when was tv invented

February 13, 2026

Television as we know it emerged in the 1920s, with key milestones in 1925 and 1927.

Quick Scoop: When Was TV Invented?

If you’re asking “when was TV invented,” the most useful answer is that it wasn’t a single moment, but a short, intense period of breakthroughs in the 1920s.

In 1925 , Scottish inventor John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of a mechanical television , showing moving images using a spinning disc system.

On March 25, 1925 , Baird publicly displayed moving visuals on a screen, often cited as the first proper TV demo.

On September 7, 1927 , American inventor Philo T. Farnsworth successfully demonstrated the first fully electronic television system, transmitting a simple straight line between devices in his San Francisco lab.

On September 3, 1928 , Farnsworth held a public demonstration, broadcasting images through the air for reporters—this helped cement electronic TV as the future.

So, a concise answer many historians use is:

TV was “invented” in the mid‑1920s.
1925 is often given for the first working mechanical TV (Baird).

1927 is often given for the first successful electronic TV (Farnsworth).

Mini Timeline of Early TV

1890s–1910s : Early experiments with cathode ray tubes and image transmission set the stage for television but are more like precursors than true TV sets.

1922 : Charles Jenkins transmits a still picture across radio waves, an early step toward TV.

1925 : John Logie Baird demonstrates moving images via mechanical TV in London, including the first live human face.

1927 : Philo Farnsworth demonstrates the first fully electronic television system in San Francisco.

Late 1920s : Public demos and early broadcasts begin, but TV is still experimental and rare.

Why There’s No Single “Birthday”

Historians debate “who really invented TV” because different people solved different parts of the problem: mechanical scanning, electronic scanning, picture tubes, transmission, and reception.

Mechanical TV (Baird and others) came first, using spinning discs and lights to build a crude picture.

Electronic TV (Farnsworth and others) replaced moving parts with electronic scanning and cathode ray tubes, which is the direct ancestor of modern TV.

A simple way to remember it:

Mechanical TV wowed crowds in 1925 ;
Electronic TV changed the game in 1927.

TL;DR:

First working mechanical TV: John Logie Baird, 1925.

First working electronic TV: Philo T. Farnsworth, 1927.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.