Nipkow disc demonstrated.
1906 ~ Lee Deforest develops the "Audion", a vacuum tube capable of amplifying
signals, and thus crucial to the electronic revolution.
-Also this year, Boris Rosing of Russia develops a system combining cathode ray with a
Nipkow disc, creating the world's first working television system.
1907:-Boris Rosing in Russia and A.A.Campbell-Swinton in England simultaneously
develop image reproduction methods using electronic scanning.
1908:-A.A.Campbell-Swinton, a electrical engineer, publishes proposals about an allelectronic television system that uses a cathode-ray tube for both receiver and camera.
1909:-Herrold makes first successful radio broadcast at San Jose, CA.
1910:-First federal communication law, the Wireless Ship Act, enacted.
1912:-DeForest and Armstrong independently discover regeneration.
-Sarnoff intercepts first distress message from the doomed ship Titanic.
1913:-Edison uses first diamond stylus in Amberola phonograph.
1915:-First practical radio telephone communications system constructed by Bell Labs.
1918:-Armstrong invents the superheterodyne receiver.
1919:-Hoxie develops a means of recording sound on motion picture film.
-The Radio Corporation of America is founded.
1921:-Aeriola designs the first affordable home radio.
1922:-Armstrong invents super-regeneration system.
-Farnsworth investigates electronic picture transmission.
1923:-Vladimir Zworykin patents the "Iconoscope", an electronic camera tube. By the
end of 1923 he has also produced a picture display tube, the "Kinescope".
1924:-John Logie Baird is the first to transmit a moving silhouette image, using a
mechanical system besed on Paul Nipkow's model.
1925:-John Logie Baird obtains the first actual television picture, and Vladimir Zworykin
takes out the first patent for colour television, although electronic colour systems are
not fully developed until 25 years later.
-Rice and Kellogg develop first practical loudspeaker.
1926:-John Logie Baird gives the first successful public demonstration of mechanical
television at his laboratory in London.Alexanderson develops scanning disc TV system.
1927:-Farnsworth transmits first electronic TV picture; applies for patent in electronic
television.
-Bell Telephone Laboratories demonstrates wireless TV between Washington D.C. and
New York in the world's first televised speech and long-distance television transmission.
1928:-Ferderal Radio Commission established.
-Pfleumer patents magnetic tape.
-John Logie Baird transmits images of London to New York via shortwave.
-Sound added to motion pictures; the "talkies" are born.
1929:-Zworykin demonstrates all-electronic TV system.
-In London, John Logie Baird opens the world's first television studio, but is still able to
produce only crude and jerky images. However, because Baird's television picture carry
so little visual information, it is possible to broadcast them from ordinarymedium-wave
radio transmitters.
1930:-The BBC begins regular television transmission.
-Farnsworth receivers patent for Image Dissector pickup device.
1931:-AEG engineers begin wwork on Magnetophone recorder.
-Blattnerphone steel band recorder used by the BBC.
1932:-Langmuir conducts research on the physics of gaseous discharges improving the
vacuum tube.
-NBC begins experimental telecasts.
-Schröter describes method for recording pictures on magnetic tape.
1933:-Armstrong demonstrates FM transmission.
1934:-Mutual Broadcasting System founded.
-Orthicon camera tube developed.
1935:-Armstrong begins 50kWexperimental FM station at Alpine.
-First TV broadcasts in Germany and England.
-AEG-Telefunken produces the Magnetophone table recorder.
-Germany opens the world's first three-day-a-week filmed television service.
-France begins broadcasting its first regular transmissions from the top of the Eiffel
Tower.
1936:-There are about 2000 television sets in use around the world.
-The BBC attar’s the world's first public high-definition electronic television services in
London.
1937: CBS announces TV development program.
1938: Marzocci files patent application for rotary head audio recorder.
1939:-The principles of ac bias recording developed.
-TV demonstrations held at World's Fair in New York and Golden Gate International
Exhibition in San Francisco.
-Roosevelt becomes first U.S. president to give a speech on television.
-DuMont company begins producing television sets for consumers.
-First baseball game is send over television.
-First television sets offered for sale.
1940:-Dr.Peter Goldmark introduces a 343-lone color television system for the daily
transmission, which uses a disc of three filters (red, green, blue).
1941:-Magnetophone goes into regular service on German radio stations.
1943:-Nobel buys NBC Blue Network and forms the American Broadcasting Company.
1944:-The digital computer is conceived.
1945:-Orr and Mullin bring German magnetic tape technology back from Europe.
-Clarke suggests geosynchronous satellites for communications.
1946:-The first television broadcast via coaxial cable is transmitted from New York to
Washington D.C.
-Mullin demonstrates German Magnetophone at San Francisco.
-DuMont Network founded.
-Zoomar introduces first professional zoom lens.
-ToKyo Tushin Kogyo founded; name changed to Sony in 1955.
1947:-First Hollywood film production for TV, The Public Prosecutor.
-This year the development of the transistor is demonstrated at Bell Labs.
1948:-The television audience increases by 4000 percent and to the fact that one
million homes in the U.S. now have a television set.
1949:-Liberty Broadcasting System founded.
1950:-Mullin begins work on video recorder for Crosby Enterprises.
-Tricolor kinescope developed.
-Vidicon developed.
-Cable TV begins in the U.S. and warnings begin to be issued the impact of violence
programming on children.
1951:-The first color television transmission begin in the U.S.
1952:-Ampex VTR team reproduces barely recognizable picture from tape.
-Theater television reaches its peak with the broadcast of the Walcott/Marciano fight.
1953:-Wireless microphone demonstrated.
-Color TV broadcasting begins.
-Toshiba begins work on helical scan video recorder.
-The first private television stations begin operation in Sudbury and London.
1954:-Magazines now routinely offer the homemaker tips on arranging living-room
furniture for optimal television-viewing pleasure.
1956:-Computer hard disk introduced.
-Black-and-white portable TV era begins.
-Ampex Corporation demonstrates videotape recording.
1957:-Laser developed.
-The Soviet Union launches the world's first Earth satellite Sputnik.
1958:-Ampex demonstrates color VTR.
1959:-Broadcast Engineering magazine founded.
-Audio cartridge system introduce at NAB by Collins Radio.
-Broadcast Electronics introduces Sportmaster cart machine.
1960:-The Nixon-Kennedy debates are televised karking the first network use of split
screen. Kennedy performs better on television than Nixon, and it is believed that
television helps Kennedy to win the election.
-Ninety percent of American homes now have their own television sets, and America
becomes the world's first "television society".
-There are now about 100million television sets in operation worldwide.
-Echo I and II passive reflector satellites launched.
-Toshiba prposes a videotape recorder using a helical scanning process.
1961:-First live televised presidential news conference (Kennedy).
-Ampex SloMo Disc developed.
1962:-Philips introduces audio cassette tape player.
-Telestar communications satellite provides first international relay of TV pictures.
-Legislation passed i U.S. creating Comsat.
-Ninety percent of American households have a television set, 13 percent have more
then one.
1963:-Tv transmitter remote control authorized by FCC.
-TV used on a U.S mannes space flight, the Mercury 9.
-96 percent of all American television sets are on for an average 31 hours out of 72 .
1964:-First TV program automatic system installed.
-TV camera placed on board from Ranger 7 a explorer to the moon.
1965:-"Early Bird," is the first international communications satellite, lunched. (Intelsat I)
-The Vietnam War becomes the first war which is televised.
1967:-Solid stste imaging technology demonstrated.
-Intelsat II satellite launched.
-The FCC orders that cigarette ads on television, on radio and in print carry have the
warning about the health danger of smoking.
1968:-CBS uses a portable minicam for political convention coverage.
-The world television ownerships near 200 million, with 78 million in the U.S..
1969:-On July 20,1969 the first television transmission from the moon is viewed by 600
million viewers arround the world when Neil Armstrong walks in the moon.
1971:-U Format is introduced by Sony.
-Cinema Products CP-16 news film camera is introduced.
-India hhas now a single television station in New Delhi. But you are just able to reach it
till 20 mieles outside the city.
-South Africa has no television at all.
1972:-Teletext experiments begin in the United Kingdom.
-First prerecorder videocassette tapes offered to the consumers.
-BBC develops "sound-in-sync", a digital encording system for audio-video combining.
-The Munich Olympics are broadcast live. Over 450 million viwerrs worldwide. It was
also sent when the Israeli athletes are kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists.
-The American Intelsat system is launched this year, it is now becoming a network and
controlling body for the world's communications satellite system.
1973:-Giant-screen projection color TVs marketed.
-Ninety-six countries are now having regular television service.
1974:-First microprocessor used in broadcast equipment.
1975:-A study indicates that the average of American child during this decade wikk
have spent 10,800hours in school by the time till being 18, but will have seen an
average of 20,000 hours of television. Studies also estimate that by the time till being
75 the average American male will have spent nine entire years of his life watching
television; the average British male will have spent eight years watching.
1976:-The Olympics, broadcast from Montreal, draw an estimated by 1 billion viewers
worldwide.
1977:-South Africa see television the first time on May 10.
1978:-Ninety-eight percentof American households have television sets, up from nine
percent in 1950. Seventy-eight percent have colour television.
1979:-Mutual Radio Network and National Public Radio begin operation by satellite.
-There are now 300 million television sets in operation worldwide.
1980:-In the U.S. and Germany laws and policies are enacted to preserve a person's
right to television in the event of financial setback.
1981:-First space shuttle launched.
-Digital video sampling frequency selected as 13.5MHz for worldwide use.
-ZDF, Rohde & Schwarz and Siemens introduce multiple audio channel television in
Berlin.
-TEAC develops optical laser write/read disc system.
1982:-Surround Sound is introduced for home use by Dolby.
1983:-Digital TV receiver shown by ITT-Intermetall in Germany.
-Ku-Band satelitte transmission for broadcast tested by NAB and during space shuttle
launch.
-First long-distance inter-city digiatl TV transmission sent via fiber optic cable.
1984:-FCC eliminates programming guidelines ascertainment, commercial rules and
program logging requiements for commercial TV stations.
1985:-Panasonic introduces M-II format at NAB convention.
-Harris signs licensing agreement with rival Motorola on AM stereo transmission
standard.
1986:-Sony introduces DVR-1000 digital videotape recorder based on CCIR 601
standard.
-Ampex showa ACR-225 prototype composite digital carridge VTR.
-Ampex, Thomson and Bosch sign manufacturing and marketing agreements with Sony
to produce Betacam products.
-Ampex submits its composite digital format to SMPTE for standardization.
-Scrambling of satellite-fed cable TV programming starts; sale of decorders and
program subscriptions to home dish owners begins.
-Stero-sound in television broadcasting available in all major U.S. population centers.
1987:-Super-channel DBS service begins in the U.K.
-Abekas introduces the A-64 digital disk CCIR 601 recorder.
-Dolby introduces SR noise reduction system.
-Super VHS introduced.
1988:-Ampex and Sony introduce D-2 dgital composite tape machines.
-Harris introduces DX-25 digital solid state AM transmitter.
-Philips laboratories demonstrates its HDTV system designed for satellite transmission.
1990:-Legislation requiring close captioning decoders in all larger clor TVs
manufactured after July 1, 1993 signed into law.
-All-digital high-definition television (HDTV) system proposed; FCC sets testing
schedule.
1991:-First TVs with bulit-in closed-caption display capability introduced in U.S..
-U.S. testing of HDTV systems begins.
1993:-A TV Guide poll finds that one in four Americans would not give up their
television set eveb for a million dollars.
1995:-First television program delivered via the Internet.
-Interactive cable modem trials with consumers started.
1996:-Zenith introduces the U.S. market's first HDTV-compatible front projection TV.
-Agreement between broadcasters, TV manufacturers, and PC makers sets interindustry standard for figural HDTV.
-There is over a billion television sets in operation around the world.