Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Madison. Madison Wonders, “Who created the first televison” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Madison!

The topic of today’s Wonder of the Day is very important to many modern people. Without it, there would be no Saturday morning cartoons. Family movie nights would look much different. So would video games and streaming services. What are we talking about? The TV, of course!

It may be difficult to imagine a world without televisions. However, there was a time before they existed. That’s what got us WONDERing—who invented the first TV?

The answer to that question depends on how you define “television.” In 1922, Charles Jenkins sent a still image over radio waves for the first time. Three years later, John Baird sent the first live transmission. He gave the first public demonstration of his creation, which he called a televisor, in 1926.

However, many people credit Philo Farnsworth with the invention of the TV. He filed a patent for the first completely electronic TV set in 1927 He called it the Image Dissector. Another inventor, Vladimir Zworykin, built an improved system two years later. 

As TVs continued to develop, their popularity took off. Sales skyrocketed, especially in the early 1950s. Of course, more important improvements were to come. The first practical remote control hit the shelves in 1956. Color TV sets increased in popularity during the 1970s. Today, we have smart TVs that can connect to the Internet to stream all kinds of entertainment.

Yes, TV has come a long way since the early 20th century. And it has played an important part in many major world events. Millions tuned in for the first televised U.S. presidential debate in 1960. Even more watched the first lunar landing on TV in 1969. Today, people around the world still use TV as a major source for news.

Of course, television also ushered in a whole new era of entertainment. Without TV, we wouldn’t have sitcoms or reality shows. We wouldn’t play video games or watch cartoons the same way. There seems to be no end to the impact of TV!

Today, many people around the world use TVs to stream their favorite movies and shows. They connect to the Internet and watch entertainment provided by services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. What’s next? With technology advancing at such a fast pace, it’s hard to predict!

Do you have any favorite shows to watch on TV? Do you ever tune in for the news? Maybe you use a television to play games with friends. With so many uses for this popular device, it’s unlikely to go away any time soon!

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.2, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

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