As television marks its 100th anniversary, a new retrospective charts the medium's evolution from a dangerous curiosity to a unifying global force. The list of 100 pivotal moments begins with John Logie Baird's first public demonstration on 26 January 1926, using a ventriloquist dummy named Stooky Bill because the lighting was too hot for a human.
Early milestones include the first drama broadcast in 1930, Luigi Pirandello's The Man With the Flower in His Mouth, and the launch of the world's first regular TV service by the BBC in 1936. The outbreak of the Second World War forced BBC Television to shut down in 1939, resuming in 1946 with the same Mickey Mouse cartoon that had been broadcast at the close.
The 1950s brought commercial television to the UK with ITV's launch in 1955, alongside the first TV advert (for Gibbs SR toothpaste) and the first televised interracial kiss, in a BBC production of Othello. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 drove a surge in TV licence ownership, more than doubling in two years.
Later decades saw landmark moments such as the first gay kiss on British TV, the moon landing, and controversies like Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl. The list also highlights the rise of reality TV, streaming services, and the role of television in uniting audiences during major events.
