History of Television

Who is credited with inventing the television?

What technique did Eadweard Muybridge develop that served as a precursor to television?

Who created the first mechanical TV transmitter?

In what year did John Logie Baird start commercial broadcasting in Britain?

Which technology did Edwin Armstrong develop, in addition to his work on television?

In what year did a series of regular TV programs begin in London, only to be cancelled due to World War II?

Which city's experimental station began televising regular programs in September 1941?

Approximately how many TV sets were there in the world by the end of the 1940s?

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a form that television evolved into throughout the 20th century?

Brief History of Television

Television (TV) is an electronic device used for transmitting moving images and sound from one place to another. It was invented nearly 95 years ago by Philo Farnsworth. However, its history dates back even further. In 1879, Eadweard Muybridge developed a system using multiple cameras to capture images of a horse. This precursor of television helped to understand motion and form the basis of moving pictures.

The first mechanical TV transmitter was created in 1926 by John Logie Baird, who had developed a system of television transmission by the mid-1920s. He started commercial broadcasting in Britain on 3 January 1930. By May 1932, he demonstrated color TV. In the United States, Edwin Armstrong has been credited with developing the frequency modulation (FM) radio technology and also did work on television, including color TV.

In 1936, a series of regular TV programs began in London, but they were cancelled in August 1939 after the outbreak of World War II. After the war, the BBC resumed their TV service on 7 June 1946. Meanwhile, NBC's experimental station W2XBS began televising regular programs in New York City in September 1941.

By the end of the 1940s, there were more than 2,000 TV sets in the world. Television continued to develop rapidly throughout the 20th century, evolving into different forms such as cable, satellite, and internet streaming services. Today, it serves as a primary source of entertainment, news, and information across the globe.

Learn about the invention and evolution of television, from its early beginnings with Philo Farnsworth and Eadweard Muybridge to the development of color TV by John Logie Baird and Edwin Armstrong. Explore the impact of World War II on television programming and the growth of TV sets worldwide by the end of the 1940s.