1. Who invented the TV?
Well, that question gets complicated. The TV wasn’t invented by a single person -- it wasn’t even really invented in the same year. Instead, the TV finally came about after a period of years and various inventors worked on the idea, before finally giving us what we know of today as the television.
You can track that early history over at ThoughtCo., which breaks down a nice timeline of the development of the idea and ultimate invention of the TV.
2. April 7, 1927
Does this date ring a bell? It’s OK if it doesn’t -- this isn’t something we’d expect most people to know off the top of their heads.
April 7, 1927 was the day when Bell Telephone and the U.S. Department of Commerce used long-distance television for the first time, transmitting between Washington D.C. and New York City. The first television station license followed just a year later.
3. Political Firsts
No matter which side of the aisle you are on, politics and the media have become tied at the hip. That wasn’t always the case, however -- it wasn’t until 1952 that the Republican and Democratic conventions were broadcast live from Philadelphia. In that instant, America became smaller and more connected than ever before.
4. A Growing Tide
When’s the last time you were in somebody’s house that didn’t have a TV? Today, some people might not even have a single room in their house that is TV-less! TVs really are everywhere these days, and it didn’t take that long for them to take over the living room. By 1956, TVs were in 70 percent of American homes, up from under two percent less than a decade earlier.
5. The Remoting of Control
We may have Siri and Alexa and other voice controlled methods for controlling TVs these days, but back in the day, people had to actually use -- gasp! -- remotes.
The first remote was the 1948 Tele Zoom, but it might be a stretch to actually call it a remote. It couldn’t turn the TV on or off, or change the channel. All it could do was help to zoom the TV picture.
My, how times have changed!
It’s hard to believe there was a time before screens ruled the world around us, but this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to television history. But, if your TV is starting to look more ancient than alien, it’s probably time for a replacement. Come on by and see what the future of TV looks like -- we know you’ll love it when you bring it home!