The History of Television

Over the course of history there have been many inventions that have changed our lives. Inventions such as electricity, the automobile and all of the advancements in medicine have made our world a better place. However, one of the most important inventions that has provided people with endless amounts of entertainment has been the television. Television has provided us with access to world-changing events such as the Moon Landing, Presidential Election coverage, the Watergate Hearings and numerous other events.

The television has had many people responsible for its creation. The earliest versions of very primitive television technology dates back to the late 1900's. However, the invention that was closest to our known version of a television was made by Philo T. Farnsworth in 1927 with an invention called the image dissector. This was the basis for future advancements made that would eventually be known as television.

With the invention of the television, broadcasters started to come up with ideas for programming to fill the needs of the new television viewers. In the early days of television, existing radio stars such as Jack Benny, Milton Berle and Burns & Allen brought there shows from radio to television. Eventually other programs such as The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, Mary Tyler Moore Show, MASH, Friends and The Simpsons have become part of our everyday life. And with the development and improvements in cable television, the amount of programming opportunities for people has increased dramatically.

Television Invention and Inventors

• Philo T Farnsworth - informative article about the inventor credited to be responsible for the television.
• Invention of the Television - historical article from the New York Times about the invention of the television.
• The Discovery of Television - useful information about other inventors who have contributed to the creation of the television.
• The Invention of the Television - helpful resource on how the invention of the television has revolutionized history.
• 1920's - 1960's Television - informative website outlining the key advancements in the development during the early years of television.

Early Television Pioneers

• Pioneers of Television - information on the early pioneers who were responsible for the development of the television.
• Early Television Highlights - helpful information showing key developments in the origins of the television.
• Early Television Foundation - historical website containing information and resources entirely focused on the early days of television.
• Early Television - compilation of information and resources with a timeline of the development of the television.
• Mechanical Television - images and information on the mechanical television which is the forerunner of the modern television.

Early Television Broadcasting (50's and 60's)

• Television Ratings in the 50's - information and listing of ratings of the most popular shows seen in the 1950's.
• Television from the 50's and 60's - nostalgic look at television programming from the early days of television broadcasting.
• Television Commercials - fun look at some of the earliest commercials seen on television in the 1950's and 1960's.
• Great Shows of 50's and 60's - useful and nostalgic source of information on great television shows from the early days of broadcast television.
• 1960's Classic TV Memories - informative look at the classic television shows, commercials and memories from the 1960's.

Historic Events on Television

• Television and Historic Events - information on how television changed the way people found out about historic events in the 1960's.
• Television News Archives - helpful resource containing an archive of television news programming dating back to 1968.
• Television in our Lives - informative article on how events of our lifetime have been brought to the world via television.
• Vietnam War and Television - article describing the effect of bringing the Vietnam War to our homes changed the way we viewed world events.
• Historic Events and Social Change - informative resource discussing how historic events as covered by television have prompted social change in our generation.

Television in the 70's and 80's

• Television Information - useful database containing information on television shows and performers from the 60's - 90's.
• Kids Shows of the 70's and 80's - informative website containing information, resources and video clips of classic kids television programming from the 1970's and 1980's.
• Welcome to the 70's - nostalgic look at the 1970's in a number of categories including popular television of the decade.
• Retro Cafe - helpful collection of information and resources from the 70's and 80's, highlighting popular television shows of the era.
• Old Television Shows - database of information, quizzes and more on old television shows spanning many decades.

Modern Television

• Kids and Modern Television - information and tips on how parents can properly use television to help teach their children.
• TV Violence and Children - article on the concerns of exposing children to too much violence on television
• Television in the 2000's - information about shows that appeared on the air in the 2000's.
• Television Information - informative database and resources on current television programming and issues.
• Episode Guides - searchable database on historical and current television shows.

Television has evolved greatly since the invention in the early 1900's. It has become a medium that has provided hours of entertainment and information to generations of TV viewers. Television has also provided viewers with access to news events both nationally and internationally. Television has proven to be one of the most important developments, and continues to inform, educate and entertain millions of people of all ages.

by Michael Costa