The Evolution of Television

The Television has become a common feature of most houses over the years and is commonly regarded as a staple technology. However, recent thinking speculates as to the continued longevity of the TV in the face of increasingly sophisticated new communication technologies such as tablets, smartphones and laptops which pose a very real threat to the success of TVs. It would be difficult to deny, however, that the Television's rise to prominence was anything less than remarkable; a pioneer of the today's race for technological innovation. This timeline recognises the trail blazing of the TV and traces its growth from its inception to the emergence of colour TV in the 1940s.

1862-01-01 10:25:02

The Pantelegraph

Abbe Giovanna Caselli becomes the first person to transmit a still image over wires via a device called the Pantelegraph (Chauviere, n.d.)

1873-05-01 08:53:30

May and Smith experiment

Scientists May and Smith experiment with selenium and light, revealing the possibility for the transmission of images into electronic signals. (Chauviere, n.d.)

1876-05-01 07:59:11

The Selenium Camera Designed and Invented

George Carey designs a model for a selenium camera "capable of transmitting telegraphically an image of any object and making a permanent impression at a distant point" (n.a 1877).

1880-03-01 00:06:04

The Photophone

Alexander Graham Bell creates a device which facilitates the transmission of sound via light (Barra Foundation & UNISYS, n.d.)

1900-03-01 00:56:44

The Term "Television" Coined

Konstantin Perskiy coins the term "Television" in Paris on IV International Electrotechnical Congress (Makhrovskiy, 2010).

1906-03-01 05:02:29

De Forest's Audion

Lee De Forest creates the Audion tube which amplified signals (ScienCentre Inc. & American Institute of Physics, 1999)

1906-04-01 05:02:29

Rosing's Mechanical TV System

Boris Rosing combines Paul Nipkow's rotating disks and the cathode ray tube developed by himself and A.A Campbell-Swinton to create the first working mechanincal Television System (Chauviere, n.d.)

1924-02-29 05:43:27

Jenkins and Baird

American Charles Jenkins demonstrates the transmission of moving silhouette images while Scotsman Ian Baird accomplishes the same feat,

1926-01-23 14:15:37

Baird Demonstrates His TV Apparatus

John Barid demonstrates, to the scientific community, the transmission of images through the Televisor device as proved with the images of humans displayed on screen (BBC, n.d.)

1926-01-23 14:15:37

Baird Continues to Develop the Televison

John Baird continues to develop the Television, creating this model and achieving each of these feats by the end of 1928: a) Early system of colour Television b) Demonstration of Infrared Television c) Began experimenting with the recording of images to discs (BBC, n.d.)

1928-03-03 14:15:37

Baird transmits images under the sea

Baird transmits the first Television images under the sea from Britain to America (BBC, n.d.)

1929-03-01 14:20:51

The BBC

After working with Baird, the BBC begins regular transmissions for Television (BBC, n.d.)

1929-03-01 14:20:51

Jenkins Boradcasts

America's Charles Jenkins broadcasts the first TV commercial

1929-03-01 14:20:51

Vladimir Zworykin

Zworykin demonstrates an electronic television system (Ecyclopaedia Brtiannica, n.d.)

1930-03-03 14:20:51

Isaac Schoeberg

Isaac Schoeberg, leading a team of EMI engineers, continues to develop their own television by 1930 (Encyclopaedia Brtiannica, n.d.)

1931-09-26 15:11:07

Farnsworth Introduces Electronic System

At the Franklin Institute, Philo Taylor Farnsworth demonstrates the first fully electronic TV system (The Franklin Institute, n.d.)

1936-09-02 15:11:07

Hitler Broadcasts the 1936 German Olympics Live

The German government uses the new medium of TV to broadcast the Olympic Games in an act of propoganda

1937-05-01 23:50:27

CBS emerges

The US TV Network CBS is in its infancy

1937-07-01 15:11:07

BBC Television Formally Opens and Broadcasts in HD

Marconi-EMI systems are used to Broadcast, in High Definition, the BBC's official opening, with their regularly scheduled programming and HD picture making them the first TV service of its kind in the world (BBC, n.d.)