Philo Farnsworth

Philo farnsworth

born in 1906, birthday on 19 August

Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. His most important invention was the image dissector (a television camera tube). Later in life he also invented a small nuclear fusion device, known as the fusor.

Despite their humble background, the Farnsworths’ house was one of the few houses in Utah that had electricity, something that made a big impression on Philo, who was 12 at the time.

As a teenager he automated a hand-powered washing machine by attaching an electric motor he had built himself. He also found a big pile of science and technology magazines in the attic of his new house. That is how he became fascinated by the photoelectric cell and the cathode ray tube. At the age of 15 he designed a system for sending images over distances (in other words, television) by combining the two systems. He showed a sketch of his “television” to his teacher, Justin Tolman. That later became the proof that he really was the inventor of television. Because he had to fight many court cases over it. He won that case and received 1 million dollars. A huge amount of money, especially in 1939!

And something very special: although he was the inventor of TV technology, Farnsworth appeared on a television programme only once!

Source: Wikipedia.nl

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