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Jan 1, 1454
First Unbound Bible
Johannes Gutenberg’s biggest accomplishment was his introduction of the mechanical movable type printing. In 1454, he completed copies of a Bible, which included 42 lines on each page! This was seen as a major success, for it was drastically cheaper, one-tenth of a manuscript Bible, and faster to produce text in this format that any other of that time. Michelle -
Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses
In response to the wide spread access of Bible's, Martin Luther stands up and points out the wrong doings of the Catholic Church by posting a notice on the church doors. The church was not using the teachings of the bible for good, and when people understood what he was saying, via printing press, he had begun the Protestant Revolution. Ivanna -
Jan 1, 1533
King Henry VIII splits with the Catholic Church
King Henry VIII established a a new Church of England in the midst of the Protestant Reformation. It was similar to Catholicism, but his action demonstrates that the church was no longer in charge of political decisions in England. Ivanna -
Jan 1, 1536
Execution of William Tyndale
William Tyndale was a British scholar who was executed in 1536 for printing a translated version of the bible from Hebrew and Greek to English without in being approved. Tyndale’s translation was later used to construct the King James Bible in 1611. Eli -
First Newspaper Printed
Johann Carolus published the first newspaper in 1605. The paper was German and published in Strasbourg. Its title translates to “Account of all distinguished and commemorable news.” Michelle -
Thomas Paine's "The Crisis"
Thomas Paine wrote a series of pamphlets in the American colonies from 1776-1783. His most famous work was “Common Sense” where he spoke about a break from Britain an independence for the colonies. “These are the times that try men’s souls” These works can be accredited for sparking the idea for rebellion and a campaign for freedom and independence. Eli -
Samuel Morse
Samuel Morse was an American inventor, his most notable contributions to media was his creation of a single-wire telegraph system, constructed off of the work built by European developers. Morse was also co-developer of the Morse code, a system that transmits messages with a series of on and off sound or light. With his great strides in the production of the telegraph, Samuel’s work was also able to help spread the commercial use of the telegraph within the United States.
-Michelle -
Semaphore Line
The semaphore telegraph, also referred to as an optical telegraph, was a system popular in the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century as a means to communicate over long distances. With visual signals created by pivoting shutters messages were able to be relayed from one place to another. Invented by Claude Chappe in 1792 in France, the semaphore was considered to be the precursor of the electrical telegraph, which would arrive fifty years later. -Michelle -
Steam Powered Printing Press
The steam powered printing press was developed by Friedrich Koenig and was originally was presented to "The Times" in London. This development lead to more efficiency, a faster turn around and less physical labor of workers. Now a six man crew could produce 1,100 double-sided pages in one hour. Ambria -
Joseph Nicephore Niepce takes first surving photograph
In Le Gras, France, the first surviving photograph is taken, La cour du domaine du gras. It took over 8 hours to produce the grainy image through an impractical and lengthy process. - Ivanna -
Karl Marx
Karl Marx, founder and editor of Rheinische Zeitung (later Neueu Rheinische Zeitung) was tried for incitement to rebellion. Marx convinced the jury to release him, arguing that law must change to reflect social change. Later in 1848, he co-authored the Communist Manifesto.
-Alyce -
Completion of Transcontinental Railroad
Upon the hammering of a golden spike in Utah, the coasts of the United States were forever connected. The completion of the transcontinental railroad allowed for growth in various markets including advertising, transportation, communication and many others. With the railroad finished communication and technology in the United States would never again be the same. Ambria -
Nipkow Disk
The Nipkow Disk, sometimes referred to as a scanning disk, is a rotating scanning device created by Paul Gottlieb Nipkow and patented in 1885. The device was made from various materials such as metal, plastic, and even cardboard. This device advanced the image sensors of the time with the small holes located all around the circular device. Later on, this disk played an important role in the development of mechanical television during the 1920s and 1930s. –Michelle -
Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope
Edison discovered a problem with filming. In the summer of 1899, he and a team of engineers came up with the idea of slightly halting the film in order to capture a better image. The Kinetoscope was first exhibited on May 20th, 1891, as well as being exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Edison's work on the Kinetoscope was able to lay ground work for the Lumiere brothers.
-Eli -
Around the World in Seventy-Two Days
Nelly Bly (also Nellie Bly) is famous for, among other achievements, traveling around the world in 72 days. Starting on November 14, 1889 and returning on January 25, 1890, Bly pushed past the objections that, as a woman, she would be too vulnerable, take too much with her, and not start soon enough.
-Alyce -
Ida B. Wells
Ida B.Wells was a female African-American editor and founder of the NAACP. In 1891, she fled to New York after her newspaper was burned due to her investigation of the lynching of three innocent men.
-Alyce -
Alice Guy-Blache
Alice Guy-Blache created The Cabbage Fairy, one of the first fictional films. She produce many other films, including Life of Christ in 1906. Along with her husband, she formed Solax studios.
-Alyce Horton -
Cathode-Ray Tube
Karl Ferdinand Braun created the first cathode-ray tube (CRT) in 1897. The tube, used to display images, included electron guns and a phosphorescent screen in order to successfully process the picture. This device would soon be considered an important part in the development of the electronic television in later years. -Michelle -
Kodak Brownie Camera
Kodak invented the popular and cheap Brownie camera. It’s easy to use snapshot feature made it a commercial success and its inexpensive cost to develop furthered the product even more.The camera itself was made using a cardboard box with a meniscus lens. -Michelle -
A Trip to the Moon
This French silent film tells the story of a group of astronomers who travel to the Moon. The film was a great success due to its production value, innovative special effects, and novel storytelling. It has become an icon of film during this time period and it continues to gain popularity now as one of the best and most influential science fiction films of all time. -Michelle -
Will Irwin and the Associated Press
During his analysis of the American press, Will Irwin discovered the near monopoly of the Associated Press. Irwin noted how the Associated Press blocked new newspapers. Irwin also applauded the efforts of magazines for their exposes.
-Alyce -
Sinking of the Titanic
The Titanic ship sank, and attached were the deaths of 1,514 people. The biggest problem that led to the crash into the iceberg were the problems with the radio and receiving the message that warned of the iceberg ahead. After this incident, the shipping industry worked hard to improve conditions so this would never happen again. -Ivanna -
Dorothea Lange's: "Migrant Mother"
Dorothea Laenge was a photographer during the Great Depression. During her time working for FSA in California, she came upon a woman who was a migrant worker who had a number of children. The woman told Lange that she had just sold the tires from her car so she could by food for the kids. Lange took the photos and was able to get aid to the mother and her children. This iconic photo was able to portray an idea of how good people became victims of a flawed system.
-Eli -
Life published their first pictorial mazagine
Life Magazine emphasized the use of photos over text and sold magazines with fifty pages of photos. The importance of photos was very evident as many photographic magazines also took off at this time. -Ivanna -
Birth of Television
On April 20, 1939, the birth of television was announced at the World's Fair in New York. "Now we add radio sight to sound"
-Eli -
Army-McCarthy hearings
US Senator, Joseph McCarthy, claimed to have a list of communist spies that were working in the U.S. State Department. Due to these accusations, there hearings that took place. Ultimately, McCarthy's arguments were labeled as "fraud" and "a hoax". -Eli -
Annie Liebowitz
Annie Liebowitz was the chief photographer of Rolling Stone in the 1970's. She is known for a photo of John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, both of whom Liebowitz knew for about a decade, hours before Lennon was shot.
-Alyce Horton -
Apple Computers is founded
Apple starts off by selling 50 units of Apple I and looked like a seemingly small business but soon took off and completely took over the market. They took a dip but completely turned around to take over the market again in the 21st century. They changed the way people used computers and continue to revolutionize technology. The company continues to flourish. - Ivanna -
Death of Princess Diana
Princess Diana was killed in a car crash while attempting to escape the paparazzi. While courts decided that the driver was to blame, certain privacy restrictions were enforced. This led to controversy about the line between protection of privacy and freedom of the press.
-Alyce Horton -
Public Broadcasting Act - November 7, 1967
The Public Broadcasting Act, signed by Lyndon B. Johnson on November 7, 1967, was passed in order to promote continuing instructional, educational, and cultural purpose through radio and television broadcasting. Bre Sims -
Space Flight on Television - February 20, 1962
NBC News broadcasts John Glenn as he becomes the first American to travel to space and orbits the earth three times. The flight lasted about five hours. Bre Sims
