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All animal species have perfected a system of communication, but humans are the only species

capable of spoken language. Effective communication is essential for a variety of reasons. It serves to
inform, motivate, establish authority and control, and allows for emotive expression. For humans in
particular, communication is also vital for creating a sense of social cohesion. Just as mankind has
evolved over the centuries, our means of communication have followed suit. What began as primitive
cave paintings and signed language has morphed into an endless variety of ways to express oneself
to other humans.
Early Communication Methods
Communication has existed in various forms since man appeared on Earth. The methods, however,
consisted of a disorganized set of signs that could have different meanings to each human using
them. It wasnt until three million years after mans debut, around the year 30,000 B.C.E, that
communication began to take on an intentional, manufactured format. The most well-known form of
primitive communication is cave paintings. The artistic endeavors were created by a species of man
that appeared around 130,000 B.C.E, the homo sapiens. The method involved creating pigments
made from the juice of fruits and berries, colored minerals, or animal blood. These pigments were
then used to create depictions of primitive life on the cave walls. The purpose of the paintings has
been questioned by scholars for years, but the most popular theory states that the depictions were
used as a manual for instructing others what animals were safe to eat.
Other forms of early communication existed, although they were less popular for a variety of
reasons. Story telling was used to pass on important information in the days before the existence of
the written word. However, since man still lived in separate tribes, this information could not be
applied outside ones own tribal community. Drums and smoke signals were also used by primitive
man, but were not the most practical means of communicating. Both methods could attract unwanted
attention from enemy tribes and predatory animals. These methods were also difficult to standardize.

How Languages Came to Be: A discussion of the advent of human language, and

the various ways in which it evolved over the years.


Primitive Art: A website describing early forms of cave painting and theories on

why they came to exist.


Early Handwritten Documents/BooksThose with the proper education to do so were
handwriting books and documents for well over 1,000 years before the invention of the printing
press. The word manuscript is derived from the Latin term libri manu scripti which translates to
book written by hand. Most handwritten manuscripts were written on vellum as paper was not widely
available. The majority of books and documents written were of a religious nature. This was due to
the fact that writing a religious piece was viewed as a form of worship, and also that most books were
written by monks in monasteries. Literacy rates were incredibly low during the time of handwritten

books, and few citizens had time for pleasure reading. Only the monks and the very wealthy were
given the opportunity to become literate. Two important periods stand out when one is investigating
early books. The time between the 7th and 13th centuries was considered the age of the religious
manuscript. The 13th century, however, brought about exciting change in the realm of the written
word. For the first time, secular books were produced for the sake of spreading knowledge not relating
to religion. The catalyst for this change was the rise of universities in Italy, and the return of the
crusaders from Byzantium. The Renaissance had begun.
Important Periods in the History of Books: A description of the periods in history

that had a direct impact on the evolution of books.


Handwritten Books: A website with important handwritten book information.

Printing Press In 1448, a man named Johann Gutenberg revolutionized the way books were
made forever. An inventor born in Germany, Gutenberg had a vision of a device that would utilized
movable type using blocks with pre-printed text. This method, combined with the use of paper, ink and
a printing press allowed for books to be mass-produced, and greatly reduced the price. Gutenberg
made his first device by adapting a wine press to remove the water from paper after
printing. Gutenbergs initial project with his new invention was a reprint of a Latin speech
book. When this was a success, he embarked on his most famous printing project- the printing of the
Gutenberg bibles. His were the first bibles printed in Europe. Gutenbergs invention took awhile to
catch on as the bourgeoisie of the day still wanted to keep the peasants uneducated.
Johann Gutenberg: An authority of biographical information about Johann

Gutenberg.
Early Modern Printing: Technical, engineering information about the first printing

press.
Letter Writing and the Postman Letter writing has been a means of communication for
centuries. However, it was an inefficient means of communicating as one had to wait until another
person was traveling before their letter could be sent. In addition, there was no guarantee when, or if,
the letter would ever reach its destination. Given that most people never traveled more than 50 miles
from the place of their birth until fairly recently, the need for an organized postal system was not a top
priority for any country. As with all things, a project will not be funded if it is not deemed
necessary. Enter the United States circa 1775. Ours was a nation with a rapidly expanding
population and territory. The first United States Post Office was created in 1775, and Benjamin
Franklin was named the first Postmaster General. The system caught on quickly and rapidly
expanded. By 1828, the United States had 7,800 post offices which made it the largest postal system
in the world. Mail was transported primarily by train, which ran on a schedule and was efficient and
reliable. Letter writing also gained popularity as more Americans moved out west and wanted to keep
in touch with loved ones back east.
Smithsonian Post Bibliography: The Smithsonians history of the United States
colonial postal system.

Colonial Era Communication: A site with general information on communication

during the colonial period, including the heated Stamp Act which contributed to the
Revolutionary War.
Telegraph Evolution of all things, communication included, involves the desire to perform tasks
more quickly and efficiently. This desire was realized with the invention of the telegraph. The logistics
of telegraphic communication involve the sending of electrostatically-generated signals through a
wire. The system involves three main components- a battery to supply the electricity, a key used to
complete or break the circuit, and an electromagnet at the receiving end which consists of a wire that
pulls on a piece of metal when electricity passes through it. Attributing the invention to a specific
person is a subject of hot debate. In America, the telegraph is attributed to Samuel F.B. Morse, but his
1837 version was far from original. An Englishman by the name of William Watson had devised a way
to send messages via telegraph in 1747.
The revolution of the telegraph allowed for instant communication across long distances, something
that had previously been unheard of. The technology was particularly useful during wartime to
transmit pertinent information, and the first telegraph stations were set up along railroads as the
necessary poles were already erected. The telegraph was also popular among the Victorian
set. Those of the upper class used the telegraph for personal communications, but those of lower
economic status were excluded from the technology due to the cost involved in sending a telegraph.
The Victorian Internet: A description of how the telegraph was used for personal

communication during the Victorian era.


How Telegraphs Work: A technical breakdown of how the telegraph operates.

Telephone
Today we take the ability to use a telephone for granted, but in 1876, Alexander Bell was busy
realizing a dream that he hoped would once again revolutionize communication. Like all inventors,
Bell was perpetually curious and always on the lookout for empirical evidence of the new and
interesting. Bell observed that sound vibrations could be transmitted through the air, and received at
the same pitch in another room. Bell wanted to transfer sound and pitch across a wire, and
ascertained that this would be possible by reproducing sound waves in a continuous, undulating
current. Once proving this theory, Bell realized the same concept could be applied to human speech
as it is composed of many complex sound vibrations. A few trial and errors later, and the modern
telephone was born. Given our reliance on telephones today, it is surprising to know that Bells
invention was initially quite unpopular. The telephone did not generate nearly as much excitement as
the telegraph had a few decades earlier. This may have been due to the fact that Americans love
novelty, and Bells concept was not entirely new. The telegraph had cornered the long-distance
contact market. The lack of popularity may also be attributed to the cost of telephone service. Most
original telephone service subscribers were corporations as a year of service cost $72. Residential
service cost a family approximately $60 per year. In the 1800s, this was a substantial sum of money
to be spent on an unnecessary device.
Bells Telephone: Biographical information on Alexander Bell and his original
concept for the first telephone.

How Telephones Work: A technical analysis of how a telephone operates.

Radio
During the early 1900s, a new form of communication and entertainment took the world by
storm. What began as short-wave communication used during WWI blossomed into the hottest
communication technology of the era once the war had ended. Amateur broadcasting began around
1914, commercial broadcasting didnt hit the air waves until 1920. Radio was unregulated until 1925
when the Federal Communications Commission stepped in. At this point, approximately 2 million
homes had radios and there were several hundred stations broadcasting thousands of programs. The
technology advanced so fast that new radios were obsolete withing 3-6 months.
Radios were incredibly popular during the late 1920s and early 1930s due to the Great Depression
and also the flapper movement. The American people loved to dance, and most other forms of
entertainment were too expensive. The technology really took off in 1933 when Edwin Armstrong, the
father of FM radio, invented frequency-modulated radio. By the 1940s, the number of radios in
American homes had doubled, and 800,000 FM receivers were produced in 1947.
The Economic History of the Radio Industry: An explanation of the growth of the

radio from an economic viewpoint. Its relevancy lies in the radios connection to
the Great Depression.
History of the American Radio: An informative bibliographic website which details

the development of the radio from its inception in 1891 when Edison patented
wireless telegraph communication to the popularity of the radio in the early
1900s.
Photography
A picture is worth 1,000 words, or so the saying goes. Unlike other forms of communication
photography is a more subjective form of art. A picture can be interpreted a million different ways by a
million different individuals, whereas other forms of communication tend to be intent on conveying one
message. Most people love to be photographed and mans vain desire to depict himself has been
apparent since the discovery of the first cave paintings. Capturing an image of the self guarantees a
place a in history for that individual. They are sure to be remembered even after they have passed
away. The first attempts at photography began in the early 1800s but had poor results. The discovery
of using reverse colors, what we today call a negative, greatly advanced the art of photography.
The process of how a photo was taken and developed remained largely unchanged for 150 years until
digital technology caught up. These days a piece of equipment that was once used only by
professional photographers is accessible to everyone. There are several varieties of cameras to
choose from at any electronics stores, and even cell phones have cameras! Regardless of how much
the technology of communication continues to advance over the years, the photo will always hold a
special place in history as the pioneer of capturing the human image for eternity.
Art History Resources on the Web: An exhaustive list of links to all things are on
the internet, including a vast section on prints and photography.

The Effect of Computers on Photography: A students opinion on how modern

advancements in communication technology have impacted the craft of


photography.
Television
Television made its official debut at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair. It was seen as an amusing, but
unnecessary, appliance and the radio continued to be the favored form of communication. Radios
popularity sky rocketed at the start of WWII as televisions were not yet equipped to provide accurate
and timely news. All that began to change in the late1940s. Four million TV sets were produced that
year, but a 10-inch screen set cost over $200 making it an unattainable luxury for many families. As
the years passed, prices for televisions dropped and now the majority of homes have at least one
television. It is safe to theorize that few forms have communication have had as large an impact on
society as television. What was once a luxury item, is now an essential. Ours is a global society
obsessed with television. Humans are reliant on their televisions for constant entertainment. Even the
news, which was once taken very seriously, has been turned into cheap entertainment by many
networks. The repercussions of this reliance on television may not be realized for many years, but
they will eventually surface.
Brief History of the Television History: Information on the progression of television

in America.
Television & Health: A scientific look at the effects of watching too much television.

Cell Phone
It may be hard to believe but the first cell phone research began in 1843 when Michael Faraday
conducted research to see if space could conduct electricity. Fast forward to1973, and Dr. Martin
Cooper is credited with inventing the first portable handset. Four years later, cell phones go public. In
the 37 years the cellular phone industry has existed, the market has grown from $3 million annually to
an industry that commands $30 billion annually. The customer base has also expanded from an initial
trial population of 2000 to more than 60 million cellular phone owners in the United States.
Who uses cell phones? Everyone! Cell phones can be found everywhere in modern
America. Landlines are slowly becoming obsolete as everyone from senior citizens to elementary
school students acquire their own cell phones. The convenience of having a phone at the ready is a
concept that is very easy to market, but the fact that higher stress rates have been linked to this
phenomenon of constant contact is a commercial you wont be seeing anytime soon.
History of Cellular Phones: A timeline of cellular phone usage and a technical

explanation of cellular phone technology.


Health Risks of Cell Phones: A report from the Idaho government which documents

the numerous health risks associated with cell phone usage.


Internet The original Internet was invented in 1967 for military purposes. An Internet in its most
basic form is simply a group of computers able to connect to each other and share information. This
included electronic mail (email) and the use of sites containing vital information (websites). Once the
Internet started to catch on it was used primarily by corporations for collaboration purposes. Today
the Internet is available everywhere and to everyone. It is used for a variety of reasons including

socializing, conducting research, and advertising. It has even surpassed the television as a source of
communication because you can receive any information you want instantaneously. One click of a
button and a website will load with whatever information you have requested.
Internet Timeline: A website with information about the Internet from its primary

conception to what we know and use today.


Changing the Way We Communicate: A site with a variety of links on the different

ways to communicate and research on the Internet.


Social Media and Blogging Social media defined is a special class of websites designed to
meet three specific criteria. These criteria include-the majority of the content on the site is user
generated, there is a high level of interaction between social media website users, and the websites
are easily integrated with other websites. One of the most popular social media platforms is
blogging. A weblog or blog was first developed in 1997. A blog makes it possible for any person with
Internet access to create a type of website without having to be familiar with any form of HTML coding
that is generally necessary to create a website. Blogs are replacing journals as a form of self
expression for many young people today. Social media and blogging have had a significant impact
on personal and professional relationships. Reputations have been made and destroyed with a few
keystrokes. Yet, having a web presence is vital in todays society and economy. Does your company
want to market a product to young adults? You can find them on the Internet. Do you want to increase
your popularity, and see and be seen? Create a social media site devoted exclusively to yourself. The
social lives of many young people today revolve around social media and blogging, and this isnt
necessarily healthy. You lose a sense of reality when all of your communication is conducted
electronically.
7 Things You Should Know About Blogs: An informative site about general blogging.
Social Networks and Depression: A site which shows a possible link between usage
of social networks and incidence of depression.
Communication is necessary for the survival of the human race, but have we taken it too far? Love it
or hate it, communication technology is here to stay and will only continue to expand in the future.
http://www.creativedisplaysnow.com/articles/history-of-communication-from-cave-drawings-to-theweb/

A Short Chronology of Communication


COMMUNICATION HISTORY -- A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY

Early Oral, Visual Communication


100,000 BC
(Speculated) beginning of oral communication
45,000
Earliest artifacts of visual communication (Neanderthal plaque,

30,000
35,00014,000
8,000

mammoth tooth, Hungary)


Mammoth ivory house--earliest animal carving
Cave paintings by Cro-Magnun Man (southern France and Spain), later
simplified and evolved into pictographs
Earliest token system coincides with beginnings of agricultural
economy in Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia)

Emergence of Written Communication


3,000Bronze Age begins (hard metal tools using alloys)
2,800BC
Advent of pictographs, phonogram systems; decline of token systems
Sumerians use clay tablets, later introduce cuneiform
Egyptians introduce papyrus, later use parchment,
1,000
Phoenicians developed simplified alphabet
800
Greeks created 23-symbol alphabet, basis for Roman alphabet
400
Golden Age of Greece: introduction of modern ideas of visual
design; public debate flourishes with democratic rule; Plato,
Aristotle theorize about logic, argumentation, rhetoric and
poetics.
200 AD
Romans adapt Greek alphabet.
400Fall of Rome, beginning of Dark Ages. Use of text limited mostly
1200 AD
to monks working as copyists in monasteries .
Advent of Printing
1000
Movable clay type invented in China
1234
Movable metal type invented in Korea
1200s
Scribe guilds, commercial copyist shops sprout up around newly
formed European universities
1300s
Use of paper in Europe expands (Invented by Chinese in 105 AD,
brought by Moors to Spain, spread to Italy, later to Germany)
1446
Gutenberg invents printing with movable type; Gutenberg Bibles
1470s
First press in England; William Caxton prints earliest ad flyer.
Political Responses
1529
King Henry VIII outlawed imported publications in England,
one of many authoritarian rulers to control press.
Stationers Company later established to issue printing licenses.
1598
King James I extolled idea of divine right of kings
1644
John Milton launched libertarian thinking, called for free
expression of ideas as means to discover truth in Aeropagitica.
1770s
Thomas Paine and others published pamphlets calling for American
Independence, value of free expression and free press
1789
U.S. and French constitutions adopted, including provisions
guaranteeing freedom of expression.
Early Newspapers
1480
French create first general mail system (1624 Denmark, 1625 England)
1485
First newspaper (claimed by Hungary); various other efforts.
1500s
House of Fuggers circulated letters among correspondents
1600-20
First sustained production of newspapers in Europe
1620
First English-language newspaper: The Courant.... (Amsterdam)
1640s
Newspapers flourish in England, after century of strict control
Books and Book Publishing
1900BC
Earliest known "book," Book of the Living Dead (Egyptian papyrus)
540BC
Earliest library established in Athens
868AD
Chinese perfect a block printing system for books (Diamond Sutra)
Block books precedes printing with movable type (until 1480)
1446
Gutenberg prints 42-line Bible in Mainz, Germany
1457
First book with title page printed in Mainz (Psalmorum codex). Idea
attributed to Peter Schoffer
1460
Woodcuts used for book illustration beginning with Albrecht Pfister
1461
First popular books printed in German vernacular in Bamburg by
Albrecht Pfister (Ulrich Boner's Edelstein and Johann von Tepl's

1466
1470
1500
1747
1935

Ackermann aus Bohmen)


First German language Bible (first Italian in 1471)
Translation begins of Greek, Arab science classics
End of early period in printing history (referred to as incunabula)
Idea of numbering pages began by Foulis Press in Scotland
Modern paperback began (Allan Lane of Penguin Books)

Early American Print Media


1539
First printing press brought to New World (Mexico City)
1640
First U.S. printing press set up at Cambridge (Harvard); first book
printed in U.S.: Bay Psalm Book.
1690
Colonial press period begins. First U.S. newspaper: Publick
Occurrences, Boston. Followed by Boston News Letter in 1704.
1731
Benjamin Franklin started the first subscription library in U.S.
1741
Benjamin Franklin becomes one of first two American magazine
publishers
1765
American publishers oppose British Stamp Tax
1791
Bill of Rights (First Amendment) added to U.S. Constitution of 1789;
partisan press period begins
1820
Most major cities had newspaper: 22 dailies, 66 semi-weeklies, 422
weeklies in U.S.
1831
Emergence of penny press; Benjamin Day begins New York Sun
1846
Rotary (cylinder) press invented in the U.S.
1886
Ottmar Mergenthaler perfects linotype automatic typesetting machine
1890s
Advent of yellow press (Joseph Pulitzer at New York World, William
Randolph Hearst at New York Journal)
1896
Adolph Ochs purchased New York Times, focused on serious news.
Telegraphy ("writing over distance")
1838
Samuel F. B. Morse invented technology, petitioned Congress for
appropriation to build experimental line
1844
Morse linked Baltimore and Washington: "What hath God brought?"
1846
Associated Press wire service organized
1848
Trading began on Chicago Commodity Exchange as wire reached city
1855
Telegraph reached California, seven years before railroad.
1883
Four time zones established in U.S., facilitating communications.
Photography ("writing with light")
400 B.C. Early light principles observed by Aristotle
1727
Scientists discovered silver nitrate turns dark if exposed to light
1839
Early tintype photos invented by Louis Daguerre (daguerreotype)
Negative system allowing multiple prints invented by William Talbot
1851
Glass plate negatives using wet collodion process method invented
1854
Roger Fenton became first notable news photographer (Crimean War)
1862-65
Matthew Brady chronicled U.S. Civil War, sold prints in galleries
1873
Professor Frederick Ives (Cornell U.) perfects halftone process to
print photos in publications, after years of various experiments
1880
New York Daily Graphic published first regular newspaper photos
1888
George Eastman invented roll film, popularized snapshot camera
1898
Photos pivotal in Spanish-American War coverage by yellow press
1928
New York Daily News front cover depicted execution of Ruth Snyder
1936
Life began publication, representing zenith of photojournalism
1937
Crash of Hindenberg dramatized value of news photographs

Advertising
1200
1476
1660s

Routine use of modern signs, names on artisans' shops


William Caxton, early English printer, used printed flier to
promote book--earliest example of English-language printed ad
Term "advertisement" generally adopted to describe commercial
information in newspapers

1704
1842
1869
1900

First U.S. newspaper carried advertising (Boston News-Letter)


Volney Palmer established early media buying service
First U.S. ad agency: N.W. Ayer & Son (Wayland Ayer)
Consumer culture well established, evidenced by exhibits at
Paris World's Fair
John E. Kennedy terms "Advertising is salemanship in print,"
Albert Lasker of Lord & Thomas agency promotes "reason-why" copy
First radio advertising; WEAF in New York (toll broadcasting)
First commercial TV advertising
First use of TV commercials in presidential elections
Jim Vicary coins term subliminal advertising
Trend toward agency consolidation, integrated marketing
communication (IMC)

1905
1922
1946
1952
1957
1990s
Publicity/PR
1800 BC
1622 AD
1748
1788-89
1820s
1840s
1882
1902
1906
1917-18
1927
1941-45
Telephony
1876
1877
1880
1893
1934
1949
1962
1984

Sumerian bulletins told farmers how to improve crop yields


Pope Gregory XV established College of Propaganda
First news release (Kings College, later Columbia)
The Federalist Papers advocated creation of U.S. government.
Amos Kendall served as first presidential press secretary, a
member of Andrew Jackson's Kitchen cabinet.
P.T. Barnum pioneered press agentry for the circus
William Vanderbilt responded to media with his famous quote about
public reaction to changes by railroad: "The public be damned."
First publicity agency created in U.S.
Ivy Lee set up second publicity agency, issued Declaration of
Principles based on helping media and telling the truth
U.S. Committee on Public Information pioneered use of PR by
government to support war effort, bond sales
'Torches of Freedom' Easter Parade altered public opinion about
women smoking in public.
U.S. Office of War Information provided PR support for WWII.

("sound over distance")


Alexander Graham Bell beat out Elisha Gray for first patent
Bell System launched; decided to lease, not sell, equipment
First exchange (switchboard) in New Haven, Connecticut
Telefon Hirondo (Budapest) experimented with telephone programming
Federal Communications Act brought telephony under federal regulation to serve "public interest, convenience and necessity"
Rural Electrification Act subsidized loans to extend service
First communication satellite (Telstar)
Breakup of Bell System into seven operating "Baby Bells"

Phonography ("writing with sound")


1877
Thomas Edison credited with first voice recording (phonograph)
1887
Emile Berliner's system allowed duplication (gramophone)
1890s
American music popularized by John Phillip Sousa (marches), Scott
Joplin (ragtime) via recordings
1906
Lee DeForest's vacuum tube allowed amplifying voices
1920s
Joseph Maxwell invented microphone
1940s
Battle of the speeds: 78s, 33-l/3 LPs (Columbia), 45 EPs (RCA)
1951
DJ Alan Freed launched rock 'n' roll craze.
1978
Digital recording began
1983
Compact discs introduced
Motion Pictures
1824
Peter Roget recognized importance of persistence of images
1889
Thomas Edison and William Dickson invented first motion picture
camera (kinetograph) and viewer (kinetoscope)
1894
Auguste and Louis Lumiere adapted camera built by Robert Paul (from
Edison's design) to create cinemagraphe (basis for term cinema)
1895
Lumieres exhibited first motion pictures in Paris, adapted from

1896
1902-3
1915
1922
1927
1930
1935
1941
1946
1950s
1954
1977
Radio
1864
1887
1888
1901
1906
1912
1919
1920
1922
1926
1927
1934
1938
1943
1950s
1981
Television
1923
1927
1930
1939
1941
1946
1948
1949
1953
1962
1966
1967
1975
1981
1985
1994

Emile Reynaud's earlier Theatre Optique; opened first movie theater


Edison acquired projection system from inventors, promotes it as the
vitascope; first American theater opened in New York.
Early motion picture classics produced by George Melies ("A Trip to
the Moon") and by Edwin S. Porter ("The Great Train Robbery")
D.W. Griffith directed "The Birth of a Nation," followed next year
by "Intolerance," -- acknowledged as the father of modern movies.
Fox Movietone News experimented with sound (phonofilm: sound on
film; perfected later by Lee DeForest)
First sound motion picture ("The Jazz Singer" used vitaphone
technology with separate phonograph recording)
Sound pictures became accepted standard;
Kodachrome process popularized color films
Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" considered best artistic film
Peak of movie attendance -- 90 million Americans attend weekly
Movies responded to advent of television
Movies began second runs on television
Video cassette sales, rentals began
Sir James Clerk Maxwell hypothesized about electromagnetic waves
Henrich Hertz demonstrated, calibrated waves in laboratory
Guglielmo Marconi created wireless telegraphy
Marconi sent first wireless signal across Atlantic
Reginald Fessenden conducted first experimental voice broadcast
Sinking of Titanic heightened public awareness of "radio"
Following use by military in World War I, consumer radio launched
in U.S. with creation of Radio Corporation of America
First station began operation, KDKA in Pittsburgh
First radio advertising, WEAF in New York
Radio consortium dissolved; National Broadcasting Company
formed; AT&T focused on distribution of network broadcasts.
CBS formed; William S. Paley took over control in 1928.
Radio Act of 1927 created commission to oversee U.S. broadcasting
Federal Communications Commission Act passed
Orson Welles' famous "War of the Worlds" broadcast
ABC formed after divestiture of the NBC Blue network
Gordon McClendon spearheaded station conversions to formats
Deregulation removed many restrictions on broadcasters
Vladmir Zworykin invents iconoscope
Philo T. Farnsworth obtained first television patent
RCA, Westinghouse and GE pooled research efforts to develop
commercial TV system under Westinghouse physicist Vladmir Zworykin
Commercial television unveiled to public at New York World's Fair
FCC established commercial TV standards; about 10 experimental
stations operated during World War II
Commercial broadcasting began; first network linked New York,
Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by coaxial cable.
Four-year freeze in license began (lifted in 1952 when FCC opened
up UHF to provide extra capacity)
Community Antenna Television (CATV) began--predecessor to cable
FCC picked RCA system as the standard for color transmission
All TV sets required to have VHF (2-13) and UHF (14-82) channels
Major networks begin all-color programming; FCC adopted standards
for cable operations.
Public Broadcasting System established by U.S. Congress
Satellite broadcasts to cable systems began; 1/2-inch betamax
and VHS recording systems introduced by Sony, JVC
First home camcorders invented as successors to 8mm home movies
Fox Network began limited operations
Direct broadcast satellite service began to homes in U.S.

Broadcast News
1912
Sinking of Titanic heightened public awareness of "radio"
1916
Lee DeForest pioneered news reports of early presidential
elections
1920
KDKA reported results of Harding-Cox election; WWJ in
Detroit later began regular news broadcasts
1933
Associated Press began separate radio news service
1932-44
FDR capitalized on power of radio in famous "Fireside Chats"
1938
First network radio broadcasts on CBS, NBC
1947
First newscast: "Camel News Caravan" with John Cameron Swayze
1963
Network news broadcasts expanded to half-hour;JFK's assassination
brought drama direct to home TV sets.
1968-72
Vietnam War and protests dramatized power televised news coverage,
aided by advent of videotape and satellite transmission
1974
Televised Watergate hearings led to resignation of Richard Nixon
1980
Cable News Network began 24-hour TV operations

Computer-Mediated Communications
1642
Blaise Pascal invented first mechanical calculator
1833
Charles Babbage credited with inventing computer
1868
Christopher Sholes invented first typewriter; patented by
Eliphant Remington in 1874
1880s
Herman Hollerith invented punch card system used in 1890 census.
His firm, founded in 1911, became predecessor to IBM.
1939
John V. Atasnoff and Clifford Berry invented first digital,
binary machine demonstrating principles later used in computers
1946
John von Neumann wrote influential paper outlining components of
basic computers known today
1951
UNIVAC became first commercial computer (invention of John
Mauchley and J. Presper Eckert at Remington-Rand); IBM Model
650 introduced two years later
1948
Transistors invented at Bell Labs, later used in amplifiers in
1953, radios in 1954)
1958
Computer circuit boards created by Jack Kirby (Texas Instruments)
1960s
Minicomputers introduced
1962
First computerized game (William Higginbotham, Brookhaven Lab)
1969
U.S. Defense Department computer network created--model for
Internet (ARAPANET: Advanced Research Project Agency Network)
1975
Personal computers introduced by Edward Roberts (Altair), IBM
1984
Apple Macintosh combined earlier mouse and windows technologies
with graphic capability, simplified operations for consumers.
1990s
Multimedia capabilities provided sound, video in PCs.
1992
National Research and Education Network (NREN) approved by
Congress to upgrade Internet.

Return to Hallahan Course Resources


Updated July 1996
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hallahan/hchron.htm

Timeline of communication technology

Prior to 3500BC - Communication was carried out through paintings of indigenous tribes.

3500s BC - The Sumerians develop cuneiform writing and the Egyptians develop hieroglyphic writing.

16th century BC - The Phoenicians develop an alphabet.

AD 26-37 - Roman Emperor Tiberius rules the empire from island of Capri by signaling messages with metal
mirrors to reflect the sun.

105 - Tsai Lun invents paper.

7th century - Hindu-Malayan empires write legal documents on copper plate scrolls, and write other
documents on more perishable media.

751 - Paper is introduced to the Muslim world after the Battle of Talas.

1305 - The Chinese develop wooden block movable type printing.

1450 - Johannes Gutenberg finishes a printing press with metal movable type.

1520 - Ships on Ferdinand Magellan's voyage signal to each other by firing cannon and raising flags.

1792 - Claude Chappe establishes the first long-distance semaphore telegraph line.

1831 - Joseph Henry proposes and builds an electric telegraph.

1835 - Samuel Morse develops the Morse code.

1843 - Samuel Morse builds the first long distance electric telegraph line.

1844 - Charles Fenerty produces paper from a wood pulp, eliminating rag paper which was in limited supply.

1849 - Associated Press organizes Nova Scotia pony express to carry latest European news for New York
newspapers.

1876 - Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas A. Watson exhibit an electric telephone in Boston.

1877 - Thomas Edison patents the phonograph.

1889 - Almon Strowger patents the direct dial telephone.

1901 - Guglielmo Marconi transmits radio signals from Cornwall to Newfoundland.

1920 - Radio station KDKA based in Pittsburgh began the first broadcast.

1925 - John Logie Baird transmits the first television signal.

1942 - Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil invent frequency hopping spread spectrum communication
technique.

1947 - Douglas H. Ring and W. Rae Young of Bell Labs propose a cell-based approach which led to "cellular
phones."

1947 - Full-scale commercial television is first broadcast.

1949 - Claude Elwood Shannon, the "father of information theory", mathematically proves the Nyquist
Shannon sampling theorem.

1958 - Chester Carlson presents the first photocopier suitable for office use.

1963 - First geosynchronous communications satellite is launched, 17 years after Arthur C. Clarke's article.

1966 - Charles Kao realizes that silica-based optical waveguides offer a practical way to transmit light
via total internal reflection.

1969 - The first hosts of ARPANET, Internet's ancestor, are connected.

1971 - Erna Schneider Hoover invent a computerized switching system for telephone traffic.

1976 - The personal computer (PC) market is born.

1977 - Donald Knuth begins work on TeX.

1989 - Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau build the prototype system which became the World Wide
Web atCERN.

1991 - Anders Olsson transmits solitary waves through an optical fiber with a data rate of 32 billion bits per
second.

1992 - Neil Papworth sends the first SMS (or text message).

1992 - Internet2 organization is created.

1994 - Internet radio broadcasting is born.

1999 - 45% of Australians have a mobile phone.

1999 - Sirius satellite radio is introduced.

2001 - First digital cinema transmission by satellite in Europe of a feature film by Bernard Pauchon and
Philippe Binant.

2003 - Apple launches the iTunes Music Store and sells one million songs in its first week. [1]

2003 - MySpace is launched.

2004 - What would become the largest social networking site in the world, Facebook is launched.

2005 - YouTube, the video sharing site is launched.

2006 - Twitter, microblogging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_communication_technology

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