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 MethodsCommunication
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
homosapiens.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
librimanuscripti 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 7thand 13thcenturies was considered the age of the
religious manuscript.The 13thcentury, 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
PressIn 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
withpre-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 PostmanLetter 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.TelegraphEvolution 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 ofelectrostatically-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.TelephoneToday 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.RadioDuring 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.PhotographyA 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 theinternet, 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.TelevisionTelevision 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 onthe progression of television
in America. Television & Health: A scientific look at the
effects of watching too much television.Cell PhoneIt 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.InternetThe
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
BloggingSocial 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-the-web/
A Short Chronology of Communication
COMMUNICATION HISTORY -- A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY
Early Oral, Visual Communication100,000 BC (Speculated)
beginning of oral communication 45,000 Earliest artifacts of visual
communication (Neanderthal plaque, mammoth tooth, Hungary) 30,000
Mammoth ivory house--earliest animal carving 35,000- Cave paintings
by Cro-Magnun Man (southern France and Spain), later 14,000
simplified and evolved into pictographs 8,000 Earliest token system
coincides with beginnings of agricultural economy in Fertile
Crescent (Mesopotamia) Emergence of Written Communication 3,000-
Bronze 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. 400- Fall
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
Ackermann aus Bohmen) 1466 First German language Bible (first
Italian in 1471) 1470 Translation begins of Greek, Arab science
classics 1500 End of early period in printing history (referred to
as incunabula) 1747 Idea of numbering pages began by Foulis Press
in Scotland 1935 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 Routine use of modern signs, names on artisans'
shops 1476 William Caxton, early English printer, used printed
flier to promote book--earliest example of English-language printed
ad 1660s Term "advertisement" generally adopted to describe
commercial information in newspapers 1704 First U.S. newspaper
carried advertising (Boston News-Letter) 1842 Volney Palmer
established early media buying service 1869 First U.S. ad agency:
N.W. Ayer & Son (Wayland Ayer) 1900 Consumer culture well
established, evidenced by exhibits at Paris World's Fair 1905 John
E. Kennedy terms "Advertising is salemanship in print," Albert
Lasker of Lord & Thomas agency promotes "reason-why" copy 1922
First radio advertising; WEAF in New York (toll broadcasting) 1946
First commercial TV advertising 1952 First use of TV commercials in
presidential elections 1957 Jim Vicary coins term subliminal
advertising 1990s Trend toward agency consolidation, integrated
marketing communication (IMC)
Publicity/PR 1800 BC Sumerian bulletins told farmers how to
improve crop yields 1622 AD Pope Gregory XV established College of
Propaganda 1748 First news release (Kings College, later Columbia)
1788-89 The Federalist Papers advocated creation of U.S.
government. 1820s Amos Kendall served as first presidential press
secretary, a member of Andrew Jackson's Kitchen cabinet. 1840s P.T.
Barnum pioneered press agentry for the circus 1882 William
Vanderbilt responded to media with his famous quote about public
reaction to changes by railroad: "The public be damned." 1902 First
publicity agency created in U.S. 1906 Ivy Lee set up second
publicity agency, issued Declaration of Principles based on helping
media and telling the truth 1917-18 U.S. Committee on Public
Information pioneered use of PR by government to support war
effort, bond sales 1927 'Torches of Freedom' Easter Parade altered
public opinion about women smoking in public. 1941-45 U.S. Office
of War Information provided PR support for WWII. Telephony ("sound
over distance") 1876 Alexander Graham Bell beat out Elisha Gray for
first patent 1877 Bell System launched; decided to lease, not sell,
equipment 1880 First exchange (switchboard) in New Haven,
Connecticut 1893 Telefon Hirondo (Budapest) experimented with
telephone programming 1934 Federal Communications Act brought
telephony under federal regu- lation to serve "public interest,
convenience and necessity" 1949 Rural Electrification Act
subsidized loans to extend service 1962 First communication
satellite (Telstar) 1984 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 Emile Reynaud's earlier Theatre Optique; opened
first movie theater 1896 Edison acquired projection system from
inventors, promotes it as the vitascope; first American theater
opened in New York. 1902-3 Early motion picture classics produced
by George Melies ("A Trip to the Moon") and by Edwin S. Porter
("The Great Train Robbery") 1915 D.W. Griffith directed "The Birth
of a Nation," followed next year by "Intolerance," -- acknowledged
as the father of modern movies. 1922 Fox Movietone News
experimented with sound (phonofilm: sound on film; perfected later
by Lee DeForest) 1927 First sound motion picture ("The Jazz Singer"
used vitaphone technology with separate phonograph recording) 1930
Sound pictures became accepted standard; 1935 Kodachrome process
popularized color films 1941 Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane"
considered best artistic film 1946 Peak of movie attendance -- 90
million Americans attend weekly 1950s Movies responded to advent of
television 1954 Movies began second runs on television 1977 Video
cassette sales, rentals began
Radio 1864 Sir James Clerk Maxwell hypothesized about
electromagnetic waves 1887 Henrich Hertz demonstrated, calibrated
waves in laboratory 1888 Guglielmo Marconi created wireless
telegraphy 1901 Marconi sent first wireless signal across Atlantic
1906 Reginald Fessenden conducted first experimental voice
broadcast 1912 Sinking of Titanic heightened public awareness of
"radio" 1919 Following use by military in World War I, consumer
radio launched in U.S. with creation of Radio Corporation of
America 1920 First station began operation, KDKA in Pittsburgh 1922
First radio advertising, WEAF in New York 1926 Radio consortium
dissolved; National Broadcasting Company formed; AT&T focused
on distribution of network broadcasts. 1927 CBS formed; William S.
Paley took over control in 1928. Radio Act of 1927 created
commission to oversee U.S. broadcasting 1934 Federal Communications
Commission Act passed 1938 Orson Welles' famous "War of the Worlds"
broadcast 1943 ABC formed after divestiture of the NBC Blue network
1950s Gordon McClendon spearheaded station conversions to formats
1981 Deregulation removed many restrictions on broadcasters
Television 1923 Vladmir Zworykin invents iconoscope 1927 Philo
T. Farnsworth obtained first television patent 1930 RCA,
Westinghouse and GE pooled research efforts to develop commercial
TV system under Westinghouse physicist Vladmir Zworykin 1939
Commercial television unveiled to public at New York World's Fair
1941 FCC established commercial TV standards; about 10 experimental
stations operated during World War II 1946 Commercial broadcasting
began; first network linked New York, Philadelphia and Washington,
D.C. by coaxial cable. 1948 Four-year freeze in license began
(lifted in 1952 when FCC opened up UHF to provide extra capacity)
1949 Community Antenna Television (CATV) began--predecessor to
cable 1953 FCC picked RCA system as the standard for color
transmission 1962 All TV sets required to have VHF (2-13) and UHF
(14-82) channels 1966 Major networks begin all-color programming;
FCC adopted standards for cable operations. 1967 Public
Broadcasting System established by U.S. Congress 1975 Satellite
broadcasts to cable systems began; 1/2-inch betamax and VHS
recording systems introduced by Sony, JVC 1981 First home
camcorders invented as successors to 8mm home movies 1985 Fox
Network began limited operations 1994 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 toHallahan Course ResourcesUpdated July
1996http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hallahan/hchron.htm
Timelineofcommunicationtechnology Prior to 3500BC -
Communication was carried out through paintings of indigenous
tribes. 3500s BC- TheSumeriansdevelopcuneiformwriting and
theEgyptiansdevelophieroglyphicwriting. 16th century BC -
ThePhoeniciansdevelop analphabet. AD 26-37 - Roman
EmperorTiberiusrules the empire from island ofCapriby signaling
messages with metal mirrors to reflect the sun. 105 -Tsai
Luninventspaper. 7th century -Hindu-Malayan empireswrite legal
documents oncopperplatescrolls, and write other documents on more
perishable media. 751 - Paper is introduced to theMuslim worldafter
theBattle of Talas. 1305 - The Chinese develop wooden blockmovable
typeprinting. 1450 -Johannes Gutenbergfinishes aprinting presswith
metal movable type. 1520 - Ships onFerdinand Magellan's voyage
signal to each other by firing cannon and raising flags. 1792
-Claude Chappeestablishes the first long-distancesemaphore
telegraph line. 1831 -Joseph Henryproposes and builds an
electrictelegraph. 1835 -Samuel Morsedevelops theMorse code. 1843
-Samuel Morsebuilds the first long distance electric telegraph
line. 1844 -Charles Fenertyproduces paper from a wood pulp,
eliminating rag paper which was in limited supply. 1849 -Associated
PressorganizesNova Scotiapony expressto carry latest European news
for New York newspapers. 1876 -Alexander Graham BellandThomas A.
Watsonexhibit an electrictelephoneinBoston. 1877 -Thomas
Edisonpatents thephonograph. 1889 -Almon Strowgerpatents the direct
dial telephone. 1901 -Guglielmo Marconitransmitsradiosignals
fromCornwalltoNewfoundland. 1920 - Radio station KDKA based in
Pittsburgh began the first broadcast.
1925 -John Logie Bairdtransmits the firsttelevisionsignal. 1942
-Hedy LamarrandGeorge Antheilinventfrequency hoppingspread
spectrumcommunication technique. 1947 -Douglas H. Ringand W. Rae
Young ofBell Labspropose a cell-based approach which led to
"cellular phones." 1947 - Full-scale commercial television is first
broadcast. 1949 -Claude Elwood Shannon, the "father ofinformation
theory", mathematically proves theNyquistShannon sampling theorem.
1958 -Chester Carlsonpresents the firstphotocopiersuitable for
office use. 1963 - First geosynchronouscommunications satelliteis
launched, 17 years afterArthur C. Clarke's article. 1966 -Charles
Kaorealizes that silica-basedoptical waveguidesoffer a practical
way to transmit light viatotal internal reflection. 1969 - The
first hosts ofARPANET,Internet's ancestor, are connected. 1971
-Erna Schneider Hooverinvent a computerized switching system for
telephone traffic. 1976 - The personal computer (PC) market is
born. 1977 -Donald Knuthbegins work onTeX. 1989 -Tim
Berners-LeeandRobert Cailliaubuild the prototype system which
became theWorld Wide WebatCERN. 1991 -Anders Olssontransmits
solitary waves through an optical fiber with a data rate of 32
billion bits per second. 1992 -Neil Papworthsends the first SMS (or
text message). 1992 -Internet2organization 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 bysatellitein 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,
microblogginghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_communication_technology