This is a list of television-related events that occurred prior to 1925.

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Global television events Year Event 1873 Willoughby Smith discovers the photoconductivity of the element selenium. This results in the invention of the photoelectric cell. 1877 George R. Carey of Boston creates a selenium telectroscope—a camera that could project a moving image to a distant point. The telectroscope is the first television prototype. 1880 Proposals to transmit images by rapidly scanning them in succession are made independently by William E. Sawyer of the United States and Maurice Leblanc of France. 1884 Paul Nipkow invents the Nipkow disk, a means of scanning an image mechanically. This method is later used for mechanical television experiments. 1890 Henry Sutton Telephane 1885 (mechanical television) designs published. 1895 Noah S. Amstutz demonstrates the transmission of photographic halftone images by electric telegraphy.U.S. Patent No. 577,373, Method of Reproducing Photographs, filed 1895, issued 1897. 1897 Karl Ferdinand Braun invents the cathode-ray tube, using it as an oscilloscope. 1900 The word "television" is coined by Constantin Perskyi on August 18 at the First International Electricity Congress in Paris. 1907 Boris Rosing transmits silhouette images of geometric shapes, using a Nipkow disc, mirror-drum and a cathode-ray tube receiver. 1908 In his letter to Nature, Alan Campbell-Swinton describes the modern electronic camera and display system which others are to develop throughout the 1920s. 1921 Charles Francis Jenkins with a group of friends incorporates Jenkins Laboratories in Washington, D.C., with the purpose of "developing radio movies to be broadcast for entertainment in the home". 1922 Charles Jenkins' first public demonstration of television principles. A set of static photographic pictures is transmitted from Washington, D.C., to the Navy station NOF in Anacostia by telephone wire, and then wirelessly back to Washington. 1922 Philo Farnsworth first describes an image dissector tube, which uses caesium to produce images electronically, but will not produce a working model until 1927. 1923 Charles Jenkins first demonstrates "true" television with moving images. This time 48-line moving silhouette images are transmitted at 16 frames per second from Washington to Anacostia Navy station. 1923 Vladimir Zworykin applies for patent for an all-electronic television system, the first ancestor of the electric scanning television camera. The patent is not granted until 1938 after significant revisions and patent interference actions. 1924 John Logie Baird demonstrates a semi-mechanical television system with the transmission of moving silhouette images in England. 1924 Vladimir Zworykin files a patent application for the kinescope, a television picture receiver tube.

Births

Births (before 1900) Date Name Notability September 4, 1855 Henry Sutton Australian designer of mechanical scanning television (died 1912) August 22, 1867 Charles Francis Jenkins American inventor and promoter of mechanical scanning television (died 1934) April 23, 1869 Boris Rosing Russian pioneer of television technology (died 1933) November 22, 1874 Elizabeth Patterson American actress (I Love Lucy) (died 1966) July 21, 1882 Dr. Herbert Ives American television researcher, leader of the AT&T television research during the 1920s–1930s (died 1953) February 8, 1884 Burt Mustin American actor (All in the Family) (died 1977) November 9, 1886 Ed Wynn American actor and comedian (The Ed Wynn Show) (died 1966) January 16, 1887 John Hamilton American actor (Adventures of Superman) (died 1958) February 26, 1887 William Frawley American actor (I Love Lucy, My Three Sons) (died 1966) August 14, 1888 John Logie Baird British pioneer of television technology (d. 1946) January 7, 1889 H. R. Baukhage American journalist and broadcaster (d. 1976) July 20, 1889 John Reith, 1st Baron Reith First Director-General of the BBC (d. 1971) July 30, 1889 Vladimir Zworykin American pioneer of television technology (died 1982) August 28, 1891 Stanley Andrews American actor (Death Valley Days) (died 1969) January 26, 1892 Zara Cully American actress (The Jeffersons) (died 1978) February 14, 1894 Jack Benny American actor (The Jack Benny Program) (died 1974) March 6, 1894 Clifford Roberts American dealer (died 1977) August 21, 1895 Blossom Rock American actress (The Addams Family) (died 1978) January 7, 1896 Arnold Ridley British actor and playwright (Dad's Army) (died 1984) November 4, 1896 Ian Wolfe Actor (died 1992) May 25, 1898 Bennett Cerf American publisher and game show panelist (What's My Line?) (died 1971) August 30, 1898 Shirley Booth American actress (Hazel) (died 1992) September 1, 1898 Violet Carson British actress and radio performer (Coronation Street) (died 1983)

Births (1900–1909) Date Name Notability October 4, 1900 Robert Shayne American actor (Adventures of Superman) (died 1992) November 13, 1900 Worthington Miner American actor (died 1982) December 6, 1900 Agnes Moorehead American actress (Bewitched) (died 1974) March 27, 1901 Carl Barks American animator (creator of Scrooge McDuck) (died 2000) July 1, 1901 Irna Phillips American writer (creator of early soap opera) (died 1973) July 14, 1901 George Tobias American actor (Bewitched) (died 1980) September 28, 1901 Ed Sullivan American television host (The Ed Sullivan Show) (died 1974) William S. Paley American businessman (died 1990) December 5, 1901 Walt Disney American animator (died 1966) March 17, 1902 Bobby Jones American golfer (died 1971) April 27, 1902 Harry Stockwell American actor (died 1984) October 10, 1902 Charles Lloyd-Pack English actor (died 1983) October 17, 1902 Irene Ryan American actress (The Beverly Hillbillies) (died 1973) December 14, 1902 Frances Bavier American actress (Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show) (died 1989) December 25, 1902 Barton MacLane American actor (I Dream of Jeannie) (died 1969) May 29, 1903 Bob Hope British-American movie, television, radio and vaudeville actor, writer and producer (Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre) (died 2003) September 17, 1903 Dolores Costello American actress (died 1979) March 1, 1904 Paul Hartman American dancer and actor (The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D.) (died 1973) June 17, 1904 Ralph Bellamy American stage, movie and television actor (Man Against Crime) (died 1991) July 5, 1904 Don Goddard Radio and television announcer (died 1994) January 26, 1905 Charles Lane American actor (Petticoat Junction) (died 2007) January 27, 1905 Howard McNear American actor (Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show) (died 1969) May 16, 1905 Henry Fonda American actor (died 1982) September 18, 1905 Eddie Anderson American actor (The Jack Benny Program) (died 1977) October 4, 1905 Leslie Mitchell British announcer (died 1985) February 6, 1906 John Carradine American actor (died 1988) February 20, 1906 Gale Gordon American actor (The Lucy Show) (died 1995) March 29, 1906 Anthony W. Marshall American television producer (died 1999) April 4, 1906 Bea Benaderet American actress (The Flintstones) (died 1968) John Cameron Swayze American anchorman (Camel News Caravan) (died 1995) April 22, 1906 Eddie Albert American actor (Green Acres, Switch) (died 2005) August 19, 1906 Philo Farnsworth American inventor credited with the invention of the cathode-ray tube television (died 1971) December 25, 1906 Lew Grade Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario (died 1998) January 6, 1907 Helen Kleeb American actress (The Waltons) (died 2003) February 12, 1907 Joseph Kearns American actor (Dennis the Menace) (died 1962) February 26, 1907 Dub Taylor American actor (died 1994) March 16, 1907 Frances Fuller American actress (died 1980) May 22, 1907 Cecil McGivern British broadcasting executive; controller of BBC Television from 1950 to 1957 (died 1963) August 7, 1907 Joe Besser American actor (died 1988) August 20, 1907 Alan Reed American actor (voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones) (died 1977) September 29, 1907 Gene Autry American music performer (The Gene Autry Show), and founder of the Los Angeles Angels MLB franchise (died 1998) October 20, 1907 Arlene Francis American actress and game show panelist (What's My Line?) (died 2001) January 8, 1908 William Hartnell British actor; the original Doctor Who in the 1960s (died 1975) January 30, 1908 Richard Hearne British comic performer ("Mr Pastry") (died 1979) February 13, 1908 Pauline Frederick American journalist (died 1990) February 14, 1908 Lennie Hayton American composer (died 1971) February 28, 1908 Billie Bird American radio, film, television and vaudeville actress (Dear John) (died 2002) April 2, 1908 Buddy Ebsen American actor (The Beverly Hillbillies) (died 2003) April 30, 1908 Eve Arden American actress (Our Miss Brooks) (died 1990) May 10, 1908 Neva Carr Glyn Actress (died 1975) June 18, 1908 Bud Collyer American radio actor and announcer and game show host (died 1969) July 12, 1908 Milton Berle American actor (Texaco Star Theater) (died 2002) July 31, 1908 Bill Shadel American news anchor (died 2005) August 27, 1908 Lyndon B. Johnson American president (died 1973) October 6, 1908 Carole Lombard American actress (died 1942) December 14, 1908 Morey Amsterdam American actor (The Dick Van Dyke Show) (died 1996) December 21, 1908 Pat Weaver American broadcasting executive (died 2002) February 2, 1909 Frank Albertson American actor (died 1964) February 16, 1909 Hugh Beaumont American actor (Leave it to Beaver) (died 1982) March 18, 1909 Henry Longhurst Golf writer (died 1978) May 1, 1909 Elmer Balaban American theater owner and early cable television provider (died 2001) May 13, 1909 Mae Laborde American actress (died 2012) July 26, 1909 Vivian Vance American actress (I Love Lucy) (died 1979) November 11, 1909 Paul Shannon Pittsburgh radio and television announcer (died 1990)

Births (1910–1919)