Invention of Television

This invention was not invented by a single inventor. There were so many people working together. In 1831, Joseph Henry’s and Michael Faraday’s work with electromagnetism jumpstarts the era of electronic communication.

Abbe Giovanna Caselli was the first person to transmit a still image over wires. In 1877, George Carey was thinking first complete television systems.

In 1900, a world’s fair in Paris, the first International Congress of Electricity was held. That is where Russian Constantin Perskyi made the first known use of the word "television."

Soon after 1900, the momentum shifted from ideas and discussions to physical development of television systems. Two major paths in the development of a television system were pursued by inventors.

Inventors build electronic television by using cathode ray tube developed independently on 1907 by english inventor A.A. Campbell-Swinton and Russian scientist Boris Rosing.

Lee de Forest invents the Audion vacuum tube that proved essential to electronics in 1906. The Audion was the first tube with the ability to amplify signals. Boris Rosing combines Nipkow's disk and a cathode ray tube and builds the first working mechanical TV system.

American Charles Jenkins and John Baird from Scotland each demonstrate the mechanical transmissions of images over wire circuits in 1924-25.

John Baird becomes the first person to transmit moving silhouette images using a mechanical system based on Nipkow's disk. Charles Jenkin built his Radiovisor and 1931 and sold it as a kit for consumers to put together (see photo to right).

In 1926, John Baird operates a television system with 30 lines of resolution system running at 5 frames per second.

In 1927, Department of Commerce and Bell Telephone conduct the 1^st long distance use if television television that took place between Washington D.C. and New York City on April 9th. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover commented, “Today we have, in a sense, the transmission of sight for the first time in the world’s history. Human genius has now destroyed the impediment of distance in a new respect, and in a manner hitherto unknown.”

The first complete electronic television system which he called the Image Dissector. In 1928, the Federal Radio Commission issues the first television station license (W3XK) to Charles Jenkins.

The FCC approves the first color television in 1950, which is replaced by a second in 1953.